I read a book years ago, written by a young lieutenant in the Confederate Army during the Civil War. In the book was a letter the young man wrote to his wife about the battle he was in and eventually had one of his legs amputated due to a gun shot wound. In those times, his leg could not be saved. In his letter, he wrote the tale of his injury in detail and in the next paragraph he expressed his deepest and personal feelings about his circumstances. "My darling wife. I am laying in this horrible field hospital on a board covered with only a bloody sheet. The pain is excruciating after the surgeon cut off my leg. I lay here feeling sorry for myself because I have only one leg, and then I look to the side and there is a soldier laying next to me with no legs at all."
That passage has stuck with me for years, and the appreciation the young lieutenant showed for simply being alive eventho his injury and lose of his leg. That single passage has changed my way of appreciating events in my life, eventho they may have made me sad or angry.
We ALL go through times that are hard, painful and hurt. But I believe those bad times make us stronger so we can endure what follows, whether good or bad. So we have to keep our heads up and keep climbing that mountain for our dreams. Yes, every time we fall, we get scares, and I have had a few. Visible and non-visible.
I recently saw an interview featuring Michael J. Fox, the actor, who is suffering from late stages of Parkinson's Disease. Through the entire interview he spoke about his mantra, "Gratitude and Optimism." He is grateful for living as long as he has with his lovely wife and true friends who support him, and he has optimism that some day soon his misery will help others find a cure for that horrible disease.
I always remember living in the Midwest when I was younger. We'd make plans for an outing or a picnic and it would rain, which blew our plans. Here in the western states, we pray for rain and sometimes go walking in it. Mainly because of the lengthy drought we have been in. Nancy and I have been at the Grand Canyon when it started to rain. We kept on walking around as the other visitors run for cover. We did have an umbrella. We loved it, and laughed.
Neil DeGrasse, noted scientist, once told a story about an interview with the late J. Robert Oppenheimer, key figure in the development of the atomic bomb. He was asked, "Why did you volunteer to head up the program to build the atomic bomb and don't you feel guilty.?" He answered by saying, "If God did not want a bomb, he would not made the atom." Oppenheim did question the bomb and his role as he stated years later, "I am death, the destroyer of worlds." But as an employee of the US Army, and his job and objective was to build a bomb to end the war. And then they disgraced and disrespected him in many ways. You veterans can relate to that.
Now that I have shared my thoughts about appreciation, tell me about your struggles to achieve your dreams, and your final successes
Take care, stay safe and keep on climbing.
