The Balancing Act: Perspective and Prayer

Should I kiss the frog? I don't know!  Mommy said to kiss the frog!  She does feed me, cuddle me, bathe me.  I guess I should trust her? 

I don't know.  I don't think I want to kiss this frog!  It's a frog for heaven's sake.  Why does she want me to kiss it so badly?

Ugh, my Mommy reallllly wants me to, I guess I'll kiss the dumb frog.

That inner voice starts talking to you from the time you're born and it just never shuts up! So often in life ALL I want is to shut off my inner voice for a few minutes of PEACE!!

Life's a great balancing act. Sometimes you just aren't sure where to step and whether to step with your right foot or your left.

“You'll get mixed up, of course, as you already know. You'll get mixed up with many strange birds as you go. So be sure when you step. Step with care and great tact and remember that Life's a Great Balancing Act. Just never forget to be dexterous and deft. And never mix up your right foot with your left.”
– From "Oh, the Places You'll Go!"

So, what do you do when you're confused?  Which direction do you go? Do you think with your head or your broken heart?


SARAH PLUG:

Sometimes life is so confusing.  All of the directions look frightening and it doesn't seem there is any way to turn.

What works best for me is perspective and prayer.

I have a friend that is preparing her infant for major surgery soon. 

As I went for a slog the other day, I stopped to talk to one of the neighbor kids.  They told me that they have to be in a wheelchair again this year.  They're in elementary school. The same age as one of my monsters.  It breaks my heart to see this sweet child struggle.

When I grab a scarf to match my outfit, I put it around my neck these days.  Some woman are putting it on their bald head as they pack up for the next round of treatment. (ALMOST DONE SARAH!! KEEP FIGHTING.  PRAYING DAILY RENEE, ENJOY YOUR "Good" WEEK!)

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I find that when I start thinking of others struggling, it makes my problems seem so small and immediately I start praying for them.  Praying that they can survive the balancing act known as life.  Immediately, I realize that I don't have half as much to balance as most people do.

Perspective and prayer. 

When you feel like one side is tipping and the other is up in the air, perspective and prayer will put you back into balance.

The planner is full of life again with the start of school, soccer and new obligations. Instead of feeling like one of the balls might drop, I'm going to concentrate on how amazing it is to throw the ball up in the air for the first time...and the second...and the third if I drop them every once in a while.

Perspective and prayer makes the balancing act seem like juggling is easy.

I think Camille is probably using prayer to get her through her first day of school.  I asked her if she wanted to bring her prayer square to school and she said she already put it in her desk last night;)

How do you balance life?

Lots of love and prayers for the students and teachers on the first day of school!!

XOXO, 

Prayers, Prayers and More Prayers

 I wasn't going to post about Robin Williams.  I wasn't going to post about depression.  I wasn't going to post about grief or sadness.  I wasn't going to post at all again this week.

Then I got an email notification that a friend re-pinned one of my pins.  I clicked on Pinterest and below is a picture of my most recent pin.  My one and only Robin Williams quote was pinned right around the time he was feeling his most alone.

"I used to think the worst thing in life was to end up alone.  It's not. The worst thing in life is to end up with people that make you feel alone." ~Robin Williams

 Obviously, like all of you, I am morose with the news of this tragedy.  To know that anyone is hurting so terribly and that they feel so trapped, is disheartening.  How does it get to the point that someone that seemingly "has it all", feels like they have nothing left to share with the world or that it's not worth fighting the battles in their head anymore?

This afternoon, I shot one of my favorite friends a text and we started chatting.  She told me about her weekend.  She is eerily similar to me in many ways...she's a FIXER.  She is the first person to SHOW UP for sooooooo many people.  Anyways, she told me a story about her weekend.  Although the story was sad, it was powerful and nearly unbelievable; ironic to put it lightly.  She had my head spinning as I read her words.  It is not my story to share or my situation to "fix", but the pain I feel for her and her loved ones is palpable and real.

 So, when I got the Pinterest email, I continued thinking about the "Why's" and the notion that some believe in (Everything happens for a reason; Just Believe) and felt compelled to share.

Is it just irony that I pinned my one and only quote by Robin Williams the last night he was alive on Earth?  Is it just irony that I texted my friend yesterday out of the blue which opened the door for her to share just a tiny bit of her pain with me?  There's a great possibility.  But, just in case it was so that I would use my words to reach someone, I will.


Depression is tough.

When people try to push, your first reaction is to pull.  If they try to get you to let them in, you shut them out.  When someone asks if you need to talk, you are silent. Even when every cell in your body is screaming to let the words spill out, your words are trapped in a vault you have created in your head.

Let it all out, they say, but you know you must spare them your hurt.

Bury it.

Put on the smile.

Be brave. Be strong.

But it doesn't have to be that way.  Your loved ones will love you even when you're weak.  If you let them, they will help you chip away at the brick wall you have built.  They will even help you clear the rubble when you finally get it to fall.  They will be your biggest supporters when you are able to stand alone again and smile with ease instead using your smile as a mask.

But you still have to be brave and strong.  It takes courage to ask for help, but it's worth it.

And if you know someone that is struggling, keep pushing when they pull.  Remind them that you are still there whenever they need you. Day or night, you will make time for them.

Praying for the family and friends of Robin Williams. Praying for the family and friends of the young girl killed this weekend in a car accident.  Praying for all of the people struggling with depression.

Prayers, prayers and more prayers,