Skip to main content

The meaning of success and how


I sat down to write today about being cast/boot free. It is a joy to be back to my 'normal' state of mobility - which is to say that I stumble and totter like a drunken sailor but at least now I'm not wearing a big black boot. Ahoy matey!

 But instead, I came across the above quote and being easily distracted, I began to think about it instead. (Heck, I'm tired of the damn cast and don't want to waste anymore time thinking or writing about it anyway.) It's a quote my Aunt Bonnie first introduced me too when I graduated from high school and it's come on my radar many times since then, but today for some reason it has given me pause.

 I laugh often, to be sure. I'm like the uncle in Mary Poppins - I love to laugh. I surround myself with people that make me smile and laugh and am grateful for a husband that still knows how to make me laugh.

 I'm not to sure about winning the respect of intelligent people, though. I tend to think out of the box and out loud and that isn't always the way to earn respect. But I know for sure that I've earned the affection of children (aside from the three not so little Piggins) and my affection for children runs deep. I love to talk to children - really talk AND listen to them - from toddlers to teens. Ironically, as a teen though I wasn't overly fond of children and was the second-string babysitter to sister Kelli who is still a kid-magnet to this day.

 I am confident that I've left the world a better place - having three children that each seem to striving to make the world a better place. I am grateful that I had the time and luxury to be the overly-involved mom and pour into them all that I had to give. I am proud of the legacy of Michael, Matthew and Delaney. And I am also confident that I have made my life-partner, John's life, a little easier during some tough patches. (though I made his life more challenging on many occasions, to be sure!)

 So by Mr. Emerson's barometer, my life has been a success so far. I have been spending a lot of time in recent years studying the Bible and when I ruminate of what success looks like for a Christian, it is to not focus on what worldly matters (like material goods or attaining physical perfection). It is closely aligned to what Emerson writes:

 * God wants us to live in peace knowing He is in control and through that peace we can find joy and laughter;
* Earning respect of intelligent people - God wants for us to live our lives righteously and in doing so, we will find respect.
* Affection of children - God wants us to protect and teach and love our children. If we do these things children will have affection and love in return.
* Leaving the world a better place - if we live according to God's will for us, we will be leaving a better world.
* One life a little easier - isn't that what living according to God's will is all about?

 I hope this is post has made at least one person find peace and security in knowing that they've achieved success! Because, I believe that is why I was so easily distracted and lead to write this post. Have a wonderful day!

Comments

Post a Comment

It's not a popularity contest, but ...

Ch ... Ch ... Chemo

I was ready. I was prepared. The potential side-effect list was long and one I'd had some familiarity when John went through his treatment.  So I gathered my arsenal. I had my compazine, zofran and antivan. I had my ginger chewables and chicken noodle soup. I was armed and potentially dangerous. So, chemo day with the toxic chemo cocktail starting to do it's job, I envisioned it as either PacMan, eating away at the cancer cells or a Chia Pet, allowing my good cells to thrive. With these visions, (that aren't quite Christmas Eve sugar plums dancing) and tired from the chemo, I went to bed early. Friday, under the watchful eye of my caregiving hubby, I slept most of the day away. Not really hungry but not nauseous either. I spent the majority of the day horizontal on the couch listening to my book on Audible (despite the sleep timer, I probably missed 1/3 of what I 'read'), dozing, answering calls and texts, and snacking.  Perhaps the highlight of the ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Values - pass it on.

If you have read my blog in the past or know me at all, you know that sports in general and football in particular are not one of my favorite things to watch. Unless of course, one of my sons is playing - then get out of my way as I cheer them on! It is with a lot of frustration that I have seen more televised football games in recent weeks than there are hairs on my head. Okay that might be a slight exaggeration - but only slight . So if you're like me, you have seen the plethora of commercials from the Foundation for a Better Life. They are wonderful, heartfelt little life snippets - and they all end with the tag line, "Values, pass it on." Some of the most memorable are: The girl with Downs syndrome that is crowned prom queen. The skater 'dude' that is seen running through the alleys and streets with a woman's purse in his hands until he gets to the city bus where he gives the purse to a woman that is disembarking. He says, "You left this on the b...
Post a Comment
Read more

A Hole in My Heart Where Sandy Should Be

The past two days have passed with little joy and I find that I'm restless and cannot focus. I don't like being home because of the thousand reminders of my sweet Sandy and yet I can't be away because I don't feel like engaging in anything other than my own personal sorrow. Yes, she was 'just a dog' but oh what a dog she was. . . I learned a lot about loyalty and unconditional love from Sandy. And in that, I believe that God gives us these loving dogs so that we can learn a little about His love for us - that unconditional love. Even on my worst day when I might not have been paying much attention to Sandy, she was still there and still loving. Wow. There is no doubt in my mind that putting her down and out of her misery was the right thing for Sandy - she must have been so riddled with cancer and in such pain. Her last day she couldn't even keep water down; I imagine that her entire body must have been affected by the cancer. Then I think back to her last d...
Post a Comment
Read more