Wow if only life could be so easy that we would be able to paper clip major things together. Some things are just not that easy. I recall the days when our kids were young and cranky. Or the times when we seemed to have one financial crisis after another. The times when my parents were so ill and one or the other was in the hospital. It was hard trying to be a support and still have time for one another.
Then there are major catastrophes in life. Someone gets ill, a loved family pet dies, or a tornado does damage to your property. No paperclip will help unless it is holding together all the insurance forms!
What often helps is to have supportive people around you to help keep things in perspective. In 1974 the our house was hit by a storm. Eleven windows were “wiped out” along the back of our home. The street was a green waxy color as if someone had melted Kelly Green crayons on it. Leaves hitting the pavement so hard had coated it well. Too bad we didn’t have cell phones back then or it would have made a great picture.
I think back to a neighbor who had survived a tornado in 1965. She came over to access the damage and said, “Oh, this is nothing.” She told us that she and her children were standing in a bathtub. It was all that was left of their house. I suddenly didn’t feel so bad.
We held onto a few of the hail stones that were 7 inches in length. We’d pull them out of the freezer to show friends. “This is what had dented our aluminum siding.”
It was a blow to us because we had just built in 1973 and the inside of our house wasn’t even complete. The good news was that my husband was young enough to instantly board up the windows, no one was hurt, and insurance helped put things back in order.
In retrospect, it wasn’t a big deal at all. We often would tell the story of how the 110 pound Boxer beat my husband into the basement. Dogs are good clues to dangerous weather. Watch them and follow their lead.
I was at the local grocery store when the rains hit. I remember opening the trunk to put the groceries in, when I noticed it was full of water. Returning home, I saw lots of activity. Big trees on the block behind us were laying on their side with roots dangling. Green streets and neighbors mulling around were comparing stories. A few other homes also got hit, but considering that no one was hurt, it was a blessing.
SIDE BAR HERE: I am a user of paper clips to keep things organized in the office. They keep things tidy and easier to find. Whoever created the original concept made many lives easier. My vote goes to the larger ones that don’t make marks on the stack of paper.
We just celebrated our Anniversary and I have been thinking of many other couples I know who have an Anniversary around us. They too have had discerning moments of how to conquer daily struggles. I applaud them for working through those times. It isn’t easy! We all find ways to hold it together and we need to share them with one another. Going it alone isn’t the answer.
In my book Erasing Adversity, I say in the Introduction about “one doesn’t really want to erase adversity. Properly channeled mistakes and times of heartache can become opportunities to learn, to help others, and to be inspirational. When adverse moments happen to us, we can accept them and let time and walking through them help us grow.” (You have to read the whole “Introduction” to understand the relevance of the story that follows!)
Sometimes we want to run quickly away from the bad times. No way a paper clip will hold our emotions together. Tears and sleepless nights do happen. So do funny and uncontrollable times of laughter! That is why I am an advocate of counseling and sharing our times of sorrow and joy. We are called to help one another.
I will be Podcasting on the topic of Common Denominators in July. Hope you’ll look forward to it.
Peace for your day—Delight in Living!
We love to hear from you. You can send us ideas for topic and comments to linda@lindagullo.com