ice storms & ice Gems
Two Things Can Be True at the Same Time
When we allow two truths to exist at once, something changes. We stop fighting ourselves and others. We make room for compassion, flexibility, and growth—without pretending everything is fine.”
It’s be a rough two weeks in Nashville…and it all of Middle Tennessee, really. Speaking for myself as a native Nashvillian, the ice storm (that I believe has been dubbed “Fern”) was catastrophic. And, I made it through.
Like many, I’ve had a difficult time reconciling so much of what I have experienced:
The frustration of extended power outages juxtaposed with amazing displays of humanity as people were welcomed into others homes
Feeling helpless reading numerous social media requests for food or financial aid, yet hopeful as they were responded to with generosity
Seeing photos of the utter destruction alongside beautiful ice crystals catching the sun
Two Things Can Be True at the Same Time
One of my favorite ideas from Dialectic Behavioral Therapy (DBT) is the concept of dialectics. At its core, it means this: two things that feel opposite can both be true at the same time.
You can be doing your best and still struggling.
You can love someone and need space from them.
You can feel grateful for what you have and wish things were different.
You can see trees and power lines downed, and still be in awe as the ice sparkles like diamonds.
Most of us were taught—directly or indirectly—that life works in either/or terms. You’re strong or you’re weak. You’re healed or you’re broken. You’re right or you’re wrong. When we think this way, we end up stuck, judging ourselves or others, or feeling like we have to pick a side.
Dialectical thinking invites a gentler option: both/and.
This mindset can be incredibly freeing. Instead of arguing with your feelings or trying to talk yourself out of them, you get to acknowledge what’s real without dismissing hope or change. “This hurts and I can get through it.” “I don’t like this situation and I can handle it for now.”
When we allow two truths to exist at once, something changes. We stop fighting ourselves and others. We make room for compassion, flexibility, and growth—without pretending everything is fine.
Life is rarely black and white. It’s layered, messy, and nuanced. Dialectics reminds us that we don’t have to ignore our experience to survive it. We can hold both things, and we can still move forward.
Sometimes, the most healing thought isn’t “this will go away,” but simply:
Both things are true—and that’s okay.
Ice storms can cause destruction, and Ice diamonds can cause wonder.