A Moment of Clarity
On Mother's Day I went to visit the grave of my grandmother. She passed away several years ago, but I still think about her everyday. I loved her very dearly because she gave me something that no one else could ever give me - she gave me a childhood. We played games, we watched movies, she told stories and I learned life lessons without ever knowing that I was being taught.
I remember sitting there in the middle of her grave, staring at her headstone. You ever stare at the headstone of someone you loved? Looking at the date that began their story and not wanting to believe their story ever ended? I sat there, tears falling from my eyes uncontrollably, and I felt a deeper sense of sadness than I had ever felt before in my life. And then suddenly, in a crescendo of emotion and clarity, I began to take stock of my life and I truly felt as if I had let her down. I could have been so much more, I thought. I should have been so much further along in my life, the train of thought continued. And then I heard a voice that uttered the following words:
"You are better than the man you could have been, but not quite the man you will become."
A perfectly ambiguous edict from an angel that somehow made perfect sense to me. I believe what she was saying was, son, appreciate what you have and what you have accomplished, but never stop trying to be better. We all have but one life to devote to this world. Live everyday with a plan of out living the previous day. Find your riches in whatever you deem or define wealth to be. And don't ever let anyone, including, and maybe even especially yourself, hold you back from what makes you happiest - after all, life's too short.
Remember, we often fail to see the sun because we're too busy looking for the rain. Search for your moment of clarity, and you too will find that the sky was blue all along.
