When I was a young girl, I grew up with the well-quoted words of Dr. Robert Schuller “Tough times never last, but tough people do.” My Grandmother used to stream his services on an old color tv. Nice sentiment, but I was never really bowled over by all of those so-called evangelists. Yes, I read my bible, yes I knew some passages by heart, yes, I even had a tea mug that bore that phrase, but, without experience, they were simply lines, not something that I could apply to my life at the time. Boy, does experience teach us.
Like most, I have had perpetual ups and downs in life. I’ve experienced those whirlwind moments, and I’ve been knocked to my knees, speechless, filled with sorrow. I’ve been to the shoe store of life lessons and tried on many a shoe (role) until I found the proper fit.
My life has been a mashup of songs that I didn’t request to be played, often the melody invoking things I didn’t want to remember. During those times, I learned to ask myself what do I really want, who do I wish to become. Not having had that firm foundation of support from family in what I chose to put my talents into, I had to find my own path, my own way. I’m not going to sugar coat, it was painful. To be honest, I had no idea what I was doing, I didn’t know real love, I didn’t know what genuine happiness was. I often tried to be what someone else wanted me to be, and yes, it invariably came crashing down, but that, that is where the story begins, not ends.
It took me ten years to find where I belonged. Five of it was spent doing the groundwork, learning, building, spending time alone, deep in thought, deep in prayer. There’s nothing like a determined woman, not on revenge, but on becoming something, someone better, stronger, wiser, using what time had taught her, and those lessons she learned. When your world lies at your feet, I found the fortitude to get a broom and a dustpan, sweep up the shards and toss them in the trash. Years down the road, I will never regret those moments, I’m glad that whoever watched over me did so and gave me the ability to move forward. Sometimes, it takes losing everything to claim yourself again. In a way, I think Earth is a woman. She had enough, she’s been quiet long enough, has seen so much destruction, that she decided to take matters into her own hands and heal herself. Maybe all of this is a way to claim her power back.
I often write of a very dear person in my life. This person saw me, saw something within me that needed to come to the surface. I saw the potential in them as well. They were there when I doubted, when I was afraid to try new things, they taught me to go within to find happiness and they showed me true agape love. I grew spiritually, and intellectually, They were the balm that my soul needed. I healed, I was able to forgive. I’ve had the pleasure of watching them grow too, to step into the role that they were meant to be in, to see them fulfilled. You see, that’s what real love is all about, helping each other to be the very best version that you can be. I’m whole in myself, but I’m better with them in my life. I fly a little higher, shine a little brighter with them there. I like knowing that no matter where they might be, I always have their quiet presence in my life. I’ve found the perfect fit for my heart, my spirit.
And that is how I wound up here. It isn’t the end of the story, but, it’s a heck of a beginning. What did the hard times teach me, resilience, adaptability, working with what you have, finding a way. Putting words and feelings together to make something beautiful. To help others see that there is hope, even when it seems hopeless. That even in weeds, a daisy can grow.
The world stands a bit crumbled right now, we hold so many broken pieces and wonder how or if it will ever be the same. We need to take a look, see the potential in what this universe can be. It is going to take people who are strong, that can roll with whatever happens. It will bring forth warriors.
“Tough times never last, but tough people do” Indeed!