"With a Conscience" - "Second Chances"

 

    

        As I age, and yes, aging is inevitable, (thank goodness),  I have developed a respect and a blatant fear of change.  Up until now, I was not aware that every day has been a catalyst for second chances.  I wasn't smart enough or too self-absorbed to notice that changes, second chances were right in front of me.  I never believed they were possible but they are, and although they can be difficult, they are possible and although fearful, they can be comforting.  That is if we can learn from them. 

        There are lessons to be learned as we age.  Granted, we may not learn them in our teen years.  We may not learn them in our twenties.  We learn about second chances when we are forced to overcome a heartbreak, a health scare or many others incidents that surface when we are not expecting them.  The challenge of course is whether or not we can surpass our fears, admit our fears and work through them.  THIS is an extremely difficult thing to accomplish.  We often, lose our confidence, our sense of self and we can often lose our sense of hope.  I am here to say all of those emotions are part of growth and part of living.  I never understood that until recently.  

        When my Grandma Maria was living with us, she used to tell me all the time that aging wasn't easy. Yet, YET, she chopped wood, made homemade apple strudel, homemade goulash and gardened until the very end.  She was far from fearful.  She didn't believe in second chances.  She believed in living in the present.  She believed in good food and keeping active.  She loved us beyond comprehension.  Now, I believe that is the key to second chances.  You appreciate the daily activities and you appreciate the love that others give you.  This is what keeps us in the present.  This is what takes away our fears.   The most important coping mechanism is to cry.  We are not always comfortable with tears and I think that is because we do not want to show ourselves as "weak" or "vulnerable." We often are resistant to show others our grief or fear. Tears help us heal.  Tears help us process the hurt and when fear is present, we need to admit it and confront it.   This is how we process the difficult situations and let them go.  The second chances appear and we evolve.

        We all want an easy life.  We want everything to be easy for us.  At least,  I foolishly did.  I never believed anything bad would  happen and because of that I have indeed struggled with the choices I made.  I am very sure those of you out there did too. The bubble burst more than once.  The remarkable thing is, we can survive and we learn and we move forward to another chance for peace.  At this stage in my life, I understand more than I ever would have in my younger life and the gratitude I feel is beyond measure.