Positively February: Day 10

"She stood in the storm & when the wind did not blow her way, she adjusted her sails." - Elizabeth Edwards

According to Wikipedia, Elizabeth Edwards was "an American attorney, a best-selling author and a health care activist."  I'd never heard of her, and I'm certainly thankful for having come across her story.  Her 16-17 year old son passed away after a car accident in 1996.  She had breast cancer, which she appeared to have beaten, however it came back with a vengeance and she passed away in 2010.  In her shortened life, she accomplished so much.  She survived the loss of a child.  She dealt with infidelity.  She suffered through cancer.  Yet, she accomplished so much.  She was a lawyer.  She was a teacher.  She was a mother.  She was an author and wrote about her struggles, the unthinkable pain of losing a child, and battling cancer.  I will be purchasing both her books for certain, as while her life battles are not the same, they resemble mine.  I feel like I would easily be able to relate to her thoughts and experiences, having too suffered the loss of my son, and deal with an incurable illness.  She definitely found her purpose.

It seems to me, that often times, after living through trauma, you tend to seek a meaning, a purpose.  Why am I on this earth? I must be here for a reason!  I thought it was just me, until I read my friend Rachel's blog post titled: In Pursuit of Purpose.  I have so much to say on the subject, that I really haven't commented on her post.  I plan to email Rachel because really, this post is so completely inspiring and exactly what I needed to read.

I think Elizabeth Edwards' quote ties perfectly into this.  Life can be filled with storms, with winds that will knock us down.  And there are times where it is really difficult to navigate through this storm.  The fog can totally cloud our vision.  The trick is to learn to sail.  You don't get it right the first time you try.  You will always need to re-adjust the sails, but when you do, things will feel easier, better.

All these metaphors to say, life will keep throwing "stuff" at you.  Things you can't handle, don't want to deal with but have to learn to live with.  And sometimes you won't be able to, and that's perfectly ok.  When you find that purpose, those reasons to keep going, you will create a new routine.  Things will never be the same, but you have control of what you do, what you think.  By making changes, adjustments, you will find your meaning.  That meaning may be to become a nurse.  Or it could be to follow that childhood dream of becoming a teacher.  That meaning could be to concentrate all your energy on being a mother - whether it be biologically, through adoption or surrogacy or even through fostering a child.  I'm sure Rachel's blog could give you a lot of insight on that.

Really, the possibilities are endless.  I hope you find your purpose.