In 2017, my grandmother passed away. It was a challenging emotional experience. I began to re-evaluate my life and my purpose. What had I accomplished ? How were my romantic relationships? Who loved me? How was I loving? Did I add value to my friends? What would people remember me for? What emotions would my memory evoke?

My perspective on life changed.

The concept of life had changed

Life has a way of changing you for the better or worse. A loss of a loved one, a pandemic, loss of income, health problem, a divorce, foreclosure, betrayal or a heartbreak. These circumstances can break the human spirit.

I often wonder how some people escape the bitter taste that life can give? Is it the acceptance of yourself? Security? Love? Personality? Open mindedness? Nimble?

As I experience more life, the people that I admire seem to have a joy for life. These few people have a child like spirit at an older age. I admire people that are brave enough to love again after a heartbreak. The world can be a dark place but I am more intrigued with those that not only survive but thrive while keeping their hearts as pure as possible. In my experience, many people stop dreaming and being curious about life. Or, they become so focused on the negative and complaints.

It is easy to complain and have pity for yourself. It takes more work to create, choose love, choose patience, joy, understanding and encourage others in life.

When I was grieving, there were a few things that kept my spirit high: daily prayer, daily scripture reading, singing, crying, listening to sermons and inspirational talks as well as spending time with good friends/family.

I used my journal as a tool to express my feelings.

How do you thrive in the many different seasons of life? What keeps you in high spirits?