life is such a precious gift. even waking up in the morning--opening your eyes and realizing that you are alive, what a gift. taking a deep breath, jumping out of bed (as i do, because i'm apt to be 20 minutes late), and starting your day. realizing that you are alive. you never know when this life may come to an end, no matter what unfinished business that you have, no matter who you told you loved them, no matter what.
every single day is a gift. we are given this life to revel in creation, figuring out who we are, laugh, cry, figure things out, be more confused than ever, but most of all, we are created to love each other. no matter what your denomination, it's hard to argue with the simple fact that we are here to love each other, help each other, and guide one another on this crazy journey.
why is there so much pain in the world? life is too short to deal with stress or anxiety about particular things, or to worry about what tomorrow will bring. in reality, tomorrow isn't even for certain--it's completely uncertain. so taking today and enjoying it is of utmost importance.
it isn't the easiest thing to do, trust me. i feel like there is so much pain in this world that in the midst of it all, we lose sight about what life truly is and lose ourselves in the strife that we deal with and in the uncomfortable things that hold us down. there are so many uncomfortable things in our lives that can misdirect us and make us lose sight. anger, pain, sadness, loneliness, anxiety, etc. all of these emotions that can get us off track and forget about everything we have to be happy about and to enjoy can make us feel lost and alone, when in reality, we have so many support systems that we could lean on for help.
a friend of mine that passed away a couple of years ago gave me this quote once as i told her about the pain and suffering that i was feeling and how lost i was:
"There is no such thing as clear-cut pure joy. Our experience of love, no matter how loyal or ecstatic, is marked by selfishness and pain. Such is our lot. We reach for the sky, but cannot inherit the earth. We long for the good, but frequently produce something that is a pale version of our best intentions. Made for God's highest intention, we sometimes fritter away our calling and opportunities. Made for greatness, we easily become sidetracked by our success and power. A profound sadness thus underlies our life. But our sadness can be turned into joy. This is not a joy that comes from a perpetual striving, but a joy that comes in the midst of our pain. It's the joy of being loved despite our imperfections. It's the joy that comes as a gift we don't deserve. It's the joy that comes as a surprise in spite of ourselves. Thus, in the midst of our pain we can celebrate. In the midst of our broken world we can still dance."
the last sentence, "in the midst of our broken world, we can still dance" is my favorite.
i'm a big believer in what i lovingly call "car dancing". this means at every stop sign, red light, in the midst of the worst traffic jam, i like to provide the cars around me with a little entertainment. lately, it's been the debut CD of the hanson brothers, "the middle of nowhere". i put that CD in, let it blare out of my open windows, and dance like a the true fool that i am. this is my way of exerting all of the negative energy of my day while providing some entertainment to those other cars on franklin ave. it's actually quite hilarious. one day i actually had the car next to me singing and dancing along. precious!
this life that we're given is quite a gift. it could be over at any moment. but to sing, to laugh, to dance, even to breathe, is a gift. no matter what you've got to complain about.
tell the people that you love that you love them, say it often, say it openly, let them know. feel free to dance in the aisle at the grocery store, buy yourself a bouquet of flowers, or go on a walk late at night when you know you should be asleep. look at the stars, go for a drive, stay up late talking on the phone. laugh louder, embarrass yourself, do something child like. have another glass of wine, eat some more chocolate, finish up that ben and jerry's tub. enjoy yourself. do something every day that just reminds you of how great it is to be alive.
do a little car dancing on your drive home today.
fight the good fight,
+kaia
"Life is short, we do not have too much time to gladden the hearts of those who travel the way with us. So be swift to love, make haste to be kind, and may the Divine mystery be always with you."
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