Dear Reader:

The older I get the more I realize how true this statement is: “Life is a beautiful struggle.” The harder we have to fight to maintain life the more beautiful it becomes. It starts to manifest itself through the little things in life we so often overlook in our daily rush to get “some where.”

But now, due to the coronavirus pandemic… lots of us don’t need to rush “any where” and it has opened up a whole new world for us. Home improvements, garden sanctuaries, additions of soothing fountains, benches, swings, and other home comfy niches for personal reflections.

This “beautiful” struggle doesn’t stop with just man…every living creation of God stays in a continuous struggle with life throughout its existence on earth.

Also…in today’s society we watch life’s struggles on television shows, movies and read about it in every story…because that is all a book is…the story of our struggles.

There would be no “soap operas” left on television if the premise was to make sure all the characters were happy and content every day on the on-going fictionalized drama.

In fact (as we all know) it is completely the opposite…everything goes wrong continuously all the time on soap operas...the viewer barely has time to come up for air before another tragedy hits. (It is what keeps the ratings up…we love crises…as long as they aren’t happening to us!)

In every novel or story we read or movie we watch…things go along quite merrily until suddenly they don’t…the good times turn bad…and at that point we all comment…“This book is really getting good now…I can’t put it down.”  (Too much Pollyanna and we quickly get bored…we want to see our hero struggling against the wicked elements in the world and emerging victorious!)

As I walk through my garden I can imagine what the plants would be telling me if they could talk…some would nod at me, quite courteously, to let me know they are doing just fine…the portulaca and lantana are the strongest survivors of a lowcountry summer garden followed by the zinnias…they need the least water and love the sun…except if they are in baskets…all baskets and container flowers depend on me and Mother Nature to help them survive. We have to double up with the “drinks.”

It is the same with the beautiful gazania…gorgeous blooms but needs to drink a lot! 🙂

After no rain for a little over a week we got some on and off showers Sunday afternoon and  night. So by yesterday all my “flower children” were looking and feeling happy …even the gerber daisies (who are one of the most thirsty plants looked perky)…but aren’t gerbers worth the extra watering? So pretty!

We are just like my (flower) “children” in the garden. Different obstacles in life are more difficult for some than others…but along this same thought…another set of obstacles (that might throw others off track) are easily soared over by still another group.

We all have different levels of tolerance for different problems that come our way: whether medical, marital, professional, or personal. Like the plants and their roots in the garden…it is the people who have established a personal relationship with God who seem to be able to dig deeper (when life’s challenges come our way) to find the living waters that sustain them through the struggles of life.

These people are the same ones, who realize no matter the extent of the problem that  lies ahead, life is well worth the fight…and we fight for the little things in life. Things like:

…The first cup of coffee in the morning (or sip of diet coke if one isn’t a coffee drinker 🙂 as we watch the sun come up, the voices of children playing in the neighborhood, the first dandelion given to mothers and grandmothers by toddlers (” I have a flower for you”) the first phone call by a grandchild who tells you “I ouv ou.” (You never delete that phone call…no matter how old the child grows.)

Every day life can be a struggle but it is in the struggle that the love of life grows…if it were all too easy…too many perfect sunny days, all A’s on your child’s report card year after year, no teenage car accidents, or crushed hearts over first loves to console…no storms to upset the calm waters…no broken limbs or medical emergencies…it would be to easy to take life for granted. We would grow listless and bored.

We would never feel the need to turn to anyone beside ourselves for there would be no cloudy days in our lives. God wants us to turn to Him when life gets hard…to let Him hold our hand, and show us the path to inner strength and peace through our loving relationship with Him.

So until tomorrow….Life is a daily struggle…but more importantly…it is a beautiful one…well worth the fight. And once victorious… Two hands go up in exultation.

“Today is my favorite day”  Winnie the Pooh