Then and Now

Each of us returns to recall events in our past and some events remain alive in our conscious mind or surface in our dreams or conversations. Those events can be pleasant or unpleasant. The pleasant events give us much energy and encouragement. Some unpleasant events so affect us that we feel drained emotionally by their hold on us. They seem to colour our view of the present sometimes denying us freedom to live 'fully human, fully alive' as the author, John Powell suggests in his best seller book of yesteryears.

I remember   watching this plant which tells its story publicly. The withered twigs in the bottom tell the dry spell it suffered from, almost threatening its existence. With the change of season, it recovered to bear its blossoms. The dry grass around the bush tells us that the hostile terrain in which it is located, still continues.

The story of this plant holds our attention. The plant lives with its past publicly, but is not held back by its past. It grows, blossoms and reproduces through its seeds. It chose to live beyond its past. It reveals its past but it is integrated into its life, even to give it an overcoming will.

Some of us live with a wish, that our past was different! Let me suggest that however difficult or distressing  our past may have been, it adds only strength to our character. It provides us with insight, clarity and conviction to trust in our future with hope.

One way to revisit the disturbing events in our past its to wait patiently for it to reveal their purpose. Sometimes the wait can be long as our mind reveals truth about our past only when our heart is ready to cope with emotions attached with such an encounter. We ought to be grateful when meaning of events in the past still evade us, for, it is a protection to our soul. We ought to be grateful when past events reveal the meaning, because it has been well timed to give us a new impetus and affirmation to move on with a sense a purpose.

Life is a treasure and a mystery. Let us live it with an awesome outlook to life. Our personal story is a sacred story, in which resides nuggets of truth, revealed and yet to be revealed.  

M.C.Mathew(text and photo)