Thrive in Unfavorable Conditions - July 9, 2025

Thrive in Unfavorable Conditions

In my last blog, Peaks and Valleys, I mentioned how Chicagoland has been experiencing a heat wave these past weeks of summer. This has made for some very unfavorable temps for runners training for the Chicago Marathon on October 12, 2025. As I look at my lawn, and basically everyone’s in the neighborhood, it’s brown and hasn’t really moved any closer to the sun in about two weeks. When I place my foot on it, there is a brittleness I can feel through my eardrums and I immediately think how this is not the yard I would have gotten grass stains from as a kid. The only things that seem to be growing are the unattractive weeds and crabgrass that thrive in these unfavorably parched conditions. 

As I finished my four-miler I walked to the side of my house and saw something that clutched my eye. Five vibrant pink roses, close together, high above any of the weeds making their statement, declared their dominance. It was an amazing sight, not something I was expecting, but needed. 

These five roses don’t care that the current spiced temperatures are not what they typically thrive in. It doesn’t matter to them that they are lacking the proper amount of hydration to prosper. These five roses agreed to use teamwork and said, “Screw it, we’re not going dormant, let’s show everyone and everything how beautiful and strong we are together.” 

Throughout life, we all will find ourselves in a drought, gasping for water to quench our thirst and find shelter from the temperatures that are draining the moisture out of our bodies. We will find ourselves slowing, crawling, and dragging our bodies against the sharp, crisp blades of grass. Our mind will begin to tell us that it’s no use, just give up, stop clawing at the Earth, trying to move forward. It’s during these times we must think of the five pink roses. We must find and rely on our team, knowing they bring strength when we may not feel it inside. Together, we will rise up and stand strong and thrive despite the unfavorable circumstances we may find ourselves in. We must remember that it’s not the environment surrounding us that determines our growth, but ourselves. 

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