I know spring is the time for, new life and resurrection, so when my friend grimaced at me through clenched teeth saying, “Despair? What do you know of my despair?” I was silent.
My friend had assumed that I -- being happy, optimistic and joyful -- had not known despair. I would never know their despair, but I had had my own dark night of the soul.
I thought of my friend as I struggled to root out an invasive ground cover taking over my flower beds. I was told, “Just cut off the tops; it will look fine.” True … however, underneath the roots would continue to grow through each other, creating a web strong enough to block out new plants. People are like the garden.
We look good on the outside -- smiling and traveling along the rough road of life with a sunny disposition, while inside the tightness and fear of despair traps us, blocking out joy and light. When we dig deep into ourselves, we loosen the clutches of despair and tiny shards of light bring hope. Our tool is courage.
Have courage, my friend. Though the path to life is tangled, stay the course. Yes it’s hard. Do what you can when you can and, when life overtakes you, find someone trustworthy and rest, pause, catch your second wind.
Until the day we die, there is always a second wind. I am chipper and light-hearted, and it has been hard won. I cherish it every day.
That light at the end of the tunnel is not a train. It’s hope; it’s your life.
I’m Lou Ness, and that’s my perspective.
