Frog in the Boiling Water

There is a phrase that exists in Americana vernacular, and although I have no idea where it
originated, instinctively I know what it means – Frog in the Boiling Water. For those of you who
have perhaps never heard this phrase, it is a metaphor that refers to a person who sits in a
situation which may seem strange or odd at first, but the temperature is such that we remain in
the uncomfortable situation. Eventually, we cease to recognize the toxic and boiling temperature
of the situation that surrounds us, and we are taken over to the point where we struggle to jump
out of the now boiling water.

As is the case with many of these circulating metaphors, the Frog in the Boiling Water is a bit
grotesque, but I can guarantee with 98% certainty, that each of you have a situation that you have
experienced playing in your mind right now that fits the Frog in the Boling Water scenario. For
me, it took an emotionally toxic bully to extricate me from my Frog in the Boling Water situation
and for that, I am grateful. For you, it may be a situation from your childhood, young adult life, a
relationship, a friend-circle, or employment. These situations are often painful to move through,
but once on the other side, we can often find our breath and our voice once again.

The perspective of jumping out of the water – for whatever reason – reminds me of a much
gentler turn of phrase from The Journey written by a favorite poet of mine and many, Mary
Oliver in which she says: “But little by little, as you left their voices behind, the stars began to
burn through the sheets of clouds and there was a new voice which you slowly recognized as
your own…”

We find ourselves and our voices in the most unlikely and unexpected ways, don’t we? Today, I
encourage you to take a step back and reflect. Perhaps, you find yourself in rising temperatures
and it’s time to reach out and seek support to be pulled from the boiling pot. Perhaps, you are in a
place of revisioning and reclaiming who you are. Perhaps, you are finding yourself on your feet
and fully embracing what is all around you and before you. In any case, be grateful and seek out
those who support, encourage, and care for you regardless of the leg of the journey you find
yourself on.