| Commentary and Philosophy Non-Fiction posted September 25, 2009 |
  |
Living is about growing
A Work in Progress
by Annmuma
My answer to the contest's question is: Life is the "something" I've survived and made me who I am today.
A quick mental peek at my past left me in awe of all the people who have influenced my years and my adventure here. I lost my mother while still a pre-teen, and certainly that event was life-altering, but no more so than the time she spent walking with me to the library while I was yet too young to even be a proficient reader.
My high school home economics teacher was unfeeling and unsympathetic to my need for support, and my youthful faith in teachers wavered. Still, Ms. Carpenter, the saint who taught my first grade class, stilled my fears of a world away from home by making sure she stood next to me, whether on a playground, in a classroom or standing hall duty. Both of these educators provided me with a means to grow and changed my life forever. I am at a loss to say which experience contributed more to who I am.
When my daughter was sixteen, she and I reached an impasse, creating an emotional world where contact between us was impossible for a year. The sun shined when we realized our love for each other far outweighed our need to win, and we exchanged our defenses for acceptance of our differences. I don’t have a satisfactory answer as to whether the separation or the reuniting most shaped the “me” of today.
A few years ago, my husband and I began a routine trip around a mile-and-a-half loop trail, one we walked regularly. He died before we finished it. To lose my healthy and exciting soul mate in the unexpected blink of an eye changed my outlook forever, but no more so than the long ago day he agreed to share his years with me.
In 2005, while walking on another path, I stopped to chat with a fellow carrying a camera. Now, we are partners in life as we explore what’s left of both of our journeys. I am not the person in 2009 I would have been had I not taken that stroll; nor is he. Our lives changed forever when we expanded our reality to include each other’s hopes and dreams.
The human condition includes tragedies, miracles and opportunities for heroes and villains alike. Today I am not the person I will be tomorrow; nor am I who I was yesterday. Every day, every connection, every minute includes opportunities to open my heart and my mind to whatever life brings and to add that experience to the person I’m still becoming.
My testimony is: I’m a work-in-progress.
Testimony! contest entry
A quick mental peek at my past left me in awe of all the people who have influenced my years and my adventure here. I lost my mother while still a pre-teen, and certainly that event was life-altering, but no more so than the time she spent walking with me to the library while I was yet too young to even be a proficient reader.
My high school home economics teacher was unfeeling and unsympathetic to my need for support, and my youthful faith in teachers wavered. Still, Ms. Carpenter, the saint who taught my first grade class, stilled my fears of a world away from home by making sure she stood next to me, whether on a playground, in a classroom or standing hall duty. Both of these educators provided me with a means to grow and changed my life forever. I am at a loss to say which experience contributed more to who I am.
When my daughter was sixteen, she and I reached an impasse, creating an emotional world where contact between us was impossible for a year. The sun shined when we realized our love for each other far outweighed our need to win, and we exchanged our defenses for acceptance of our differences. I don’t have a satisfactory answer as to whether the separation or the reuniting most shaped the “me” of today.
A few years ago, my husband and I began a routine trip around a mile-and-a-half loop trail, one we walked regularly. He died before we finished it. To lose my healthy and exciting soul mate in the unexpected blink of an eye changed my outlook forever, but no more so than the long ago day he agreed to share his years with me.
In 2005, while walking on another path, I stopped to chat with a fellow carrying a camera. Now, we are partners in life as we explore what’s left of both of our journeys. I am not the person in 2009 I would have been had I not taken that stroll; nor is he. Our lives changed forever when we expanded our reality to include each other’s hopes and dreams.
The human condition includes tragedies, miracles and opportunities for heroes and villains alike. Today I am not the person I will be tomorrow; nor am I who I was yesterday. Every day, every connection, every minute includes opportunities to open my heart and my mind to whatever life brings and to add that experience to the person I’m still becoming.
My testimony is: I’m a work-in-progress.
 Recognized |
|
© Copyright 2024. Annmuma All rights reserved.
Annmuma has granted FanStory.com, its affiliates and its syndicates non-exclusive rights to display this work.
