Living Purposefully
 

When I wrote my first poem 25 years ago, I never thought it would be the first of many nor that one day it would be the catalyst to my career as an author.  It was actually a song but it read like a sonnet.  I never planned that it would one day be the first poem in my book, Inspirations from My Family & Friends.  I wrote “Storybook of Life” at a time when my life was in turmoil, changing, being redefined from an abused wife to a single, confused mother.  Little did I know then that I was being guided and transformed.

Yes, as early as age 29, I knew… “Life is like a story book, read a chapter at a time.  Turn the pages slowly, read them each and every line”.  I knew that life was full of many “chapters”, good and bad.  I experienced the start and end of many relationships.  And, in order to grow, I had to go through each chapter to get to the next.  But, I needed to read them slowly, trying to understand the purpose of what I was going through.

 “Take from every paragraph the parts that touch your soul.  Give to every sentence your attention true and whole”.  In other words, remember the times that you felt something deep in your soul.  And, be someone with integrity.  Be an honest and true friend. 

“Keep the words together, find a way to make them rhyme.  Life is like a story book, it is yours and it is mine”.  Speak with “amity”…harmony and friendship.  Life was meant to be a source of peace and love, so use words that are soothing to the ear.

 “Life is like a story-book, only measured by the years.  Seems that many happenings are because of our own fears”.  Ever wonder why things happen in our life?  Often it is fear. Yes, I stayed in an abusive marriage because of fear – of failure, of the unknown, of being lonely.  But, I found the strength to overcome those fears.  And, my story continued to unfold in an amazing way.

“As you write your story, never read ahead.  God has planned this book for you, it’s by Him we are led”.  How many times are we reminded to live in the present?  The past is just that…gone.  The future isn’t here yet.  And, since the plan is already written, it is really out of our control.  So, live in the moment…take one day at a time…and be a beacon of light for others.

 “If we only read out life as a time for us to be loving, caring, happier, as we turn every page and see…Life is like a story book”.   Life is your story book, illustrated by your experiences.  Sometimes written on paper, published in a book, sitting in the Library of Congress like my book of poetry…sometime just a memory of all that you shared with others. 

We are who we are because of all that we experience.  Coincidence no longer applies in my life.  I know everyone who has shared this path with me, be it for however long, was put there to help me write my story.  I am who I am because of all that I have endured.  The wonderful people who changed my life, gave me hope and unconditional love.  Even those that tested my integrity, my tolerance, my patience…all have shaped me into the person I am today.  Your story book is a chance to make a difference in the lives of those who cross your path.  By choice, by accident, by chance?  No, all with whom you share this path is for a purpose.  So be sure to live purposefully and with love, for if you are still breathing, you still have purpose.