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When environmental conditions go extreme, Nature considerately whispers to its children, “Hold on.” No tree, no animal, and certainly no human can control external factors. But each and every one of them can hold on—retreat, get quiet, and wait. Hold on until the severity passes—and it always does—so they can get back to their routines and do their thing.

Extreme scenarios sometimes ask for extreme answers, and that can simply be withdrawing and waiting so as to preserve physical integrity and energy, not necessarily fighting, protesting, or opposing. See how the natural world responds, for example, to heat waves: animals go still and rest, and trees severely restrict or temporarily shut down many of their vital processes—that’s how they hold on to life. Some humans follow the instinctive call and refrain, too, while others naively defy what’s beyond their control and can even knock them out.

Neglecting unnecessarily and unreasonably the fragility and preciousness of life is not honoring the privilege and value of this human experience, including the unique conjunction of variables allowing it. Life itself—the temporary marriage between consciousness energy and physical matter—is fragile. If by chance the delicate link is broken, life is no more. The soul remains, always, but the particular figure, role, and frame of a given lifetime are lost forevermore.

Holding on is often the simplest and wisest way of preserving life when facing some extreme weather of the world, whether natural or human-induced, or even some inner turmoil. It will pass, always, but at least one doesn’t pass with it. Whatever the case, always remember, you have within you a safe haven where you can retreat and wait until things get brighter.

Copyright © 2026 Susana Cabaço. All Rights Reserved.