Most People Look In The Wrong Direction

I’ve been writing a lot lately as a member of the Wild Writing Community, offered by Laurie Wagner. If you’ve ever wanted to write poetry, please check out her site.  

 Most people look in the wrong direction…

Grace isn't always found in a house of worship on a weekend morning. Sometimes, it comes out of the blue, like when the lawn guy, who rarely speaks, says, "God told me you have a pure heart, and I wanted you to know."

Companionship isn't always found on two legs or even four. Sometimes, it's the task that's always there for you, any time and anywhere. Writing. You don't have to look your best. You can talk ad nauseum about your feelings. And no one feels hurt when you're brusque from exhaustion.

Inner Peace isn't found in the shiny new car, or the 20,000 IG followers. Sometimes, it just washes over you on a Friday evening, sitting on your porch, listening to that one lone bird trilling a lullaby to anyone who will listen.

Resilience doesn't always come from eating your Wheaties, doing your daily exercises, or walking 10,000 steps a day. Sometimes, it comes from accepting that love and loss are intertwined and there can't be one without the other.

Joy doesn't usually find us when we plan for it. Rather, it comes unexpectedly when the little boy at Target, takes a hanger and scoops up a bathing suit fallen under the clothes rack. "Look, Mom, I'm fishing," he tells her with a laugh.

As we get older, there’s no use pretending we haven’t made mistakes in our lives, both big and small. And if you’re still able to make amends via an apology or actions, then by all means do so. But that person might no longer be here. So while Forgiveness is something we can offer to others, it's also something we can give to ourselves.

Mystery isn't the missing letter that Vanna teases us with nightly. Sometimes, it's that first moment of waking when the house is dark and quiet. And you wonder what this gift of a new day will hold.

by Judith Henry