Summer – and the floating is easy

Flashback BP – blogpost: This writing is, in part, from a post from my previous website. It’s all about celebrating summer. Enjoy!

While enjoying the summer evening at a neighborhood café with one of my coach friends, a small tree frog hopped out from the potted plants near our table and plopped himself in the middle of our table. My friend scooped him up and redeposited him into the plants as we thanked him for stopping by. A few moments later, he reappeared and hopped from our table onto the pavement and into the night.

We laughed at our attempt to keep the frog in nature and wondered what he appearance meant. We were in one of those deep, meaning of life conversations that happen when we’re together. She had posed some questions to me about the “message” the frog brought for me and as she always does so well, jotted my answers down for me to look at later.

A few days later a postcard arrived from my husband’s sister and brother with this image on it.


Frog Crossing Sign

On the back of the postcard, it read:

“The frog crossing sign near Schmeeckle Reserve warns travelers of wood frogs crossing the street. Ramps have been installed to help the frogs over the curb. This sign is the only one of its kind in the world”

Now I really was curious about that tree frog encounter earlier in the week.

As an animal totem, frogs show up in the mythology of many cultures and civilizations. And as with most things, provide a variety of meanings – transformation, physical and spiritual cleansing, abundance and prosperity. Because the frog is amphibian yet easily glides between earth and water, it is considered to be magical. Its grueling quest to reach frog maturity symbolizes metamorphosis and transformation.

I thought about my own life and the transitions I was facing in my business. This particular leap was changing everything in my life – from where I live, who I work with and who I hope to be – creating more questions than I had answers. And I have been supremely uncomfortable with it all. I’ve attributed (i.e. blamed!) the discomfort on many things. But in truth, I’m the amphibian getting kicked out of the pond and am more than just a little concerned this new earth I’m going to live on might not just work out in an almost life threatening way.

Newsflasheven though I have done this before, it’s scary.

I pulled out the “frog message” notes from my purse. “Life will be lucky when you are curious and have fun. You don’t have to know everything.”

I laughed. That’s when I decided to just float.

Done correctly, floating takes very little effort – yet can be lifesaving. When you float – you’re in the water but you can still experience the sky and air and the view of the shore. You can be curious about what’s on the other side of the lake without needing to know what’s on the shore.

And here’s the truth. For most of us, it’s important to be okay with floating on that lake – even if it feels like we are not getting anywhere. In fact, the moment we cease to be fully present in the floating is the first sign that we’ll never make it to the shore at all.

So I’ve decided to take a cue from the postcard. When I do make it to shore, I’ll trust there will be a ramp to help me on my way.

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