Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Life...

is not fair. If you go in thinking it should be, or will be, or even might be, you're going to be disappointed. Life is hard. It’s a series of boring moments and disappointments peppered by near-escapes and horrific nightmares and if you're lucky, a little fun and a little happy. Horrible things happen to wonderful people, for no reason except that it has to happen to somebody.

But in life there are also flowers, and hugs, and kittens. There are kisses from babies and vodka tonics and fresh baked bread. There is the thrill of a hand-written thank you card, or the sweetness of a phone call from a loved one. There is the magic of a smile. There is the sun that stubbornly continues to come up every single morning, to tell us, “Well, dammit, let’s try this again."

There is also hope. The hope that tomorrow will be better. The hope that inside of each of us there is the strength to carry on, and work harder, and overcome. We create attachments to people, to things, to pets. We suffer through the end of those relationships. We try again and again. And we lose again and again. And keep trying, in the name of hope.

There is also love. Love stings and bites and claws but also accepts and comforts and heals and redeems. Love can bring you down or lift you up, it can change the world or change your day. It’s the most important thing there is, be it the gentle love of a mother, or the sensual tingle of a lover’s touch, or the fine sturdy love that is friendship.

We are given the choice to love or hate. We are given the choice to hope or despair. We are capable of choosing which direction we want to turn.

When the story of your life is written, please don’t let it be a sad one. There is always hope, and love.