Believe

I was all set to sit down with my pen and journal yesterday when the doorbell rang. It was a state worker here to do my spot check, as I'm licensed by the state to provide daycare in my home.

I've owned my own daycare for approximately twenty years now, and these spot checks are done about every two or so which means I've now had approximately ten. There has never been any major issues when they've shown up, it's usually something minor like the water temperature being a bit too high or I have forgotten to display my fire evacuation plan in plain sight. I'm pretty sure that if a fire were to break ou,t my kids would not be running to look at the evacuation plan. Hopefully, they'd be running to the nearest exit, as that's what I've drummed into them, but I understand the need for rules and regulations. My point here, is that no matter how many times I've been through it, I still feel my stomach go up somewhere into my throat when I open my front door and see that badge staring me  in the face. I can only imagine how my poor sister, whose job it is to oversee the performance of an entire hospital, feels when those badges come walking into her office! Oh well, we all need someone to hold us accountable.

My post yesterday was going to be about believing. We've all seen those signs that have become very popular, which simply state, BELIEVE. I've seen it written on bumper stickers, on wooden plaques resting on store shelves, and on an oval ceramic sign hanging in a friend's kitchen. It's a wonderful sentimen,t but what does it really mean to believe?

Life is always challenging us to believe. Every time we get into our cars to drive to work, we believe we'll get there safely. Every morning when my son gets on his school bus and I watch it drive away, I believe that I will see him get off of it in the afternoon. Every day when I go to get up out of bed and step on the floor to walk, I believe that my body will cooperate and allow me to do so, and every time I open my mouth to speak, I believe the same cooperation will come from my brain. These are beliefs that we don't give much thought to, until it doesn't happen that way. It's not until the beliefs that we take for granted are challenged, that we really get to start figuring out our belief system. I heard a song on the radio the other day by Bon Jovi which has a line in it that says, "When life is a bitter pill to swallow, you've got to hold on to what you believe." I couldn't agree more. That's when we begin to dig deep and try to figure out what it truly means to BELIEVE.

This is definitely a subject that could get very complicated, and rightfully so, but given the fact that this is not a forum that allows an interactive discussion, I'll simply share what I have discovered when I have been forced into those deep places -

Believe in what? EVERYTHING. Believe in the best possible outcome for every situation, regardless of how hopeless the situation may feel. Whether it's our relationships, the economy, health issues, etc., believe in the best possible scenario because if the glass isn't half ful,l it's half empty, and who wants to live like that?

Believe in who? EVERYONE. Especially the people who we care about the most. We all deserve the benefit of the doubt. I'm sure we can all think of a time when we strived to be a better person because someone believed in us. Where there is no belief there is no faith, where there is no faith there is no trust, and where there is no trust, there is seclusion. Who on earth wants to live in that kind of lonliness?

Believe why? There is not enough time in a day for me to list all the reasons why it's vital to believe. All I know is that if we don't, what are our options? If we don't go through life believing the best, believing in the possibilities, believing in eachother, and believing in a power greater than ourselves, then we're left to face life from the depths of despair and sadness and that my friends, is no way to have a life.

Believing is not an easy thing to do. On the contrary, it's probably one of the hardest tasks we can face when that bitter pill is sliding ever so slowly down our throats, attempting to choke us, BUT it is what makes this life worth living.

So...every day, whether it's the minute things, like a state worker showing up on your doorstep, or the big things, like wanting with every ounce of your being to see a loved one you've lost again, BELIEVE.

When you have no clue or control over how resolve will come to any given situation, dig deep and BELIEVE.

And maybe most importantly, when you've given up hope that your heart's desire will ever be fulfilled, BELIEVE...and I will believe with you.

xo,
Carrie