There is an old African-American spiritual, “I Shall Not Be Moved,” which is also known as “We Shall Not Be Moved.” It was one of the songs made popular by the Civil Rights Movement, but was also used by labor unions fighting for workers’ rights and is used as a resistance song all over the world. It has been covered by a number of artists over the years. One of the lyrics states:
“Like a tree that’s planted by the water, I shall not be moved”
What causes you not to be moved? What in your life makes you want to stand firm and not give in?
We have to stand firm. There are times when our convictions are challenged. There are times when deeply rooted hatreds and fears threaten to make us turn and run. Like the union workers and Civil Rights movement, we need to stand firm in what we believe, even if it goes against the tide.
I will admit that, though I have been challenged, I have not had to stand firm or risk losing everything like some have. But I do stand firm in my love for others. I try my best, through written words and actions, to show I will try to love everyone for who they are. I try to not tolerate certain words or actions. And I would like to think that in some small way, my standing firmly in this love I try to show to others, as best as I can that is, makes a difference.
Standing firm in love is as much an action as small rebellions are (oh hey, I wrote a blog post on that!). It’s trying to bring peace through gentle rebukes and reconciliations and compromises (oh hey, I wrote a blog post on that too!). It’s showing love and kindness despite the yell of hatred. It’s offering a kind word of acceptance to someone who has only heard bullying. It’s bringing wholeness to others by offering them care instead of rejection.
Standing firm in love means celebrating the sameness you have with one another even as you lovingly embrace the differences.
It’s why I have written the Portal Seeker in my Portals Series the way that he is (and most of my other protagonists). As the shade of Erynnion states about Soli in The Seeker’s Protector:
“He loves too much… His spirit cares too much.”
Soli, like all of my main characters, stands firm in love for all beings, magical and non-magical, no matter who they are or what they can or cannot do. He works to protect them, becoming the antithesis of his dark and hateful ancestor. Like Manda and the Children of Lasco, like Templeton and Ambarre and Neriah, he seeks to show the realms that love is the root of all magic, and that standing firm on that love becomes an inspiration for others to continue their stories.
So how will you, my magical readers, be inspired to commit and act on your love? Can you stand firm in love? Can you be willing to show others how much they mean to you? Can you be like a tree that’s planted in the water? Will you act as selfless as the Portal Seeker?
I know I can try my best to do so myself.
Stay magical friends. Keep writing your own stories.
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K. S. Wood Writes 
Love this, you express it so well! 💞 What I find most interesting is that the trees with the deepest roots get that way from adversity…wind/lack of rain pushes the tree to root deeper and more spread out for stability and nourishment. I think the same goes for us…when everything is all sunshine and roses, we can survive and thrive with shallow roots. But when the storms of life start to rage, we need to sink our roots deeper to stand our ground. 💞
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