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Life is. I am. Anything might happen.
And I believe I may invest my life with meaning.
The uncertainty is a blessing in disguise.
If I were absolutely certain about all things,
I would spend my life in anxious misery, fearful of losing my way.
But since everything and anything are always possible, the miraculous is always nearby and wonders shall never, ever cease.
+Robert Fulghum
In these interesting and unusual times, I find myself wrestling with how to go about my daily life and not be overwhelmed by all that is happening in the world today. I find some solace in Robert Fulghum’s quote from his book, Maybe (Maybe Not): Second Thoughts from a Secret Life. It’s true, anything might happen, and will I be ready to give some meaning to the unexpected events if and when they happen? I do believe that uncertainty is a blessing in disguise because some of my past experiences where I have been uncertain of doing something or going somewhere, I have been pleasantly surprised by the outcome or the journey.
One example that comes to mind is the time I was approved to take a sabbatical for a year after the deaths of my parents and older sister in less than a three-year time span. I was numb from the grief and needed some time away to reflect and sort things out. I had no idea what to do or where to go, and I was pleasantly surprised that with just a few contacts and a few phone calls, everything literally fell into place and the deaths and grief were a blessing in disguise. I went on sabbatical and, believe it or not, the place I spent on sabbatical was called Blessing Place. The experience was indeed a blessing in disguise as I returned home with a zest for life and a willingness to move on with my life, taking risks and trying new things.
I think what happened during that sabbatical experience was coming to an understanding that nothing is certain in life and that if I continued being anxious and afraid of what would happen next, I would lose my way, something I had already begun to feel was happening in my life.
I don’t know about you. but when I realized and experienced the fact that anything and everything are always possible. I felt a freedom that allowed me to try new things and not be afraid to say and try and do things that I would not have done before this blessing in disguise.
Soon after I returned from the sabbatical, I came upon a program called Spiritual Eldering, pursued training for a year and a half, and became a facilitator for the program. It was something I had been looking for in the area of spirituality and aging, encouraging elders to focus on the spiritual aspect of their lives. I do believe that the miraculous is always nearby and wonders never, ever cease. The elders I worked with exemplified this to me every time I facilitated a workshop with them.
I am once again reminded that Life is. I am. And anything might (and can) happen. And I’m sure that wonders shall never, ever cease.
Sister Mary Thill is a Sylvania Franciscan Sister. She can be reached at mthill@sistersosf.org.
