Sunday Thoughts

About a year ago, my Grandma was not doing so well. In fact, I thought so much that it was the end for her that I begged friends with connections and solicited even the team managers for tickets to a final Jazz game (her favorite team and sport ever!). She had Bell's Palsy, couldn't see, or read (a very BAD thing to take away from my Grandma), her strength was all but gone, she was frequently ill, and prayed for death to envelop her. She has already buried two husbands and didn't see the point in living anymore. I certainly didn't appreciate this kind of talk from her and if you knew my Grandma and how much she contributes to everyone's life around her, you'd understand. It was at this time that she asked her weekly physical therapist, Doug, if it would be considered suicide to just stop taking her medications, lay in bed, stop trying and wait for death. He taught her a valuable lesson when he looked square in the eyes and said, " Was Christ a quitter?" It was all he needed to say and it was a turning point for this 88-year old woman. Since then she has gained strength, faith and seems to be doing better than I have seen her in a long time. I can't remember how many times she has recited the story to me, but each time is speaks of hope.

I think of some of my heroes like Victor Frankl, Helen Keller, Anne Franke, Immaculee' Ilibagiza, Job, Abraham Lincoln and Joseph Smith. Each one of these people was faced with such unbearable, excruciating challenges that I can't begin to imagine and yet, they endured. The common thread through them all was hope. Hope that there would be light at the end of their dark tunnel. How can I, in my simple life, lose hope when such inspiring people endure so much more? A new commitment: to hope more, despair less, for in that hope, I KNOW there is happiness.