Search Not For A Reason

Today’s post is a combination photo/haiku. Because, when I see a tortilla impaled on a tree branch, a haiku feels appropriate.

I was delighted when I caught this moment. It’s such an excellent example of how things just happen. Period.

We are a meaning-making species, so when an event occurs (positive, negative, or neutral) we tend to search for a reason. We do this because if it’s something good that happened, we want to know how, so we can repeat it. If it was something fraught with pain, we want to know what went down so we can prevent it from happening again.

The problem with that thinking is that often what happens in life is out of our control.

We don’t like that. We want to be in control of what’s happening. We want to think whatever the outcome, it’s because we made it happen. Or we deserved it.

Sure, there are great things we can make happen, through hard work, practice, training and consistency. Same with crap results from poor choices.

And we have no control over what life is gonna throw at us. Zero. Zilch. Nada.

Desperately searching for a meaning or a reason for life’s tiny (or giant) mysteries, when perhaps there isn’t one, can only cause unnecessary suffering.

Sometimes, it’s just a tortilla caught on a tree.

If we’re going to assign meaning to why something marvelous or tragic occurs, then we also have to assign meaning to how that tortilla ended up there.

Think about this the next time you’re racking your brain for reasons why something happened. Notice whether you go to a place of worth or lack of it. Notice if you go right to punishment. That’s a whole other post, so I’ll just leave this here for now.

My dears, sometimes things just happen.

And there’s no reason.

Mystery solved.

xo,