When Hope hangs by a Thread

As we grow older, we realize that everyone has a story to tell. While we are all unique, we are not immune from problems and difficulties. Eventually, we all experience similar sadness, unemployment, weaknesses, and crises; no one escapes.

Sooner or later, each new day presents challenges that prevent or deter us from doing what we really want to do. We may ask the question: what do I do next? Do I let go and plunge into self-pity or nothingness, or do I continue to hang on with my fingernails until the crisis passes? That choice makes all the difference.

I was once asked by a friend what do you do when life gets you down? My answer: I put one foot in front of the other and I keep on going. Thank goodness for routine that keeps us grounded. We get up. If we have children, we prepare breakfast and send them off to school. We work, we shop, we pray, we keep on keeping on. To quit would mean accepting failure and defeat.

We eliminate self pity and instead focus on the positive forces in our life: the love of family, the goodness of God; and the fact that in spite of difficulties, we have food on the table and a roof over our head which others may not. We cling to what we do know, instead of dwelling on the unknown. We live in today and the simple things that may bless our lives: sunshine, raindrops, music, faith, laughter, the touch of a child, the kiss of a loved one. If we’re lucky, we may capture these fleeting moments on canvas and paint the best painting of our lives.

Time does not stand still. Tomorrow a phone call may come that will change your life. An e-mail or a letter may thank you for a time or words long forgotten. “No man is an island,” said the poet, John Donne (1572-1631)

No Man Is an Island
No man is an island,
Entire of itself.
Each is a piece of the continent,
A part of the main.
If a clod be washed away by the sea,
Europe is the less.
As well as if a promontory were.
As well as if a manor of thine own
Or of thine friend's were.
Each man's death diminishes me,
For I am involved in mankind.
Therefore, send not to know
For whom the bell tolls,
It tolls for thee.

Each of our lives touches another in profound ways we may not even remember or notice. Each life is precious. When the darkening clouds of disappointment and pain overshadow us, we must hold on to life. “Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning.” (Psalm 30:5) That’s another way of saying that sorrow and pain do not last forever. We must hope and live for a better tomorrow.