It isn't easy, as our tears fall,  to believe something good will come out of our sorrow, is it? Harder yet, to imagine rainbows and clear skies returning. But they do, and always will. It's difficult to believe that though, when our sorrow is dark and deep, so painful we have no words to describe it; difficult to believe, when at the moment, we're struggling to remain strong, doing all we can to prevent that first tear from falling, doing all we can to keep from letting anybody know we hurt so much.
   Life is a roller coaster, oftentimes buckling us into the passengers seat without bothering to ask if we even want to take a ride. Life's road is difficult. We can go to sleep believing everything is fine; family is good, life is perfect, only to wake the next day to find out we're losing everything. It is happening to millions of people every day. Millions of people each day, are waking up sorrowful, doing their best to be strong, struggling so hard not to cry.
     For some reason, each of us struggles so hard to be brave; to put on that happy smile, adjust that happy attitude, fight our best to shove the burden down, to not cry. Why do we make things so hard for ourselves?     I've had male friends tell me they can't allow themselves to cry, because if they did, their loved ones would see them as weak. I've had others say they fear crying, are afraid once they start they'll be unable to stop.
   I view crying as a necessary thing, a healthy thing, the other side of JOY.
You cannot experience one without having experienced the other. We would not appreciate joy without having first tasted sorrow. They are sisters in life, joy and sorrow. One puts such agony upon your spirit that tears flow, whether or not you wish them too. The other so fills your spirit with happiness that again, the tears flow.

Where are you today?  I'd like to share a few of my favorite lines from one of my favorite authors. From his book "The Prophet""When you are joyous, look deep into your heart and you shall find it is
only that which has given you sorrow that is giving you joy.
  When you are sorrorful look again in your heart, and you shall see that
in truth you are weeping for that which has been your delight."
-KAHLIL GIBRAN                                                     
 
  I pray your day is a good one. Remember that the world runs on opposites.  When we remember this, our low, depressing, sad, or blue days, are much more easy to handle.

God Bless you.

BARB


    





 

I just love this photo. It makes my heart smile, reminds me of little it takes to
be content, to fill one's heart with pleasure. I never see a picture of colorful
bubbles without thinking of my Mom. She taught me something that truly
changed my life; enabled me to see the best in everything, enabled me too,
to make even chores seem pleasant.

When I was a young girl, around nine or ten (not sure which), I was told to wash dinner dishes. I hated washing dishes. Of all I might be asked to do, dishes was the chore I hated most. So I dragged my feet, found one excuse after another as to why they were not done.
   Mom, after telling me for the fifth or sixth time to "get it done,"asked why I hated doing them so much. I recall shrugging my shoulders - saying |
 "I don't know."
  "Let me show you something," she said. She took a glass, filled it with dishwater, put her hand on top of the glass and shook it. Then, moving her hand back just a little, she let all the water drain out of the glass, then held it up to the light. "Now look." she said.
   The once dirty glass now shimmered with colorful bubbles inside. She
handed the glass back to me, and said, but not angrily, "Now get these dishes
done, okay?"
  I got them done, but let me tell you it took me a long time. I had such fun
washing those dishes, mostly because I kept filling a glass with bubbles in-between washing everthing else. I never minded doing dishes after that. I
always found myself looking for ways to make my other chores more enjoyable.



Mom believed in me when others didn't. We all need to  have that, the
knowledge that somebody believes in us. I pray we can begin within our homes,
with our children and spouses.
     I would like to encourage you too, to believe in yourselves; to not forget that you are more stronger than you believe yourselves to be. If you doubt that, take a backward look at your life, at how far you have come- at all you have accomplished, all you have overcome.

Here is something I read that I took to heart and it serves me well. If
If you apply it to your lives, I believe it will serve you well too.

"Get still; tell your heart the Truth;
act on it; leave the results quietly to God."
Have an awesome day.
Love you much.

Barb