Bursting through the door on Christmas
Trinity, at 3 ½ years gave me a resounding kiss when I scooped her up, and then thrust ‘Bernie’ forward so that he too
could kiss me.
Bernie has an embroidered eye and snaggle tooth, is olive and
mauve in color, and fully encompasses his trademark name of being an Ugly
doll. He is UGLY, but to be offered a
kiss by him lets you know that you are indeed loved by Trinity.
That morning she was responsible for
her attire and had foregone a fancy Christmas dress. Instead she was clothed in leggings and a long
sleeved shirt. Both were covered in bright multi-colored horizontal stripes
that did not match. She did this because
she thought she looked like a caterpillar.
The last three years of Trinity’s life
have flown by and her personality becomes more evident every day. So too, the last 58 years of my life are pass
and I wonder just what kind of person I am becoming. Because this truth is unavoidable, someday
there will be an obituary.
With the year 2014 bright and new and unwritten
I am determined to live not only in 2014 but throughout the rest of my life
striving to attain the following virtues.
Be
Present – A day can contain so many
things. Errands, shopping, doctor’s
appointments, phone calls, work schedules, chores, car maintenance. It can all be so exhausting, and sometimes
it’s easier to be on automatic pilot and to get the jobs done with the least
human interference.
But life is filled
with interaction. And the commodity we
deal in is relationship with folks that have worth and a story to tell. I want to value those people, make their load
a bit lighter, and yes, to hear their stories.
That can only happen if I am present in each moment, with each person,
in every interaction. Most things are
not about me.
Be Kind
- “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt
me.” Whoever first coined that phrase
was obviously in denial of the huge gaping hole that unkind works produce in
the human spirit. A word hasty spoken can
never be unspoken.
I want to speak words
of kindness or not speak at all. The adage of having my brain engaged before
opening my mouth will be a tough one to conquer.
Be
Generous – The dictionary defines
this as giving freely of one’s time, help, or money. I don’t want to be generous in one area and
consider myself to have fulfilled the other two. If I keep my physical needs small, I can more
easily help others. But the reality is
that sometimes it will entail a sacrifice on my part, and it may even hurt.
Be Joyful - Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh! Look
around, breathe deeply, touch the earth, listen to a child laugh, snuggle under
a comforter, laugh until it hurts, sled down a hill, sing around a campfire, dine
with friends, play board games, or celebrate another birthday.
If you look for it,
you will find it and find yourself ‘surprised by joy’ as C.S. Lewis was.
Have
Faith – I believe that all of life has meaning and purpose. The trivial and mundane can teach us
faithfulness and attention to detail.
Sickness and trial shows us those things that are worthwhile; it may
also show us where we need to grow and change.
Times of celebration occur and are interspersed as a spice to
ordinary life. Life is not always cake
and ice cream, nor is it only bread and water.
The one true thing about this life is that it will change. With faith, you can accept those changes
because you believe there is someone greater than yourself in control.
The virtues I desire to be overflowing
in my life are the very ones I desire to pass on to my children and
grandchildren. Today, Trinity wants to
be a caterpillar; my hope is that one day her spirit will soar and be like a
beautiful butterfly. I’m hoping to change too and be transformed. After all, someday there will be an obituary.
