036 Smoothed, Not Broken
Hey Stone, you came into the river sharp and broken, and years of water and sand have rubbed you smooth.
Can our hard days smooth us instead of breaking us?
Can your hard days smooth you instead of breaking you?
Pick up a stone from a riverbed. It is round and smooth, perfect in your palm.
It did not begin like this.
What really happens
River stones start as sharp, broken pieces of rock that fall into the water.
Over years, the river tumbles them against sand and other stones. The sharp edges wear away. What is left is smooth and round.
How we know: Geologists describe this rounding of pebbles by water and sand as one of the most familiar processes in nature.
The turn
The same water and sand that could have broken the stone shaped it instead.
Our hard days can do either: break us, or smooth our edges.
Three takeaways
- Hard times can shape you, not just hurt you.
- Rough edges wear away with time.
- Patience turns pressure into polish.
The river did not break the stone. It finished it.
The deeper that sorrow carves into your being, the more joy you can contain.