Thankful

Thankful

This morning, while reflecting on all that I have to be thankful for in my life, the phone rang, and it was a dear friend catching me up on his recent eight-day stay in the hospital for complications from a serious surgery. He had lost a lot of weight but was gradually regaining his strength. He shared with me how much more each setback made him appreciate the health he once had and that he expects to regain after this cancer surgery and related treatments. I told him I “dittoed” that life lesson since it was five years ago this week that the words Trust Your Journey took on such a powerful meaning in my life as I struggled with my own cancer recovery. We both agreed that it was a time to be thankful yet mindful of all the lessons of the journey.

Thanksgiving week is such a treat and a wonderful time to turn your mind toward all that is good in your life. So often we get hung up on a few situations that might not seem to be going our way or on things that are out of our hands. This week, open your heart to all that is good and the opportunity to share these blessings with others during this very special time of year.

“Nothing purchased can come close to the renewed sense of gratitude for having family and friends.”
--Courtland Milloy

Water Under the Bridge

Water Under the Bridge

It seems that just about every week people share stories with me about past unpleasant experiences that they’re holding onto for dear life. These “tales of the past” most likely change every time they relate them, but the endings are always the same--they’re not talking to or associating with that person because of what was said or done many years ago. Unfortunately, the shunning is usually directed at family members or even good friends that said or did something that was considered offensive. It’s regrettable that those incidents aren’t confronted immediately since many times the meaning of a person’s words or actions is misinterpreted by the offended person. However, even if you haven’t “cleared the air” in the ensuing years, I can assure you that time will indeed heal the great majority of wounds, if only you’ll allow the mending to take place. I believe there are many paths beyond the hurt and strain in any relationship.

There is no better time than today to move beyond your “hold ups” and let those hurts move on down the stream of life like just so much water flowing under a bridge. If we don’t let go, our minds will gradually make these perceived offenses appear much worse than they really were. Often the person toward whom we bear a grudge wasn’t being mean-spirited at all; it was merely a slip of the tongue or an ambiguous statement or action that was misinterpreted. Always try to understand that the other person might’ve been in a bad place at the moment those unfortunate remarks were made. Forgiveness can be face to face, long distance, or just a mental release of the incident. Life is short and well worth whatever effort it takes to repair a relationship. There’s no substitute for letting unpleasant experiences in our past become just so much water under the bridge.

“What you need to know about the past is that no matter what has happened, it has all worked together to bring you to this very moment. And this is the moment you can choose to make everything new. Right now.”--Anonymous