“Time, faith and the love of my family and friends,” he said. How wonderful. Somehow, from the moment we met, I knew we would connect.
His response was perfect. His answer was mine.
It is that time of year when we reflect back on accomplishments and failures. It is a wrapping up and an unfolding all in one.
The sentimental fool that I am keeps me deep in thought filling my days with mood swings easily compared to riding a roller coaster.
Oddly, I love those ups and yes, even the downs. The happy thoughts remind me that life is good. The sad thoughts remind me that life is fragile.
In the end I hope for more happy than sad, but still come out on top when the ball officially drops on New Years Eve, if I can at least find balance.
You may think this strange, too, when I say some of my best years turned out to be the years when I struggled, lost, failed and retreated into the darkness of that final night of the old year.
Job loss, car repossession, debt, divorce, a failed business, cancer in my family, death of loved ones, depression, all made life nearly unbearable.
Still, the light of the new day, the new year, always seemed to be brighter than any other.
It was in falling down that I learned how to climb.
It was in losing that I learned how to win.
It was in struggling that I found strength.
It was in darkness that I learned to see again.
So, why was this man’s response to me so perfect?
This man had just lost his business. This man was struggling with finances, self image, and hope.
He was standing on the edge of a dismal past and desperately trying to see the possibilities in his future.
Instead of dismissing everything as failure he chose to acknowledge the most important parts.
I asked him, “If you could take something with you into the new year, what would it be?”
“My Failures”, he stated without hesitation, “They are define you, and make you who you are. And my faith, for it is the artist’s brush that smooths out the definitions.”
