Today’s Wisdom: “God gave us the gift of life; it is up to us to give ourselves the gift of living well.” Voltaire
By Bill D. Ward
“We’ve only just begun… to live. White lace and promises. A kiss for luck and we’re on our way.” Those lyrics from the Carpenter’s 1970 hit song recently popped into my brain in the middle of the night. I have no idea where they came from as I hadn’t heard the song in years. But there I was lying in bed in the dark remembering the day that my bride and I did exactly that.
We walked out of that church with a bit of excitement, a bit of awe at what we had just done, and a bit of unstated fear at where life might be going next. The path before us was just an unpainted canvas, waiting for us to fill it with wonderful things.
Now some 50 years later, that canvas is mostly painted. I must say, I am pretty impressed. Had I known what those subsequent 50 years were going to look like back then I don’t think I would have been as apprehensive. But I might have changed a few things.
Life is never perfect. I would skip the ambulance rides, the sick kids, and the marriage lows. I would actually meet the daughter I am still waiting to meet. I would really learn something in college. I would practice guitar more. I would totally skip the day I heard the word “cancer.”
In other words, I would change all the same things all of you readers would change. I would eliminate the painful stuff. I would do it knowing full well that those experiences are what gave me character and strength. Surviving tough stuff is good for us. Forgive me if I’m just not feeling the need for it.
One of the things I’ve learned is that life isn’t a Hallmark movie. Those end with “a kiss for luck and we’re on our way.” Real life is what happens after the movie ends. That is where most of us find ourselves today.
Now that you are well seasoned, it is my hope that your canvas has been painted beautifully. I hope the bright colors overwhelm the dark spots. I hope you painted it big and bold, and that when you sign the lower corner as a finished work of art someday, you sign it with pride. I’m just sayin.’