When I sit back and examine my life, I realize it is not too different than that of a vine. In its most simple form, a vine has quite an erratic path that, from a close-up view, seems to lead nowhere. But as we step back and take a broader look we can see widespread growth patterns and rich displays of greenery. Each bend, each tangle, and each stunted growth point actually appear to have a purpose that, on a deep level, shapes its life. The more blessings I experience in my life, the more I realize the vine symbolically represents our “big pictures.”  We, too, are shaped by what we encounter along the way — in the form of relationships, challenges, experiences, and triumphs.

So many times I have sat back and been amazed at pivotal moments in my life where I realize just how connected we all are to each other and what an important role we play in one another’s growth. Much like the way the path of a vine crosses other vines along its trek up the edifice of a building, so too do our lives intersect to form critical connections with others along our journeys.

I am guilty of taking these connections for granted. But, moments like these when I sit and reflect on them and their importance, I realize how critical it is for me to be aware that one thing always affects another, whether it be on a small or large scale. With keeping this in mind, I am less apt to turn a blind eye to the many things that have and will continue to shape my life like the seemingly incidental meetings I have with new acquaintances, the last-minute decisions I make to join a stitching group, the leaps of faith that will catapult me forward in the future. These twists or straight-lined paths may propel me to new understandings and appreciations for change--change that may reward me with rich, new experiences that I otherwise wouldn’t have enjoyed.

We may not understand the immediate reason that our paths sometimes seem erratic and illogical with all their twists and turns. But each one has a purpose that supports who we become as we grow. A vine may seem unwieldy and without pattern, but it is really purposely developing stronger connections to help it withstand the pressures that occur around it. I believe this to be true of us, too. We draw on each other’s strength to help us get to where we are going so that we can experience the parts of life that bring us the most satisfaction. The interactions in our crossing vines allow us to experience and share the gift of life and all it has to offer.

Life offers many paths to get to where we want to go. And along these paths we meet people, some who obstruct our goals, some who stand by and let us walk right past, and others who carry us through the tough zones along the way. In my lifetime, some of the most influential people have been those who I met seemingly by mistake or slim chances. A stop over along the road, at which I never thought I’d find myself, was where I met some of the most influential people in my life who have shaped me into the person I am today and taken me to where I am today. I am always amazed when I look back on the blossoming of our friendships and can’t imagine where I’d be in life today without them.

In the spirit of spring, embrace those around you and relish in the surroundings that make us grow. Think like a vine and you’ll grow like one.

Enjoy this month’s project, Vine Sampler by Angela Pullen using Kreinik Silk Mori®.