Day 562

Resilience is an amazing phenomena! Walking with my Goldens today (more times than usual due to the beautiful day), we noticed this incredible dandelion. Although the temperatures have plummeted below freezing and the days are shortening, this little plant has persevered to delight us with that pop of bright yellow amongst the crumbling leaves.

There have been times in my life when resilience was a necessity...a way of life. Others face most mornings with a need to persevere and survive in a world that is not always gentle. I have known individuals who seem to smile in the face of sickness, loss and other challenges. On the surface, their strength is amazing! These friends say things like,

"What doesn't kill you makes you stronger."

"It's not so bad...it will be better soon."

"That's life!"

"Everybody gets their turn to struggle."

The words are strong, the faces are stoic...but I wonder what is going on deep within as they struggle.

My hope is that we can all look within those hurting hearts and see the need. Even if the person shares a "brave face", deep down there must be some pain. For those who are challenged, my goal is to reach out a little further and look a bit deeper within those hearts. Finding any pain, it might be an "opportunity" to lighten their load...even for a moment in time.