It’s springtime. Welcome to a time when I wore a younger man’s clothes … when I viewed life differently.
My perception of time and space stretch only as far as my hand could reach. The world seemed large, at times daunting, at times fragile, at times too much to endure.
I met a woman long ago; a giant she seemed. I do not remember when my eyes first set upon hers only that they did.
Her hands of rock turned to silk when she caringly placed them upon mine. Her angelic voice, soothing the moment’s whisper, painted a path of hope and inspiration every time she laid word upon her lips, every time she sang, and when a monster storm unleashed its wrath, she fixed her sights not on the flood upon her nor on the menacing lightning striking about, nor at the winds blowing everything around, but rather on the opportunities this menace offered to sail forth in search safer lands. When the waters receded, she was always where she set out to be.
And it was so unless she sensed danger. Upon the overwhelming furry that life bestows upon us all, she became a titan whose stone courage and wisdom conquered convincingly until there was peace once again and again her mighty roar gave way to a gentle purr.
“Veer not astray”, she would say.
“For the dangers that lie ahead are only so if you are not prepared for them. Focus on the good in the face of darkness and the light, however small it may seem, will guide you to a safer place. Failure is a gift. Harvest its lessons and plant the seeds of future success for you are a farmer. Sow the fields of life with good seed; eliminate all others. Feed and nourish them with your love and passion while understanding that time is your friend”, she continued. “All things are subservient to it. There will be a day, a time not too distant from the now, when you will harvest the fruits of your effort, when the bounty will be so abundant that others will join you. And upon that day, you shall see what I see now before me, the promise of greatness within you.” This mentorship is the guiding beacon for all I do.
And so today, as I lay these words before you and while wearing older man’s clothes, I see life differently.
My perception of time and space stretch great distances and is limited only by my definition of greatness. The world now seems so small and un-daunting and full of powerful opportunities and not so difficult to endure.
I met a woman long ago; a giant she is. I do not remember when my eyes first set upon hers; only that they did, but I now realize that the bright light I always see within the darkness that lurks is always her, guiding the way. To this woman, all I have to say is three words…Thank You, Mom.
And so, as her words intersect your point in time, I offer to you this one seed as well. Take it, set it upon fertile land, water, feed and nourish it. Time is your friend. Follow your path and you too will see an abundant harvest. And when the day comes for donning your older person’s clothes, and it will come, help others plant 1,000 more. The rearview mirror will then be the spring that rockets you toward greatness during your winter solstice… not by chance, but because you willed it to be.
Dare To Think Differently.
Read more posts by J.A. Rodriguez Jr. here. J.A. Rodriguez Jr. is a contributing blogger for JenningsWire.
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