I am the mother of three children. At one time or another each of them has said, "It's hard!"
I asked one to finish their homework and I heard, "It's hard!"
I asked one to clean their room, and again I heard, "But it's hard!"
I asked another to do their chores and was greeted with, "It's too hard!"
Kids say this quite often to get out of things. Maybe it is hard for them, but it was never a good enough excuse to quit.
Now my kids are grown up and I don't hear it so often from them. I hear it more from grown-ups. Talking with someone about the economy these days and the conversation is simply ended with "It's hard." Talking to an elderly person who lives alone with little money and they might say, "It's hard."
Life is hard. I think it is very hard for those with chronic pain and disabilities, including Fibromyalgia. Getting up is hard. Getting dressed is hard. Getting into a vehicle is hard. Cleaning a part of the house is hard. Making the bed is hard.
Oh, I would love to be a kid and just scream out to the world, "It's hard!" I don't want to hurt anymore and I don't want to struggle anymore! I'm tired of staying positive every day, and being expected to do normal things.
What if I gave up the fight? What if I didn't get up one morning, and just stayed in bed and watched TV and never got dressed? What if I didn't have to face the pain and stiffness of simply getting out of bed and starting a new day?
But the Spirit within me won't do that. I have Avon customers to talk to, pets to take care of, a husband to account to, email messages waiting for an answer. There's a curiosity as to what may come to my door each day; who might call, or what the weather feels like. I want to catch the spring blossoms on my camera and the fall leaves, or the first snow.
So, I once more ask God to help me. "Help me get up dear Lord. Help me pull my clothes on and walk with me."
When I open my eyes I find one cat sleeping in the crock of my knee, one on the corner of the bed, and one rubbing her head on my arm to wake me up. I hear the birds joyfully singing their morning song, and the breeze outside my wind smells like rain.
As painful as life is, I love my life. I love my family and my friends and my pets. I love what I do and I love myself. I know that I am loved and blessed with everything I need.
I don't know why life is hard. Maybe so that when I finally do get to heaven I will see how easy it is and really appreciate it. I won't take this body with me to hold me down. My soul will float in the warm, gentle love that I gained here on this earth. When I've gained enough love to float, then I will outgrow this body, and move on to the highest dimension of love possible. And you know what? It will be easy.
― Mother Teresa
“If you judge people you have no time to love them.”
