My friend, Craig W’s, Christmas message. Enjoy!
Christmas 2011
My mom has a phrase I heard through the years. “Good, bad…. it will pass.”
Lost wisdom on a teenage boy heartbroken over a car or a girl or a band. It has taken dozens of Christmas’ for the depth of these words to start settling in.
This has been one of those years. One of those years where I found myself in the mirror a lot. Holding on to my own evidence that the bad will pass. Because it does. Who of us hasn’t been to the depths feeling like some line of Capricorn has been crossed and we will never find our way back… only to look back now and shake our heads at the trauma drama. This might be one of the crown jewels of the wisdom of years. The knowledge that just hanging on and riding it out takes you through it and on to a better place. Hell, it will probably even make you a better person. Get you praying. Get you off of that jag that the world is your personal amusement park and the rides never break down, you’re an Olympic level mole whacker and the popcorn is always free. Well, Opryland isn’t the only park that shut down in these parts, is it?
But as with all bits of true wisdom there is a part of that 5 word phrase of mom’s that I rushed past and only later realized….
The Good, the good comes along and tucks us in like a snuggie with beer in the pocket. The times of the toasty buzz come along and I turn on the cruise control and settle in for a nice 80 mph nap. It takes the bad to really make you stop and see the good for what it is- a blessing, a freak convergence of time and place and luck and probably hard work. Why is it that in the midst of the bad I consider every aspect of my life, take inventory of everything that got me there? I am as aware of my emotional and physical state as I will ever be. Yet in the middle of the good that hardly ever happens. Maybe that is why every religion on the planet challenges you to consider being in the state of awareness of your blessings. To train yourself to be just as dramatic and consumed with your joy and happiness – and to be just as unconcerned with “putting it out there” as we all are when the reverse is happening. I think nothing of being a heartbroken downer to my friends and the world. But will catch myself from skipping through the mall and smiling at strangers…… Maybe that explains why people can get such a cynical view- the only emotions it seems acceptable to show are the bad and bummed out ones. There are hoards of glee-filled-oscar-level-performers-fronting-their-doom-and-gloom at the mall? Naaa.
They are just folks - either dealing with a down turn … or drunk on the couch of their content in some kind of cheetos-crumb-dusted-star wars-extra-red-high-galactic-council-cloak.
All of this to bring me to my Christmas wish this year.
For those of you needing the bad to pass. Hang on…. it does. Not only does it, but there are blessings with in it. There are. But mainly, just hang on, hang on. It’s gonna be alright. Better than alright. All of that is just around the bend. Think back to when you were here before. Every thought you are having now about not being able to make it- you had then- and guess what? You made it. You’ll make it. Hang on- say some honest prayers. God be with you and know that we have all been there and we’re pulling for you. But most of all remember…… It will pass
For those of you in the Good….. I hope you can stop just for a little while and be aware of the incredible miracle of events that had to happen to get you to that place. I hope it hits you like a ton of gold bricks, the treasure of the times you are squandering with every heartbeat. I hope your eyes fill with tears and your breath catches in your throat when you pull back enough to realize that you are in the middle of one of the finest stretches of your life. I hope you bring the same awareness of your situation you would bring if things were the opposite. But most of all, I hope you tell everyone that plays a part of your happiness how much they mean, How much they are bringing to your party. I hope you tell God, I hope you just go outside and let the cold air kiss your cheek and stare up at the sky and just laugh and realize how fortunate you are. I hope you cherish your good fortune and spend it like a drunk sailor on those around you. I hope you see it for what it is- a fleeting glimpse of wonder- a satellite of satisfaction surely to tumble on and refract its magic down to some other sky searching soul. I hope you do with your good whatever is stirred in your soul when you remember……. It will pass.
Amen, Blessings, Happy New Year
Craig
