Be Pervious

 

In the planning profession, there is something called "pervious" versus "impervious," with the former representing things like gardens that absorb rainwater and the latter representing things like parking lots that run them off. From this perspective, "pervious" is often held in higher regard than "impervious," because the run-off from impervious surfaces can overwhelm public stormwater systems leading to flooding, whereas the absorption function pervious surfaces mitigates against those strains.

But, in our lives, there can be a sense in which what is considered positive and negative is reversed. Being metaphorically impervious means holding your shape when the storms come, while being metaphorically pervious means being washed away when the storms come. Think of the side-by-side imagery of, in a torrent, a resolute marble statue versus a ransacked bed of flowers.

Perhaps to be counter-intuitive, I would like to propose the opposite. That which is impervious may be unaffected by the floods, but it is also unchanged. That which is pervious may seem exposed to ruin by the floods, but in nature we observe that what looks like destruction at first is actually the first act of a process that leads to rebirth. The impervious surface will never be more than what it is now. The pervious surface may rise from the ashes to contribute something new and beautiful.

I will leave to you what are your metaphoric torrential rains, and what possible new thing may grow out of seeming ruin. I just invite you to consider allowing yourself to be a bit pervious, even at risk of being vulnerable to being washed away. Who knows what wonderful new thing blossoms next?