Sometimes Life is gleeful. Other times? Not so much. However, I believe there is nothing wrong with feeling, even through the difficult times. Someone lovingly pointed out to me recently that our blessings can even overwhelm grief. That is not to say that sadness can be obliterated, but it surely can be overshadowed.
Life is rather like a rollercoaster, filled with highs and lows, from times that move slowly to those that zoom and scream along, seemingly out of control. And it is a very short ride, although most of us have a tendency at times to live as if we have countless years.
Whatever “it” is for us, we fare better when we stop putting it off as if we have all the time in the world. We don’t.
As I espouse in “The Bimbo Has MORE Brains… Surviving Political Correctness,” we can enjoy the feeling of living far more when we learn to live without regret. Too often things are said or left unsaid. We may have expressed harsh bitterness or relentless intolerance. We may have treated someone harshly. We may have been unfair.
Our quiet regrets pile up in some corner of our mind. We never come clean. We never sincerely apologize. My Dad always set a great example in this area. Poppy always shared and said it all. Thus, when he passed, no one needed to feel the ache of words left unsaid. Harsh words were never the last ones spoken. Loving words were never left unsaid. Forgiveness seemed an almost automatic outpouring of love.
This is so important, because all too often, we don’t get another chance. The person or people we may have hurt are gone. We do not have as much time as we may have thought.
That said, I do not believe the souls of the departed hold any ill will. Only we living beasts harbor regrets and ill will.
I couldn’t help but wonder what I might wish to say to people left behind if I was suddenly gone tomorrow. I’d thought about that a lot… Perhaps because we’d suffered some difficult personal losses. For that same second “Bimbo” book I wrote and shared my thoughts and words. Literally, I include my list of things that, as the departed soul, I would like to say to friends and loved ones left behind.
Give it a try. I found it fascinating to see how easily we forgive those who’ve hurt us or caused pain and hardship for people we love. I loved feeling how happy it made me to recognize the hope and encouragement I relished giving to others.
While Life brings us laughter and love, it also brings heartbreak and tears. Sad times make us better able to flourish and appreciate happy times. Feeling the whole spectrum makes us stronger and more compassionate people. Though I often say that living on this place called Earth is not for sissies, it is also an amazing ride.
Let your heart flow. Relish and cherish. Believe and forgive. Learn and teach. Fall down and get back up. Through it all, feel yourself truly living.
