Life: Unfinished.

I found this post I had written back in October, and for whatever reason I never finished it and don't even really recall writing it. I do however believe that the words are poignant, and applicable still to my life. I'll post it here as I found it, unfinished.

This past week was full of severely dramatic ups and downs. It seems to me that in life that is simply something that is just required. I can't have a high moment without experiencing a loss, but more importantly I find that I can't be in a low place without experiencing something of great value in my life.  I love this brief story:

"I am not complaining,” my father wrote to my mother from war-ravaged Europe during the closing days of World War 2, when he finally reached the safety of American lines after three years as a POW. “I would not appreciate comfort if there were no hardship. We cannot appreciate joy without sorrow, health if we have never felt pain, or peace until after a war. All things must have their opposites, and we can learn from both." (You can find this article in its entirety HERE) 


The things that I am experiencing are in no way to be compared to the experiences of a POW, but I agree with the statement made and know that I wouldn't appreciate all the great things and blessings in my life, if I didn't have hardships. I found that for too long I monopolized the majority of my thoughts thinking about how hard things were for me.  To be blunt, it did nothing but ruin my mood and I now as I look back, I notice some key opportunities I missed out on because I didn't recognize that there was so much good happening.

As a result, I've changed the way I think.  While certainly I still experience difficulties and hardships, I recognize all the wonder and greatness that is around me. It's in such great abundance that I forget a lot of the time that I've taken some hard hits recently.