Lately, I’ve been doing a lot of thinking about lifelong values. In 65 years, they’ve served me well as a rock solid foundation. With Grandparents that were born in 1902, the beliefs values of first generation German-Russian immigrants were passed on to me. Simple beliefs and values like honesty, determination, and integrity a strong foundation for everything else to come. In my life, strength to withstand the storms has come from faith. Not a belief, but a knowing. There is such a difference between believing something is true, and knowing there is no other possibility. Without faith, I’d have given up decades ago.
Since becoming a widow, the choices in life are overwhelming at times. Remaining optimistic in the middle of the firestorm of cancer is no small challenge. Finding the courage to continue through the vicissitudes of life, I trudge on. Some days it would be easier just to pull the cover’s over my head to wait for the next. However, with morning, comes a new day and a chance to find opportunities for growth.
I’m so blessed that VST left me within the secure walls of Winterpast. While sharing adventures through our lives together, the things that mattered the most were our friendship and love for each other. We enjoyed health and wealth through the years, never forgetting to be grateful. So many times, VST would look at me and say, “If not now, when?” There wasn’t an hour to be wasted as we raced through a happy and productive life.
Many are not as fortunate to have the trifecta of Health, Wealth, and Time. Enjoying those things in retirement is truly a gift I’m so thankful for. Now, Covid has changed the ability to enjoy spontaneous travel. Every day, the freeways around my town are packed with campers and RV’s. I can only imagine the challenges these road warriors are facing with crowded conditions in the great outdoors. Turning to the big desert sky and the gardens of Winterpast, I’ve decided I’ll wait just a little while longer for travel adventures that will surely come. Besides, I have a broken sprinkler pipe to fix.
Achieving a happy life has been a journey of determination. Some days I had to fake it until I could make it. Those days will certainly come and go again. Striving the the illusion of perfection is a silly game. At the end of the day, if you can smile at the small successes, it’s been a great one. Hoping for peace, while trusting in the love and kindness of mankind, snuggle into dreams of a world we long for. Differences that seem to be tearing the world apart are not a productive focus. Love, peace, and tolerance begin with a single heart.
Days of Viral Insanity are coming to a close. Although storm-weary, there are always inspiring stories from those that carry on under the most adverse conditions. Those that struggle with physical and mental health issues. Those that have lost loved ones. Those that find themselves working diligently to find their own values and truths.
Take a few minutes each day to think about beliefs and what you know to be true. Think back to what helped you get through each day. Perhaps through the struggles of 2020, important values became clearer. They did for me. A very wise person once said, “Value what you know, and you’ll know what to value.”