Reminders are good, sometimes.
Reminders. Thanks to social media the annals of our minds are perplexed less and less with remembering things. Dates, phone numbers, even people. We are constantly given little pings. Things that remind us of what we should consider important. I pride myself on having a half-way decent memory. This is, of course, affected by how tired I am. However it is still a formidable memory that I can coax out of my gray matter from time to time.I do not need a reminder to see the very first moment that I saw my beloved bride. As she walked into the store with a black polo, light blue jeans, dark green shoes. Her eyes did little to hide how tired she was, but also held such a captivating beauty that they still leave me breathless. Nor do I need one to remember the feeling I had when the doors opened of the church, and I saw those breathtaking eyes as she came to meet me on our wedding day. Much like the exact moment that each of our children were born, these things are forever on playback. But those are big things, right?
Today, I had different kind of those reminders.
One of the reminders that I had today was about a post exactly a year ago. Normally, I pass over those reminders, unless it is a big day. But, this one gave me pause. Here is the quote:“This old anvil laughs at many broken hammers. There are men who can’t be bought. The fireborn are at home in a fire. The stars make no noise, you can’t hinder the wind from blowing. Time is a great teacher. Who can live without hope?” -Excerpt from “The People Yes” by Carl Sandburg.A year ago these words resonated with me. There was a weight to them. So, where do I stand with this quote a year later?I realize that though this was from a year ago, it could have been from a lifetime ago. I have watched as my children have grown a year older. This does not sound like much to some of you, I know. But, as a dad, this is a year that has passed. I have watched my family also grow by one. The privilege has been mine to have seen countless firsts, and the first of the countless. Meanwhile, the burden has also been mine to have also seen many, many lasts.
Reminders show us who we were.
Looking back over the last 36 years of my life I see something. I see the roller-coaster of my life bringing my form out of chaos.Looking at some of the lowest lows. The winding track getting lost in the deep, dark mire. Covered in clouds of tears, pain and anguish. When I could almost get lost in the pain, I see how much higher I have climbed since those times. I am forced to realize that I have made it through what many could not. The track, for all of its quixotic winds, dips, and loops, has made me stronger. As the time has passed, I have grown. Not just in age, but in experience. Likewise, not just in sorrow, but in glory as well.Reminders are good, sometimes. For without them, I would not see the anvil I have been becoming.Live big, love bigger, and be kind, always.You can always read more here:http://bit.ly/2s2JGRO