The Mindful Way Through Adversity
When life dumps on you how do you cope?
A number of decades ago, when I was training as a metaphysical healer, I was told this story.
A mother and her three daughters live in a house in the forest. One day mother goes off to find firewood, but falls down a hole. It is not a terribly deep hole but she is scared and does not try to get herself out of it. Instead, she remains in the hole and calls for help.
The three daughters are at home and eventually wonder what has happened to their mother. The eldest goes off to look for her and hears her cries.
‘Oh thank goodness you have found me, please will you come down in here and keep me company and we can both cry for help together.’
The eldest daughter does as her mother asks and they both continue to cry for help together.
Then the two daughters at home now start wondering what has happened to their mother and their older sister. The second sister goes off to look for them both and eventually hears their cries.
When they try to persuade her to follow their example she declines and instead works to persuade the other two to take her hand and climb out.
‘Oh no no the sides might fall in on us, we are safer staying in our hole.’
