I was sitting in a restaurant
having brunch with my girlfriend
Missy.
It was our private pig-out time
just me and her
when we even ate the greasy home-fries
and to heck with our weight.
Two young girls came in
bringing a blast of icy air with them
and sat behind us.
Missy got up to go to the ladies room
and I sat with my hot coffee between my cold hands
it being a bitter winter
and tuned in to the girls' conversation.
"Why does everything bad happen to me?"
one of them wailed.
"I finally get the job I want
and what happens
the boss hates me!
Why can't things work out right for me
just once?"
Her friend tried to help.
"Just do your job and don't pay any attention to him."
"How can I not pay attention to him?
He's my boss, he tells me what to do.
Oh it's just terrible, why can't things go easier for me
for once?"
Later, when the girls had left
and Missy and I had our cleaned-off plates pushed aside
and were hunkered down comfortably in the booth
drinking another cup of coffee
I told her what I had heard.
And Missy said to me
"If she thinks her life is hard
I should tell her about mine
and what all I've been through
with a husband who left me
with 3 little ones
and no job skills
and a Mother who got sick
and came to live with me
so that I was a caretaker to her
and my kids
plus working at a stupid low-paying job.
She doesn't know what a hard life is."
And I said
"Yeah, it would take me the rest of the day
and into tomorrow
to tell her about how hard my life has been."
"Young people today"
Missy said, reaching for her coat
hat, mittens
"have such high expectations."
Driving home, I thought about it.
It seemed to me that we were all shocked
when life starting throwing curve-balls at us.
We all started out with high expectations
thinking it would be different for us
smoother
easier.
All of our bosses and husbands would love us
and good things would float down upon us
like manna from Heaven.
But life is hard
no doubt about it.
I peered through my salt-speckled windshield
and saw the sun
hazy gold
trying to shine through the dark clouds.
Suddenly a red sleek low-to-the-ground Toyota
passed me on the right
missing me by a whisker.
Adrenalin flooded my veins
with fear
making me prickle all over
and my heart stopped for a second
and when it started again
I was so happy to be alive
in spite of all my troubles
ups and downs
disappointments
hard times
because being alive is wonderful
and it's such a gift to watch the sun
trying to break through the clouds.
Music Playing: Now Thank We All Our God
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