Leavening hope along the way

Leavening hope along the way

The morning sunshine when it’s cold. The breezy afternoon after a grizzle keeping the dust away. The quiet night after a long day. The beautiful sky, beautiful ocean, and all beautiful wide open scenes of nature to look upon and to stay.  And most of all, that unexpected sudden feeling of acceptance when everything seems to have gone astray. That enriching and calming feeling of gratitude before we pray. We know life is hard, we are here, so keep going on – that’s what those are trying to say. Some people look back and say, “How did I get all the way to here?” Some people wonder at the long-suffering and ask, “What made me go through all that?” There must have been a way, somehow, somewhere, someday, to escape, but it was no longer the possibility of escape that occupied the mind. It’s hard to look and accept such harsh grief, so they close their hearts and as simple as it is: keep going on.

She should be crying, but the baby cried more. He knew the war was wrong, but his father’s wish mattered more. These clichés are in all worlds, maybe not identical but the same. To live in an undesired reality - a prison of life, voluntary or not, but it’s too late to change anything and there seems to be no options. That’s, whether there aren't any other options or not, the start of a long-suffering.

We dream and strive for the thing we are most deprived off. The little ant moving unnoticeably on the ground is appreciated. The grey bird across the open window freely making its own notes is admired. All things in their nature simply being and fulfilling life with goodness. One’s children loving and crying, growing and learning. Even the unbearable things such as the unmerciful mosquitoes during the night.  They keep us busy.  They give us a chance to see life for what it is far from our own.

They are simply going. We all know. Rarely, do we ever ask where? Do we care? We’ll just go along, and we’re lucky because they are leavening hope along the way. We keep going on. It doesn’t matter if we shed a tear every now and then. Doesn’t matter when the dust makes us sneeze. You'll find a shade from the burning sunlight, and warmth when it's cold. The world will do all it can to tell you: keep going on.