Be Beautiful
I remember in college an assignment where the professor said, “You can do your project on any topic you like,” and then further commented that other than the standard works cited page and other normal requirements, we didn’t have any further specific instructions. I can tell you that threw me for a loop! I was very concerned with the required page length, did she want an outline, a first draft, or any other particulars about topics? I was terrified I would do it wrong, or at minimum, not include something that was considered important, at least by any other professor.
The professor held her ground, even though we as a class, pressed for more instruction. Ambiguity in that situation unraveled me! Instructors always gave specifics leaving little or no doubt to their expectations. How could I write a paper without specifics? I wanted specific directions; in essence, her expectations!
Sometimes we approach our lives in the same manner. Because we have no specific rules or guidelines to gauge our interest, career choice, or other important circumstances we are faced with, daily decisions become difficult and murky, causing us to flounder, wondering what in the world we do next. What can I do that matters? We find we have interests in one area, but it doesn’t last long because the importance diminishes over time. So we try something new and again find our concentration only lasts a short while, before we’re jetting off and trying yet another pursuit. This gets even more complicated when you inject a chronic illness or disability.
Regardless of what we consider drawbacks, disabilities, or flaws, we each have something special to share, a gift if you will, that only we can sustain, and fulfill, the way we were designed. I have what I consider a beautiful Christmas cactus. It sits on my counter most of the year looking like nothing more than an ordinary cactus; but every year, near late November, I begin to see blooms. (It also seems to bloom for a brief period in the Spring!) I am awed as I watch this “plain cactus” transform into a thing of beauty. Like the Christmas cactus, (that sometimes confuses the months!) we have the ability to change our “plain lives” into something beautiful if we have the desire.
As Mother’s Day approaches, I wonder if we miss the very different beautiful gifts our mom project. Are there areas where she shines more than others? Do we take for granted all that she can do? Are there times when she seems to be more focused on a particular project? Why? Is she spending effort on a ‘gift’ for someone else? Does she routinely spend time on herself, or does she worry over others first?
Complacency or other factors, like a disability, can cause doubts, even if we know what to do. Suddenly we find ourself off-track. So, I ask you, do you celebrate with the beautiful gifts you’ve been given, or those given to your mom? Do you make wise decisions with your talents? They may not seem to be significant to you, but when you share them, like perhaps you’ve seen your mother do, you touch people’s lives, even if indirectly. You are projecting moral character and good judgment! Can you see how your mom has changed, or is changing, what could be a “plain life” to something colorful and extraordinary!
Take another look at your mom (or just remember her, if she is no longer with you). Would she encourage you to be creative in whatever area you work or “play”, to give it your best? She knows when we give our best, no matter what we are doing, rather than giving our leftovers, even when we are too tired to even think, we are being especially beautiful! She knows, because she’s been there!
#Mom #Mother’sDay #BeBeautiful# #Creative #WorksHard #BeYourBest #BeExtraordinary #BeColorful #Disabilities