How’s this for a feel good story to start the day with!
In late 2008, a couple from South Africa crossed the Atlantic aboard the beautiful Queen Mary 2 and alongside the Queen Elizabeth 2, during the latter’s final voyage across the pond. While taking pictures of the QE2’s historic crossing, their camera slipped and disappeared into the deep blue sea.
In January of this year, fifteen months after the camera was lost, a fisherman trawling the ocean floor found the camera in his fishing net. The camera was inoperable but the memory card and photos were intact.
The fisherman viewed the photos, which included a picture of a woman standing on the deck of a ship with the QE2 at sea in the background. The fisherman contacted the BBC, where a correspondent determined that the passengers had been aboard the QM2.
Cunard was notified and the company was able to identify and locate the couple and reunite them with their photos, plucked from the bottom of the sea. Vacations to Go
Many years ago, I lost a camera in a taxi in Guangzhou. I still hope that somehow the pictures will get back to me, because they are irreplaceable. This was before I had a digital camera. It’s possible! If a camera, pictures intact, can be plucked from the sea, then anything is possible!
Sometimes you hear that still, small voice, but you don’t realize it. The day I lost the camera, when I removed everything from the taxi, the thought came to me to double check, but I didn’t follow through. I thought I had all my bags. That was a hard lesson, but one I hope not to repeat. I had my bags, but the camera had slipped out. The memories of that precious day are engraved in my heart, even if I don’t have the photos.
Have you ever had a lost item found in an unusual way or after an unusual amount of time?
Sometimes I think the best way is not to look for the item past a certain point, but wait for it to surface. I’ve found things in places I would never think to look. And I’ve also been able to replace an item several years later, after I wasn’t actively looking for it or a replacement. So where is the latest item that has gone missing! Perhaps in the same place that individual socks go.
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I like each of these. It’s a toss up which one is more appropriate for any given day.
Nurture hope, pack lightly, quell rumors… all speak to Chinese adoption at the moment, and to other things as well.
Be ready for the things life has to offer. Wait patiently, doing what you can today.
Until I no longer had a source for them, I used to give silver rings engraved with ‘hope’ to people, if they were going through deep waters. It was a visible way for them to know that someone cared. I wish I could find them again.
Master something made me laugh. Something! how difficult is that. It could be anything, no matter how small. Master anything. Find something that interests you and go with it.
Which of these speak to you today?
Karin
Accept differences
Be kind
Count your blessings
Dream
Express thanks
Forgive
Give freely
Harm no one
Imagine more
Jettison anger
Keep confidences
Love truly
Master something
Nurture hope
Open your mind
Pack lightly
Quell rumors
Reciprocate
Seek wisdom
Touch hearts
Understand
Value truth
Win graciously
Xeriscape
Yearn for peace
Zealously support a worthy cause
Renee Stewart
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Just when it seems like a bit of good news would be exceedingly welcomed, comes this true story (I’ve checked it with Snopes) about a woman hand feeding hummingbirds.
Isn’t it great that with the Internet we have a way to easily share these experiences that we might never hear about otherwise?!
Thanks to Cathy for sharing with me in the first place!
It’s a reminder to me that “God’s in his heaven; all’s right with the world.”
from “Pippa Passes”
The year’s at the spring
And day’s at the morn;
Morning’s at seven;
The hill-side’s dew-pearled
The lark’s on the wing;
The snail’s on the thorn;
God’s in his Heaven -
All’s right with the world!
Robert Browning (1812-1889)
Is it possible that in these difficult times we could trust more deeply that God will feed and clothe us, as he does the birds and the lilies? Whether we are literally in need of food, shelter, clothing, water, health, employment or any of a myriad of other needs, the most basic need is for the ideas that will lead us in the right direction and out of limitation.
Ideas are always limitless! (This goes along with the short movie I posted earlier.)
Not too long ago while pondering how I should schedule my day, though my first inclination the night before had been to get on down the road and back home, I felt it was all right to meander a bit. In doing so, I had a number of interesting conversations with strangers, some welcome time with a friend, and a bit of fashion enjoyment, including some time with perfumes.
After I’d been back on the highway for a while, an electronic sign informed me of an accident 26 miles down the road. One lane was closed. (I learned later that it had only cleared about an hour before I got there.) If I had hurried my way home, I would have been stuck for hours while they cleared the road. I was able to get past it without any lost time.
Sometimes we do not know what we or others are protected from, but this time it was apparent. And it could have been far worse, but thankfully wasn’t. On this busy stretch of road, many more could have been involved in this accident but were not.
That’s just a small example of how ideas will clear our day for us. Expect ideas today and always that will help you!
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Sometimes I think the harder we look for happiness, the more elusive it can be. It’s like searching for Mr. Goodbar. But if we just sit quietly, appreciating and in the moment, it sneaks up on us.
That’s not to say that we don’t have to work at it or take charge of our own happiness. Like Cathy writes below in the comments section, I often say that I fight for my happiness!
I’ve learned through the years that I need to bring happiness into my moments, if I expect to experience it. I remind myself to do those small things for myself that secure my happiness, to be good to myself, to take time to enjoy the moments that run through our fingers.
I’ve talked with a number of folks over the years and in recent weeks whose concerns are ratcheting up. They are looking to establish (more) joy in their lives in the face of negative reports and a general malaise. Concerns about the world; their finances; life in general; their health, their work, their marriage; retirement funds — anything you can think of — are stealing their peace and occupying their thoughts.
Over the years I’ve looked into happiness, read a number of books, worked on it for myself, and tried to discern what, exactly, is happiness? I don’t know that it is possible to be happy every moment, but even in the midst of problems, it is possible to be a happy person, or at least to experience joy at some level and in some moments. So happiness isn’t determined by whether a person is happy every single moment, but whether it is an attitude of heart and mind.
An analogy that came to me a number of years ago that I’ve often shared with others is this:
Every incident of goodness; every moment of joy; every good thought or deed; every kind word experienced or given; every beautiful thing we notice; every bit of gratitude we express; every note of music we hear or play; every time we appreciate something around us; every time we give or receive a compliment; every time we take time to take time is like a pearl we are stringing in our lives.
The knots in the string are life’s problems.
When we look at a strand of pearls, yes, we see the knots, but we don’t focus on them. They only serve to make the strand more beautiful. What we see is the complete strand with the individual pearls. The knots hold the pearls securely, as well as set them apart from each other so that we may better see and appreciate the individual pearls.
That seemed like enough, and for years that is what I strove to understand and share.
But this past week, when talking to someone, it occurred to me to think out loud as we were talking: What is the string?
And in an instant I listened to the idea come out of my mouth that I hadn’t yet had:
The string is happiness.
I loved the idea that there is a string of happiness moving through our lives and that we are stringing together moments of love, joy, goodness, peace — the loveliness of life — on it.
May you be blessed by this idea, as much as I was to receive it, and may today and every day be filled with many beautiful and precious blessings.
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I only recently heard of Irena Sendler, a Polish Catholic 97 year old woman who rescued 2500 children in the Warsaw Ghetto from the gas chambers in 1942-3.
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She was captured and tortured, eventually escaping, but she did not betray what she had accomplished.
She was up for a Nobel Prize in 2007 which she did not win, but she won a far more nobler prize.
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I learned through years of parenting that usually there is one of three things behind a child’s tantrum: either they need food, they need sleep or they need love.
That’s such a truism for life, really. When I have a hard day, it’s generally because I need some rest, but the other two factor in also.
It reminds me of the time Elijah was under the juniper tree. He’d just fled for his life after a seeming spiritual victory (but you note God didn’t tell him to do what he did). And there he was, exhausted, asking God to take away his life, he wasn’t any different than the others.
Did God do it?
Nope. First he had him sleep. Then he fed him. Then he appeared as the still, small voice and re-energized him. And he gave him a friend in the work, Elisha.
These three things are almost a spiritual law, and I bet the rabbis had a word for it.
What is there about food that represents all the good in life. Is it because it is such a basic need?
Not too long ago I watched a friend invite another to come over. I’ll fix you breakfast, she offered. In that simple offering was all the power of providing a few wings in a free fall.
The next time you have a hard day, ask yourself if you are missing one or all of these elements, then try to consciously give them to yourself.
And if you are dealing with a recalcitrant child or some other in your life, you’ll find these help also.
I laugh when I think of the truism: the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach. There’s a reason for that adage, and it applies to more than men.
I think there’s something about food disorders that gets back to the base line of love. If you struggle with this, know that you are loved and that you can love. You can rest in that.
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Here’s another heartwarming story of a dad and son. I’m so glad they have the videos of Patrick Henry Hughes as a very young child! From an early age he showed musical ability which his father fostered.
Patrick Henry Hughes was born blind but plays in the University of Louisville pep band thanks to the aid of his father.
Patrick says that he feels blindness is not a disability, but being able to see is. He is not hampered, he says, by anyone’s appearance, their clothes or hair style. He’s sees the inner person. There are many videos of him on youtube. I have only shown a few of them here. I was unable to find one of him playing Amazing Grace at the Crystal Cathedral.
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2009 was a good year. Any time one’s health is good, and that of one’s family and friends, it is a good year. Then throw in a few good times, a lotta good perfumes, some good books and movies, and it becomes a very good year indeed.
It’s always nice to put some thought into those things we love.
Best Perfumery Trends in 2009:
It has to be oud, which is everywhere, suddenly for us in the west, but always a presence in the east. I am not located in a place easy for access to many of these, so I’m personally limited in knowledge to the ones I’ve sampled.
First, perfumes.
As for perfumes, remember I’m in the back of beyond as far as easily sniffing some of the lines, so if you have a favorite or are a favorite, if I have samples, I’ll be glad to add my voice.
Best expensive niche:
Andy Tauer Une Rose Chyprée: A wearable rose, with vintage aspects, not quite dirty.
Anything by Ormonde Jayne or Andy Tauer or Ayala Moriel or Neil Morris or…
Best less expensive niche
Anything by Sonoma Scent.
Best in fragrances more easily found, some niche: Kilian Back to Black Kilian Pure Oud
Guerlain exclusives, take your pick. I like a number of them, including Moscow, Double Vanilla, 68, Chypre Fatale, La Petite Robe Noire…then there’s also Mon Precieux Nectar…I buy from Guerlain @ Palazzo in Las Vegas, ask for Claire. Call (702) 732-7008 or email: GuerlainPalazzo.STORE@lvmhuspc.com. Be sure to tell him that you heard it from me. (I saw them recently on a trip more locally, but the sales agent blew the sale with me. That’ll teach her, LOL!)
Serge Lutens, take your pick.
Prada, the original, and L’eau Ambree.
Chanel exclusives — I like Coromandel.
Best surprising fragrances Le Jardin Retrouvé should be more fully known. I was glad to get a chance to review them.
Best inexpensive fragrances
Make Me Smooth
Bathed and Infused
Skin care that really works:
These are not new for 2009, but they still are going strong, and more importantly, work.
Best Moderate to expensive
Arbonne products RE9 or FC5; RE9 for the body is terrific.
Estee Lauder New Perfectionist CP+
La Prairie Cellular Anti-wrinkle Firming Serum; Cellular Hydrating is good too.
Best inexpensive skincare
Avon Ultimate Gold or Anew Alternative Intensive Age Treatment
Best cosmetic trends 2009
Minerals, everywhere. Some much better than others in texture and look.
Best color products, Not Mineral High end
Chanel
Less expensive
Arbonne
Aromaleigh
Maybelline
NYX
Best lip gloss
MAC dazzlers comes in first
Beaute
Arbonne
Chanel
Best mineral niche
Aromaleigh or Fyrinnae
Best new product
Kindle 2 International — would be made better if it incorporated the ease of reading library ebooks, if our library had any. Please send us a free wireless download to add this in order to be competitive with Sony’s ereader. (Elena, you will really enjoy yours! Congrats on receiving it as a gift this Christmas.)
The best things in life are still free
You can find a gazillion free ebooks to read on your Kindle or other ebook reader before you even consider buying any ebooks.
Don’t forget to take time to view sunrises or sunsets or enjoy seeing bodies of water, free to all if we but take the time.
Internet friendships that become RL friendships. This is an amazing time we live in, when we can be instantly connected to friends around the world. You know who you are! I regularly keep in touch with friends in Europe and China, as well as at home from coast to coast. Not to mention checking in on blogs and yahoogroups I love that originate anywhere.
The qualities of hope, inspiration, gratitude, happiness, safety…
Don’t forget prayer…
What are your favorites?
I’m sure I left something out…
If I think of anything amazing, I will add it as the day goes on…
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Recently I’ve been thinking about the subject of youth and age and what constitutes beauty. Is beauty cookie cutter, the way some plastic surgeons make their patients? Does everyone have to look the same?
Is there a difference between elderly and aged?
A friend’s mother was elderly at age 50, but she wasn’t aged. She was actually younger looking at 60. That’s something to ascribe to!
And others who are clearly aged (in years) are not elderly. I laugh sometimes to see in a newspaper, “elderly woman, 63, in accident,” most likely written by someone a lot younger.
I have a very dear older friend who will never be aged. She keeps too current in her thoughts and attitude.
What constitutes age?
How does one get from thinking they will never age to thinking it has either begun or already happened?
How old is old? How old will old be?
There are claims that someone alive today will live to be 150. I don’t think it’s out of the realm of reality. It might be you; it might be me. Why not! I say I’d like to live to be 150 and look 60 — and I’m working on looking 60.
How old are some of the oldest today?
Yesterday, AOL had picture links to the world’s oldest, ranging in age from 112ish upwards to 140 (not verified, because there’s no birth certificate, but there is a passport.)
What about projections?
Projections of what beauty is are everywhere! Images, images, images, everywhere!
April 2009 Allure Magazine’s cover, which you can see here jumped out at me.
On the left side of a gorgeous picture of Taylor Swift are the words:
Younger
Fresher
Happier
Seriously, do they think younger and fresher equate to happiness? OK, OK, I’ll give you that no one wakes up in the morning thinking that older, haggard, and out-of-date equal happiness, but surely happiness is linked to something a bit deeper.
And seriously! how could she be any younger or fresher. Give me a break.
And while fresher can be achieved with cosmetics, it also refers to a state of mind. All the cosmetics in the world — or surgeries — won’t help an attitude if it is stuck and unwilling to be renewed, fresh, or modern.
Then it goes on to say:
* Anti-Age Creams
That Really Work
*Foods That Fight Wrinkles
*Timeless Ways to Dress
And More
I want to go on record to state that I categorically am sure that Taylor Swift uses them all. Not.
Let’s get real on a cover, shall we? I doubt she is giving a moment’s thought to what she will look like at 40 or 50 or (gasp) 60 or (double-gasp) 70 and beyond.
And she is a seriously beautiful young woman who knows what it is like to look different than her contemporaries when she was in school.
And let’s not forget that she had a stylist for this cover. Who wouldn’t want one!
Not to mention that finding any mention of eye creams is about impossible. How about putting the page on the cover? There was a mention of which eye creams sell the best in different areas of the country (p 60.) That doesn’t count.
And p 170-177 are seriously ugly. Ugly eyeliner. Ugly hair. But the model got the job. I bet she’s really quite lovely. Do we have to uglify ourselves in order to be beautiful?
Here’s a new book — surprise! — with the same subject matter:
Have you read the book? I’d like to!
Beauty Snob called it to my attention with a review that had me laughing. Thanks for reminding her that 40 was around the corner — and she was ‘pissy’ besides!
“I continue on and found my self laughing out loud at the “shout outs” author Charla Krupp (long time Beauty Editor of Glamour magazine) gives at the beginning of each chapter. “Nothing Ages You Like…. Too Long hair that’s parted down the middle, a solid block of hair color, gray or white brow hairs, obvious lip liner, yellow teeth etc etc”. To make a long story short, I ended up staying up half the night giggling over the photos and fast tips Krupp gives throughout the book. There were more than a few instances when I gasped and thought “I MUST STOP DOING THAT!” I went to bed with a smile on my face and excited about waking up to utilize some of the tips.” beautysnob
How about eyeshadow making one look old(er)?
“Some of the most notable tips are eye shadow
application. She shows photos of the “old” way and the “just right way”. For example, bright bands of shadow color and a single strip of false lashes? OLD! Blend nutral shadows and add small clusters of fake lashes are more natural and youthful. Another example is shadowing your eyes: The Old Way: Paint three distinct color blocks on the lid, one atop another, with the top tier a pearly white up to the brow bone. (So many of my friends are guilty of this! They think they’re blending but it looks scary!) The Newer Way: Use two neutral colors and blend them so they look natural. Oh, and there are lots of tips from experts like Chanel’s Chief International Make Up artist Susan Sterling who advises to never match your shadow with the color of your eyes because it’s “TACKY!”. The author and her friends do not mince words and you must read it for yourself! The book is highly addictive and funny to boot.” beautysnob
To tell you the truth, I’m a little tired of all the emphasis.
I’m tired of all the emphasis on the negativity of aging. Consider the alternative!
I’m tired of images of very young women superimposed with words stressing over aging.
How about you?
Several years ago, there was a photo spread in one of the magazines targeted to older women (likely 45 and up, LOL!) of women in their 60’s and 70’s. While each of them was different than the others, each was beautiful in her own right. There was the older woman who looked like my elderly grandmother did. There was the older woman with medium length layered hair who still looked like a coquette. There was a beautiful older black woman…and more. I clipped the photos. This was real life.
We can contribute our own pictures as the time comes.
Wear no makeup. Or conversely, wear the same makeup you wore at 18, unless you are only 22 or hit the right thing for you right off the bat, and it is still in style and modern. Or you are projecting a look.
How about staying fresh?
Be open to new ideas — don’t automatically be critical of or dismiss them.
Get out and about. Mingle with others who think differently than you do.
Get rid of things — and beliefs — that are no longer appropriate, don’t make you happy, or aren’t beautiful.
Learn something new everyday. If you’re not a reader, find someone who loves to share new ideas. Let them do the reading. Encourage them to share.
Make choices that lead to happiness.
Try to surround yourself with positive people. Be that positive person. Don’t be a joy-sucker.
Let by-gones be by-gones. Insofar as possible, forgive others, while being wise.
Be forward looking. Look to the future expecting good things.
Help someone.
Give a compliment.
Smile.
Last, do things because you are healthy, not to make you healthy.
When you are active, be like a child who is active because it is what a child does. And as you are active and receptive, you will be less inclined to think or act differently.
I have a dear friend who is up to 7 miles a week on his bike after a severe biking accident. Not only is he demonstrating increasing health, but he is expressing health every day. You rock!
Here’s a Bible promise I try to take to heart
Job 11: 17 And thine age shall be clearer than the noonday; thou shalt shine forth, thou shalt be as the morning.
18 And thou shalt be secure, because there is hope; yea, thou shalt dig about thee, and thou shalt take thy rest in safety.
19 Also thou shalt lie down, and none shall make thee afraid;
And what do you think about all this?
Do you know older men or women whose spirit shines through, and they are beautiful, whether conventionally or not? What makes them beautiful? Is it that you love them?
Who is the most beautiful older person you know?
My Chinese friend tells me that the Chinese believe that you become beautiful if you surround yourself with beauty. That’s not that difficult!
And I want you to know that I always find something of interest in Allure. I am not down on Allure.
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The other day walking through the library quickly, several book titles leapt out at me. The author of this book shares out of his practice and his life. He was a psychologist, on the faculty of Harvard Medical School at the time of writing this book [1997].
216 PRACTICING FAITH
217 Have Your Doubts
… with the goal of moving closer to what you are trying to understand rather than pushing it farther into the distance, with your mind opened to the possibility that you might be in for a surprise.
Beware of Cynicism
Cynicism and doubt are not the same experience. Cynicism is a state of disbelief, an active act of not believing. Doubt raises questions, but it is not close-minded. Cynicism shuts off possibilities; doubt leaves room for hope. Cynicism leads to pessimism; doubt leaves room for optimism. Cynicism contracts; doubt expands.
Doubt confronts the world full throttle and dares faith: Go ahead, show me! Cynicism turns its back and slowly wanders away.
Don’t Be Afraid to Talk Back to God
218 [Mela Svoboda in her book Everyday Epiphanies chastised God for being too tenderhearted. All she heard God say was, "You know, Honey, I really get a kick out of you!" [Which only proved her point.] [That made me laugh. Plus, I never had God call me 'honey' that I know of.]
220 EMPATHY’S DEFINITION OF HOPE
Hope is not the belief that everything will turn out all right, rather it is the conviction that even when things go wrong, as they inevitably will, somehow we will find our way through [both] resilient and tenacious. Hope is a way of taking heart … it means finding something to believe in and then resolutely working to make it happen… works to make things better day by day full of purpose and direction keeps us moving.
Hope is created through great effort, diligence, patience, and concentration. We earn hope by our commitment to keep putting one foot in front of the other.
225 PRACTICING HOPE
Argue with Yourself [don't just accept every negative thought about yourself that drifts into consciousness]
228 One pathway to hope is to choose your memories very carefully; put a frame around them. So many hopeful things happen day in and day out, but we lose them if we don’t stop for a moment, think about them, and consciously frame them.
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The dailiness of life brings many challenges. Often we think there is little we can do, or that anything we might do would likely have little effect. So we end up doing nothing. Or worse, we may fall into an attitude of mad-itude, constantly aggravated over even small events, largely complaining to everyone around us, adding another annoyance to their day. We then become the challenge!
I like this little poem for the truth it offers:
What if the little rain should say,
‘So small a drop as I
Can ne’er refresh a drooping earth,
I’ll tarry in the sky.’ Unknown author.
Each of us has a voice, and it is needed.
I was struck this morning by the power of one voice — then others joining with it.
What happens when a favorite teacher is laid off?
Rather than accepting the news defeatedly, when Christina Gutierrez (better known as Miss G. to her students) was notified in mid-September that she would be laid off due to low seniority, her students at Hamilton High School in Los Angeles rallied.
The last day she worked 500 students organized a sit-in protest. They wanted to voice their disapproval of the decision.
Prior to this 4 students and friends Noemi Rodriguez, Jimmy Biblarz, David Kamins, and Maya Festinger felt there had to be something they could do about it. They teleconferenced twice a week, investigated rules and regs, and thought about the logistics. Using word of mouth (I was surprised it wasn’t texting) they publicized their plans, and the day of the protest they handed out information for all that were protesting.
I won’t be surprised if any of them become lawyers.
They lined the halls the day of Gutierrez’ departure, careful not to block any exits or disrupt traffic flow in the building. When the principal asked them to be quiet, they started to snap. By day’s end, the students had gathered 300 letters of support.
This did not prove to be a solution, however. Rather than letting it end there, the students kept forging on.
Gutierrez took a substitute teaching job at an elementary school. Meanwhile her replacement wished to work at an elementary school. The simple solution was: why not switch the two teachers?
And I ask, since she had a replacement, why was she let go in the first place!
The students prepared to present their solution at a school district board meeting.
We want to create a legitimate student representation. We don’t want to be belligerent or bludgeoning. A lot of what we are about is proposing solutions, rather than listing grievances. Maya Festinger
The result? The board members conceded and allowed Gutierrez to return to Hamilton High.
What do I conclude?
It began with Gutierrez whose voice meant something to the students.
What does it take to have a voice that others rally to support?
I suspect she respects her students and genuinely likes them. I’m sure they feel this.
In a situation such as this, it would appear that those who are powerless (in this case the students) must accept without murmur the decision of the powerful (the school board.) But in this case, the powerless showed their acumen and ultimately that they were not powerless at all.
It’s inspiring! In the midst of seeming hopelessness, we don’t have to cave! Perhaps it is only rarely that we are ever powerless. With a little heart, we can accomplish a lot.
Where can you add your voice today? Don’t be silent! Let your voice be heard.
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Sometimes it doesn’t do to think too much about pain and suffering. The adage Into a life a little rain must fall is a truism none of us want to meet. Seriously.
And the painful world and individual events we see can overwhelm us to the point where, until we get our head above water, solutions seem illusive at best and more often impossible.
This isn’t a post about whose pain is greater or what constitutes pain. Pain is pain. If someone is in pain, whether it is something we think is painful is practically irrelevant.
If you are going through tough times, be kind to yourself.
The other day while surfing the Net I came to an interesting anonymous comment on a blog. It set me to thinking. I think you could interchange the words pain and suffering. And I’m not sure I’d agree with easily endured, maybe possibly more easily endured. Sometimes ya gotta endure it, easy or not. There isn’t any other life choice. But you don’t have to like it!
Pain is often easily endured if it has a noble purpose. Suffering is pain that is lacking in purpose. When we care for others, even if it may cause us difficulty, it is our calling, and has purpose.
On the flip side, if we are suffering, we can search for the purpose. What do we need to learn? How can we grow? How can we become stronger through the pain (analogy- weight lifting)? Often suffering can be transformed into healing when the purpose is revealed and aligned to God’s light of truth and love. Anonymous
I liked the idea of searching for a purpose in pain, even a noble one, not that we always see a purpose, especially in the moment. That is too simplistic. But in the analogy given, if we are caring for a loved one and it is difficult, there is a transcendent purpose in it, even if we can’t see it, or if we have to fight to see it.
When I think of people who have gone through some difficult circumstance, some terrible grief or tragedy, then go on to use that circumstance to help others, I see that a purpose is found, sometimes changing life directions. Out of that difficult circumstance meaning is forged.
It might not take away grief, but it gives an energy to life’s endeavors. It is more than taking life’s lemons to make lemonade. That hardly defines it. It is wresting it out of the rock.
I was touched by this modern day example:
Fighting to change adoption laws in Korea, Jane Trenka, a Korean adoptee, when asked why she is devoting herself to this cause says:
“For my mother. My mother died but if I don’t try to change things, my suffering has no meaning.” Jane Trenka
Have you found times in your life when your life changed directions or your energies were directed when finding meaning in life’s difficulties?
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The things of this world
Always, there is far more beauty in this world than we are aware of.
But enter the prodigious talents of someone like Jarbus Agnelli who transcribed the notes represented by birds on a wire. He reminds us of possibilities yet unseen and still unheard. Figuratively, he listened to the music of the spheres.
It reminds me of Hamlet:
There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio,
Than are dreamt of in your philosophy. Shakespeare
How do we open the doors of our inner vision to see more of the good that is around us!
Perhaps the willingness
… to be different, to walk a different path
… to be open to possibilities
… to look at things differently
… to take a second — or even a third — look
… to listen for new ideas
… to look up
… to take whatever time is necessary — or to realize that time cannot restrict us
… to develop the skills that are uniquely our own
… to admit the possibility that there might be something more
… to seek for it
… to share it
… to be thankful for it.
What do you think it might be like if we could translate things and events into music?
What if we could hear music in the way that Mozart or Beethoven did? What if we could hear what they never transcribed?
What if we could translate words into a ballet?
Somehow the whole is greater than the parts.
And remember, the melody always includes you.
Do you suppose that is some indication of divine supply?
Everywhere around us — and where we are — is filled with more than we can imagine. Count on it!
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Do you ever feel that the harder you run, the behinder you get? That running at the back of the pack is a metaphor for your life?
A friend who began running some 10 or more years ago, and keeps up a slow, but steady pace told me that her local race no longer welcomes her, but the more prestigious race a bit farther from home has a place for her. That’s the better race anyway!
I’ve been out with my friend when she was stopped on more than one occasion by someone who admires her pluck and verve, not to mention doggedness. All qualities that translate to life. And they wondered why she was walking. (She was with me!) (I do tell her to be wise in the sleet and snow.)
It seems the elite runners welcome participation by others. Whereas the more average marathoner holds different views.
…legendary gold medalist Frank Shorter says the criticisms of slow runners are “snobbery.” “You never hear that from elite runners,” he told me. “Elite runners admire other people’s performance. I find it much better to welcome slow runners to the club than to vote them out.”
Greg Meyer, who in 1983 was the last American man to win the Boston Marathon, says that when he hears such complaints from average marathoners, he replies, “If it wasn’t for the run-walkers, you wouldn’t be finishing in front of anybody.” The NY Times
Does running last mean we should give up the race?
I love this quote from Isaiah:
…they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint. Is 40:31
It helps me to know that whether we run through life or walk, our particular pace ensures our place. There are times when we have to slow down due to life getting in the way. There may be a time later when we can once again pick up the pace.
It’s not so bad to be at the back of the pack, at least we are in the running!
And then again, if we are a runner through life, do we stop to smell the daisies or to help fellow walkers? Speed isn’t everything.
Are you a runner or a walker?
And do you run marathons, literally or figuratively?
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