Tomorrow is not promised. That has been sitting with me for a couple of months as I came across it in an old Clint Eastwood movie Absolute Power. Good movie by the way. I think he said in it “tomorrow’s not promised to no one.” It goes back to the importance to me in being present. How today is a gift and tomorrow is not promised. I think Scripture has it as well. Maybe it is the circumstances of people’s lives that come to fore lately of loss, pain, suffering intertwined with joy, celebration, glee. How in the world does a person juggle such paradoxes bespoken in their life!!? There are no answers but only more questions. I guess if we can live in the paradox, be okay with the unknown, and allow self to know you are not alone can bring some solace to the weary heart. I am grateful to have God in my life as my faith navigates the worn and at times uncertain paths I’m on. Yet, there are some days when I do not want only God to know as I could have done without that particular situation. Sheesh. LOL.
Ah laughter, the fruit that bears witness to jostling this ol’ heart. I so like to laugh and smile alot. Right now I can hear my youngest granddaughter get up from her sleep, awakened by her mom. She is giggling a bit. The joy in my heart right now is that yesterday her mommy bought her, her first EVER bed. A double bed!! Yes this tiny three-year old has a double because mommy is tired of sleeping on the hard floor beside her crib when she had a nightmare. Now mommy and daughter can weather out another storm so to speak in comfort. But that little girl makes me laugh so hard (and grrr too). Just saying.
One thing I like to hold on to are quotes or sayings that seem to be a balm for me in the chaos of daily living. You know those catchy one liners that jolt you or cause you to pause in mid step. I tend to find myself gravitate to sayings or mantras of thought which then seem to find their way into my outward communication to those I cross paths with. It may not be deep or profound but it is what I have to offer up in the moment. One that I do not think will leave me is the notion that ‘life is precious’. I must say it at least once a day since forever. Because it is precious, the life we are given and you don’t know what the morrow brings to you. Which goes to another phrase which reminds me of the children’s book The Little Engine that Could spouting out, “I think I can. I think I can.” Imagine that image of going uphill in a little put put effort in a train, huffing and puffing!! Yet, it does make it and for me, I can imagine that because in my life I want to live like I can. Making the most of each day while I can still do whatever.
No I am not quite over the hill as my daughters so kindly remind me often. No I do not need Depends. No I do not need little pills. No I do not need my ears cleared. Har har har. But the lesson in the making fun of me is that one does not know what is in store regardless of age, stature, race, sex, culture and so forth. So does one make lemonade out of lemons, the silver lining in real life journeys? Do I look at each day as a gift to be embraced, fully lived, with whomever and whatever I am doing. Do I try at least to give it ago. There is already enough of in our daily journeys that we do not ask for, want or see coming but nevertheless, come anyway, as God only knows. Aha. Oops. Caught me. Yes, and in the ‘enough already’ parts there are mantras like this too shall pass and it does. Sucks to be you but it’s all good really. Hard pill to swallow yet you go this. Ying to the yang.
I have a saying that I say to my dad since I was in my early 20’s. I think I notice it more now than ever before. My dad is a talker. I mean a real talker when you sit down and don’t bother moving for a long time. He can tell a story which reminds him of another and then another. Initially, it would be me sitting at the dining table ( and I love my dining table) as a teenager and having to listen to those long long long lectures about what not to do, who not to hang with, what to wear, how to behave. You know the yada yada yada. Sorry dad. Just as an FYI dad, they stuck those mini multiple lectures to live by. Then later on as I got older, mom/wife/educator I began to appreciate dad’s witty sly humour in the stories he told from days of old. But you want to put him on pause so that I can visit mom or siblings. Or go to the bathroom. Then as the years have gone on, he has been more focused on the stories (which I could say in my sleep now with all respect to my dad) that have ticked him off whether it was his career, politics, government, finances, earlier decisions. The woulda, shoulda, coulda phase I am thinking. Yet in all that, what I would say to dad in those heartfelt, time-consuming, detailed stories of his life was “shoot me now dad”. Yep. Loving daughter. Right?? Disrespect all the way. LOL.
Yes that is my loving mantra to my dad for many years. He laughs and laughs because he knows he is a talker. Of course, Dad being dad would say things that would get my goat or so off base to my way of thinking. I am not into conflict or making disrespectful comments. But there are times when you just have to say it like it is. LOL. So using dad’s form of humour on him, that would be my response and it gets him going. Side-tracked. So my work is done.
Although now, my heart is full of tears because he sits more and more when I visit. The chair beside him which was my mom’s and no longer has her in it, I sit there expecting ‘same old same old’ and it is not happening. I had noticed a few months ago that some of his favourite stories were missing pieces which I would gently add and get him back on track so to speak. Oh my. But now, I find he sits back with his feet up in the electric lazy-boy chair, more watching than talking. There is a narrowness about him that has never been there before. He finds most things an effort, giving over it seems to the nuances of struggling with his age, his health issues, his wife in a home, not being able to do what he used to be able to do, regrets…while sitting mostly or eating or visiting mom. Hanging on. Thats not my dad.
So tomorrow is not promised. It really is not. Today. That is what I have. Oh to know in my heart that I know this to be. Blessings.
Let us pray for those whom are in need of our prayers today and for those who need strength and courage of God’s healing abiding love. Amen.
Silver Linings today.
Every cloud has a silver lining.
April showers do bring May flowers.
French saying “after the rain, the good weather.”
German saying “if the day wasn’t your friend, then it was your teacher.”
Turn your face to the sun for the shadows fall behind you. In other words, look on the bright side.
Times are not always the same; the grass is not always greener.
More silver lining quotes;
There is a crack in everything, that is how the light gets in. Leonard Cohen
There are always flowers for those who want to see them. Henri Matisse
I am thankful for my struggle because without it, I wouldn’t have stumbled upon my strength. Alexandra Elle
Sometimes when falling apart, they may actually be falling into place. J Yuu
The broken will always be able to love harder than most. Once you have been in the dark you learn to appreciate everything that shines. Zachary K. Douglas
Remember sometimes when you do not get what you want is a wonderful stroke of luck. Dalai Lama
Only in the darkness can you see the stars. Martin Luther King Jr.
Karenpondering 