Snow, rain, wet, cold. It’s been a bit gunky, for sure.  The weather seems to be having a bit of a trouble deciding what it wants to do. It’s ok, I’ll just stay inside and watch the endless changes.

Got to go to a luncheon the other day and heard a lot of great speakers and music. Folks from different cultures and ages talking about their experiences and passing along a word for the road. Interestingly enough, alongside the 100+ year old women who spoke, they gave the microphone to an 8 year old girl, to talk about her life as a child.

Well, of course all of us in the room had been 8 years old at one point in time, but did we really remember what that was like? If you ask an adult what they recall of being 8, 9 or 10 years old, they will many times recall a story or two that stands out to them of that time period. Many will look back with rose-colored glasses at childhood as a more care-free time, when life was less complicated and straight-forward. But listening to this girl, and her pretty average life, she still had struggles, and trials and things that gave her joy. Just like we do now, but they were age-appropriate.

Unless your childhood was marred by abuse and neglect, or some great trauma, you likely experienced the same cares and joys as most children your age. It wasn’t that childhood was more “care-free” or that there was less complications, merely that we experience what is in front of us in the time and place we are in, the present. Looking back from where we are now, and trying to second-guess our choices as children or young adults isn’t fair to who we are. Certainly it is tempting, but it really serves no purpose but to cause frustration and a longing to change a past that is beyond our reach.

Instead, if we have the opportunity, let’s be the light and love out in a growing world, that is stumbling about looking for the answers that we have found, sometimes at great cost. I’m not saying that people will always receive your wisdom or counsel, but be willing should the opportunity present itself, like it did for the 100+ year old woman, who urged the listener to to extend a hand to those around them, and to pull them up. And to the 8 year old girl, who shared the troubles and dreams of a young heart. We each have a story and encouragement to share.

Much love and hugs.