This month I had two occasions that made me think of survival and life.

The first one was that our holly trees got a winter burn and were damaged badly. Their evergreen leaves turned brown and looked like they were completely dead. So I called a local Master Gardeners’ Helpline for an advice. I was told that holly trees are quite resilient and I should give them a chance to come back. Sure enough, now at the end of May, they seems to grow back. I learned about the amazing nature’s power of recovering from damages and coming back.

The second occasion was that my nonagenarian mother mentioned that her continuing physical rehabilitation exercises gave her strength every week. In order for her to stay in a current physically handicapped status, she said she needed to exercise and continue doing so. Her physical programs seemed to have her spirit keep positive and strong. According to her, continuation meant the strength and power that gave her life going. She is looking forward to becoming a centenarian.

These two recent occasions provided me with a hidden hint of a success of survival for longevity. Perspective, persistence, and perseverance are something common in these cases. In other words, we should not give up so easily. Let’s keep on going. Stick to perspective. Be persistent. And persevere.