Keeping The Faith

Life's Like This — Faith is oftentimes a battle, especially in the midst of overwhelming grief. It has been said that nothing on this earth lasts forever, except perhaps the love you can hold in your heart for one of God's creations. Such is the love I have in my heart for my beloved Golden Retriever, Sweety. If ever there was a dog that could capture the hearts of people she came in contact with, Sweety was such a dog. For over seven years, Sweety lived up to her name. Not only did she enrich the lives of my family and friends, but she touched the hearts of countless others with her beauty and loving personality. Sweety was a true blessing from God. On July 5, 2012, Sweety went to “Doggy Heaven” after being diagnosed with Osteo-Sarcoma, a bone cancer that left her lame and with a poor prognosis of leading a healthy and quality life. But while she is now gone, the memories of how she touched my life are firmly embedded in my heart and mind. And for those memories I am deeply grateful. And yet, coping with her loss is a daily struggle, one that I wish I did not have to go through. Sweety was such an integral part of my life. All around me are reminders of things we did together and of the life we shared since she was six weeks of age.

Smiles From Heaven

Life’s Like This — Anyone can make you smile or cry, but it takes someone special to make you smile when you already have tears in your eyes; my mother was one of those people. It’s been a year now since my mother passed away. During that time I have discovered that while her physical body is no longer on this earth, she is still very much in my heart and mind. Her presence in my life is so real, that on days when I have something troubling me, I find myself saying “I need to call mom” but quickly remember that she is now in heaven, enjoying a new life with Jesus. But despite her absence, I know that she is smiling down upon me with the same impish eyes she had when her physical body was here. Memories of her are intricately entwined in my life and will never be forgotten. Despite the hardships my mother endured on this earth, she was always there to love and comfort me and the rest of our family with grace, humility, and spiritual wisdom — she was truly the heart of our family.

Passage of Time

 Life’s Like This — The passage of time is often the healing medicine our hearts need to recover from disappointments in life. Sometimes events occur that cause us a great deal of pain and anguish. I think we all have events like that; events that may be unique to you or it may be something that you share in common with countless other people. But whatever the troubling event, the passage of time offers hope for all of us. Even when the pain is completely overwhelming and the future looks dismal, we can always cling to hope.

My father once said, “Know first your aim in life then strive with all within you to reach your goal.” I never thought much about these words of wisdom he shared with me so many years ago, but as the years have gone by and obstacle after obstacle seem to have put a wedge between life and my dreams, I can’t help but pause and reflect on what he shared and the implication it has had in my life. For so long I have found myself disappointed in not having dreams of mine fulfilled — dreams of a fulfilling career and of financial success. But when I reflect on my disappointments, I find that I have been lacking an essential component of life — clarity of purpose.