A blind horse stands among cherry trees.
And bones shine from cool earth.
The heart leaps
Almost up to the sky! But laments
And filaments pull us back into the dark.
Night takes us. But
A paw
Comes out of the dark
To light the road. I’ll be all right.
I follow my own fiery traces through the night.
“Life is to be lived, not controlled; and humanity is won by continuing to play in face of certain defeat.” ― Ralph Ellison, Invisible Man
GOOD Luck is like a down hill tide
That helps to make an easy start,
Where one may paddle, drift or glide
Without much effort on his part;
But though it takes you to the goal
And brings you in the world’s acclaim,
It builds no fibre for your soul
Nor molds you for the rougher game.
Bad Luck is like an uphill sweep,
The test of courage and of class,
Where troubles grow and shadows creep
And none except the valiant pass ;
Where through raw gales that blow but ill
The entry clings to this lone dream :
The stalwart only stalks the hill
The gamefish only swims up stream.
If your main wish is but to win
Let Good Luck help to pull you through,
To know the cheering and the din
That go where laurel sprigs are due ;
But if you wish to build a heart
That scorns the fickle whims of Fate,
Take Hard Luck for the journey’s start
With rugged Trouble for a mate.
“In the depth of winter, I finally learned that within me there lay an invincible summer.”
― Albert Camus
Be calm and strong and patient. Meet failure and disappointment with courage. Rise superior to the trials of life, and never give in to hopelessness or despair. In danger, in adversity, cling to your principles and ideals.
NOTE: I don’t know about you, but I was born on Spring Street, not Easy Street. I believe that is the way it is for most people. Using my street as a metaphor, if one wants to move off Spring Street it will take a dream, a big dream. The dream only remains a dream until we agree to enter the struggle and fight for the dream. It’s not easy, there are hundreds of times we are tested to see if we are worthy of claiming the dream. If we’re steadfast, disciplined, and endure the struggle, Spring Street becomes the launching pad and the source of strength not allowing us to quit.
In Episode 52 of my podcast, Journey from Grief to Healing, I write the first of the four letters M suggest I write to B. It is a letter expressing regret for my actions and asking her forgiveness. I discovered, in hindsight, that writing these letter, although emotional difficult, created a breakthrough for me in the grieving process.
You can listen to Episode 52 on your favorite podcasting app or click here for Episode 52.
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NOTE: Our lives are in our hands. When we come to the realization that our lives are our responsibility we become powerful and shed our powerlessness. We no longer hold on to a sense of alienation believing we are separate from the outcomes of our labor. It’s true, things don’t always turn out how we plan. Because they don’t turn out the way we planned, it doesn’t mean we’ve lost or we’re stuck. All it means is that it is up to us to find another way and perhaps a different destination. If we don’t take responsibility for our lives we remain a victim. No emotionally healthy person wants to remain a victim. An emotionally healthy person shakes it off and moves ahead with hope.
