Phil wakes up before dawn to wade through the waters of a lotus pond. He reflects “what we don’t know is that the pond has a floor…of mud (emphasis on the D). It’s not, you know *we’re walking in the mud*, it’s as if there’s a monster under the mud who’s pulling your legs and doesn’t want you to walk. It took every ounce of strength to step once.”

You must grow in the mud to emerge this towering yet gentle flower. To be looked at or eaten.

The monster under the mud is the epitome of the trials and tribulations of your life. Sometimes it does take every ounce of strength to take one step.