Live a life worth waking up to

When I wake every morning, rub the sleepy grit from my eyes and stretch my arms to the sky I cannot help but feel it in me, from my toes to the tips of my poorly dyed hair. Life is something of a marvel in it's infinite wonder and splendor. The glittering promise found only in the eyes of a child and the experience and wisdom of our aged brethren help to spin this orbital ball of blue and green and I can only dream to be a force so strong. Today, like any other day, will be full of potential and opportunities to do great things but what will I focus on?

For the last 2 days I ran a low grade fever. My ears popped every time I yawned and my throat burned with pain with every swallow and breath. For those 2 days I could hardly move without stiffness or walk across the room without seeing stars before my eyes. Right now I still have a nagging cough and the tail end of a headache but the fever broke I can breath comfortably. I could sit here and lament on and on about how truly awful I felt yesterday or I can proudly announce that right now I feel better. My reaction to the situation is what decides the outcome of my actions.

Life can be so full of misery. There are poor countries with no food or running water when I have a cabinet full of cookies and 3 bathrooms in my parents' house. We perceive our own pains as large issues powerful enough to destroy any chance for happiness during our waking moments each and every day but it is our right to do so. Conversely, it also happens to be our right to smile when the world hurts us so deeply and stand strong against the mighty push and pull of intolerance. Why chose to hate when for every second you spend hating you miss out on precious seconds of love?

Life doesn't always go our way, we all know the brunt truth of this. We also know that just as the seasons change, our hearts, minds, souls and dreams can change just as quickly. In the season of happiness all life blossoms and begets more life. The sun shines brightly and casts out the shadows of deception and destruction, nurturing in us a sense of warmth and comforting light to lead us back home when we may stray from the course.

The season of tears brings with it a torrent of sleepless nights and nightmare filled slumber. We may overlook the fragments of our hearts and only see the shadows and darkness. When we open our eyes and let our light shine again we may find a world we did not imagine. This world is only brought to us through pain for it is in healing that we are reborn into new days.

Winter brings an icy chill as all signs of life disappear under a blanket of white. Trees are bare and beautiful flowers wilt and freeze as though as still frame photographs. Death is not an end of days for truly it is in death and loss that we learn the true depth of our capacity for love. We see the days ahead without our loved ones with heavy hearts but each day lived beyond our mourning is filled with the beauty of their influence. We truly live forever for when we touch but one single heart we are immortalized forever.

New life grows again from our experience and knowledge gained every step we take on the path of our lives. If we focus on the map too long we never learn to appreciate the beauty in taking the occasional scenic route. Roads are winding and journeys can be dangerous but without risk we would never learn the wonder in its' reward. Take the first step, no matter the season, and find your way to the home in your soul. Life is worth the effort.