What Shall I Say?

What Shall I Say?


Looking at this page is beginning to drive me nuts.  Somewhere are the words that want to appear on this screen.  But, they are  playing hide-and-seek with my fingers.

My fingers are poised on the keys patiently waiting for the words to collect themselves into coherent thoughts.  Yet the longer I sit here, the more elusive they are.  I shall wait them out.  While I am waiting, I will think about other things.

Daffodils--Bright spots of yellow against brown earth and grey sky.  They push their way through the earth on their own time frame and proudly withstand continued cold weather.  They know it is time even if we humans are not so sure.  I am grateful for their presence in my plant beds.  They give me hope.

Hope--I cannot live without it.  Hope that my family and friends are well and happy.  Hope that we can celebrate how much alike we all are instead of highlight our differences.  Where did it all go so wrong? Who began the conversation of hatred?  What has that conversation achieved?  Is there a way to reverse that conversation?  It is my firm belief that we can reverse that conversation, but it will not be easy.  It requires people who value life and wish to see peace.  Who are not threatened by differences.

Differences--Differences require dialogue.   Is it quicker to fight than talk?  Is it more effective to kill and injure than to sit and present all sides of a challenge?  Differences define us.  Yet they also divide us.  It requires time and energy to understand another's point of view.  And perhaps even with the conversation, consensus won't be reached.  Is it possible to agree to disagree?  We use those words often--agree to disagree.  I wonder if anything ever changes when we say that.  Are we simply being civil at the same time we are refusing to move from our beliefs?  I don't know.  I really don't know.

Challenge--Work!  When some belief I have is challenged,  it upsets my little apple cart.  Yet, that is the way we grow.  Without challenges there is no new thought.   Over the years I have learned to love the challenges of life.  They make me think in new ways.  They push me to review my beliefs and to see a situation through another's lens.  It could mean that I will need to replace my long held beliefs with truth.  Letting go of part of ourselves is never easy.  I see it as the opportunity to become more fully human.  Sometimes after challenges, nothing changes.  That is ok.  It means situations have been assessed yet we continue to hold to our way of thinking.  However, there is danger in not being able to see the other point of view.  Welcome challenges.

Daffodils-Hope-Differences-Challenge--What do these have in common?  This is going to be a stretch!
Daffodils bloom among other plants and shrubs.  Sometimes they bloom next to Spring Beauty or Blue Bells.  None of these three flowering plants are alike.  Daffodils stand tall and proud.  They have one bloom on a stem.  Spring Beauty grow low to the ground.  They appear early in the spring and carpet the earth.  They yell that spring has arrived.  Their stems are very small and slender.  Blue Bells appear at almost the same time as Daffodils and Spring Beauty.  Yet they have their own look.  They have multiple large leaves.  The stems have multiple blooms that range in color from pink to lavender to blue.  They are wide plants.  They take up much more space in the garden than the others.

Who is to say which is the best?  Which is the most valuable?  Which is the prettiest?  Each brings their own beauty to this earth.  They announce hope.  Hope that warm weather is almost upon us.  Hope that the cold is leaving.  Hope that many other beautiful plants and shrubs will share their life with us for another season.   Their differences enhance our world.  The different textures, shapes, colors, scents enrich our world.  When we take the time to truly examine them, we see absolute wonder.  Their differences decorate our world.  Which brings me to the challenge part of this mess of writing.  

I have been challenged to think of anything to share today.  Challenged by the acts of violence so prevalent in our world.  Challenged to love those who deliberately hurt others with bombs and guns.  Challenged to find ways to dialogue with others.  To teach children to walk unafraid in a world that is increasingly more dangerous.  Challenged to understand the need to destroy.

Yet, I refuse to believe that only evil exists in this world.  When I see daffodils and feel hope, I know that good and beauty exist.  When I hear people talking about differences, I feel hopeful that agreement can be reached so that others won't die needlessly.  And I am challenged to find my place in making this earth a more peaceful place.  I am challenged to listen more and talk less.  I am challenged to be willing to learn.  And I am challenged to hold on to those beliefs that are simply truth for me.

Well, this rambling is done.  If it makes no sense, I completely understand!