Thursday, September 24, 2009

There is hope if you believe in it.

I have a poem on my wall written by a close friend of mine who died of cancer some years ago. The poem entitled, "What I like in this world" is a list that she wrote to make her smile through the pain during her struggle with cancer.

She loved "daisies and wild flowers, butterflies, ladybugs, cats, little brown birds that stay in the spring to sing for us . . ."

Everyday I look at the wall, and I shed a little tear as I remember my friend, and then smile, because I remember that whatever I am feeling, it's going to be OK.

To often in our day to day lives, we are focused on trying to find the ultimate . . . something. The ultimate job. The ultimate car. The ultimate partner. The ultimate pair of shoes. Today I discovered the ultimate leather jacket. Somebody somewhere delivered an ultimate ultimatum.

The problem is, if the ultimate whatever is not defined accurately and realistically, we find ourselves being disappointed because the ultimate anything can never last. Inevitability the shine wears off. The novelty fades. The reality comes through.

All we really have is what is today. What we know today. And what we have to work with. We cannot be paralyzed by what we can't reach at this moment, or by what we can't have. We cannot be paralyzed by what others cannot see. And we definitely cannot be paralyzed by imperfection.

When we allow these negative influences to run our lives, we become negative. And when we become negative, we lose hope in what is possible. And that is the moment that all really is lost.

My friend teaches me every day that the sun will rise. That thunderstorms happen, but they are always followed by rainbows and ice bows, and every day the sun sets, leaving a bright orange color in the sky at dusk, and that every fall, our fields are full of golden wheat and yellow canola. Somewhere in the universe, there are comets soaring.

She reminds me to love the simple things, like green grapes and pistachios, and maple leaves in the fall, seashells and rocks, snow and sunshine.

So when it all feels kind of hopeless, and you think no one is listening, stop listening to your own negative self talk or others who are not being supportive. Tell yourself what you want to hear and have hope in the future. Because sometimes hope is powerful.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

This blog is very interesting.Yes,we must enjoy every second of everyday,as we never know when our time comes to meet OUR MAKER.Since I retired,it has made a big difference for me.I am not going in sixteen directions at one time.Stevan is a wonderful person and to think he came to Canada from Serbia just to meet me.There is a God.I wish the best for you and your family.

Anonymous said...

Thanks - Just what I needed to hear today!