Whatever gets you through the night/day/life.

woof woof

woof woof

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I got up yesterday expecting to have a lovely day and instead it was stressful and trying and that's carried on today too and in fact with the volume turned past 10 and up to 12.

I have my own personal beliefs which I'm not going to bother others with too much as we're all free to believe what we want and follow our own path. I will share that I believe that we are tested and one day judged and maybe what I'm going through now is my test on which I'll be judged. I think about that and the effect I have on others and their lives when I go to bed and when I get up in the morning.

In another thread I posted the words to "Footsteps in the sand." It's something I read often, not every day but often, and it and some passages in the bible and a Buddhist book I have and songs and poems help when I can't see a way forward and feel as if I'm at my end.

So, I thought I'd open a thread for people who want to share something that just might help either themselves or someone else to make it through another minute/night/day. It might be the lyrics of a song or a link to one, a poem, a joke, a photo or anything really. Whatever gets you through.

One from me...

Footprints in the sand.

One night I dreamed a dream.
As I was walking along the beach with my Lord.
Across the dark sky flashed scenes from my life.
For each scene, I noticed two sets of footprints in the sand,
One belonging to me and one to my Lord.

After the last scene of my life flashed before me,
I looked back at the footprints in the sand.
I noticed that at many times along the path of my life,
especially at the very lowest and saddest times,
there was only one set of footprints.

This really troubled me, so I asked the Lord about it.
"Lord, you said once I decided to follow you,
You'd walk with me all the way.
But I noticed that during the saddest and most troublesome times of my life,
there was only one set of footprints.
I don't understand why, when I needed You the most, You would leave me."

He whispered, "My precious child, I love you and will never leave you
Never, ever, during your trials and testings.
When you saw only one set of footprints,
It was then that I carried you."

If someone has something to post, please do.
 
On our first visit to Crete 20+ years ago, I saw a T-shirt with the epitaph on the author Nikos Kazantzakis's headstone which reads (in Roman rather than Greek characters) "Then elpizo tipota, the phovami tipota, imei lefteros" which translates as "I hope for nothing, I fear nothing, I'm free". I now have it tattooed on my shoulder.
 
I have absolutely no belief in anything outside the world we live in and find it extremely strange that intelligent people can believe in any sort of god or whatever name is chosen, that said, as stated above this is a totally personal choice and I have no problem with anyones choices as long as they don't negatively impact upon me.

But, in a complete contrast to what I have jus said, the Footprints passage above is something that I think is a great thought provoking piece. I have actually got a framed version of that in my 4 year old daughters bedroom, the "Lord" in my mind, is not any imaginary being, but the love we share as a family. And in that context I can sort of get it.

In answer to the original query of what gets us through, well I just look at my little girl and realise how lucky I am to have her, 4 years and 5 rounds of IVF were all worth it. But I know many who have gone through the same with no success. :(
 
Me and Mrs WW haven't been blessed, yet, but there's hope. I use the word "blessed" as it has two meanings for me one of which you can maybe agree with too.
:D
 
Today was a 'rest' day, because we worked our arses off yesterday in our house.
So I went to the football and although tense - I saw Barnsley win with my eldest son and they're hopefully on their way to automatic promotion. A beautiful sunlit afternoon.
We came home to a lovely chicken dinner* cooked by my Mrs whilst we were at football - my eldest daughter turned up and we had a lovely catch up as she's just returned from a holiday.
I've just arranged an Easter photoshoot tomorrow for my granddaughter who's 6 months old (I am truly blessed) - her mum will be working - but we'll catch up at a family Barbie on Monday (all the kids, partners and the granddaughter).

I'm now halfway down a bottle of Malbec, binge watching the West Wing with the Mrs (series 1 for the umpteenth time) - in darker times - memories of this will give me a smile.

Happiness - this is what gets me through.

*It's a lie - the Mrs described the dinner as the 2nd worst chicken meal we've ever had (2nd to a tagine I made once with salted lemons that was saltier than the dead sea) but eating with the kids was lovely.
 
My old mum went out shopping, got hit by a car crossing the road and died.
Made me realise that things can change ever so quickly so make the most of every day.
Do the things that make you happy and enjoy life, never know how long you have left.
 
Nearly 4 years not working in the industry I have been in since 1973 and just getting back into it has made me realize how very lucky I was to have been doing the job I did and am now once again fortunate enough to be doing again gets me through most days now days despite it regularly taking over 2 hrs to drive home. That and being blessed with a great family of father in law, wife, son and daughter plus the 3 grand children and our childrens' partners.
 
Thinking of my three sons and feeling proud. They have caused one or two extra grey hairs in their time but I couldn’t ask for better.
I spent today with the eldest, his wife and four daughters. Listened to the girls excitedly telling me of their day out yesterday. Couldn’t help but think how lucky we are especially after reading Rick’s post above. My granddaughters are identical quads, naturally conceived. They were delivered at twenty nine and a half weeks and were all perfect. They are now thirteen and typical teenage girls, my son now has more grey hair than me :LOL::LOL:
 
Mr Bump said:
@woof woof do you have faith?
Is it just becoming a challenge?
Click to expand...

Faith surprisingly isn't really a challenge but life is often a bit taxing both physically and emotionally. I look after someone who has limited mobility and is slowly slipping into Alzheimer's and it all takes a lot of time and physical and emotional effort. These days I'm showing symptoms of stress, anxiety and depression which I've struggled with in the past.

We managed to get out for a short walk yesterday and being out with nature amongst the trees and wild flowers was wonderful and helped to recharge the batteries. I try and take and hour or so before going to bed to just sit quietly, reflect and look at the pictures I've taken. I usually have a slideshow of pictures on pc during the day so that I can see them whilst I'm going about the daily stuff.

mu8teh5.jpg
 
What causes stress, anxiety and depression is different in all of us. how we deal with it is also different. I am not a great fan of organised religion, but do recognise that we all need a belief. Be that belief in some deity or in my case just belief in myself with a lot of support from my family.
 
I'm also not a fan of religion but each to their own. I don't expect anyone to demand that I believe in religion, so I don't really have the right to demand that others shouldn't believe in it.

I can, however, appreciate the beneficial role it can have for some people and in particular those who are alone and have no family or friends left.
 
The issue with ‘religion’ as opposed to faith is that it leads people to not just ‘live by a set of rules’ but very often gives people the belief that they can impose standards on others.
Now everyone should have the right to hold whatever views they like, but Church and state should be separate and religion has no place in legislation, people shouldn’t feel free to judge others based on a niche understanding of a book written in less enlightened times.
 
Well, I suppose hoping for state / religious separation could be what gets you through life's challenges but that sort of thing wasn't forefront in my mind when I posted.

What I had more in mind was the peaceful, calming, joyous, inspiring sort of things. Things like music, art, thought provoking and inspiring text, jokes etc. That sort of thing :D

I'm sure we've all heard or read this at one time or another...

"Tho’ much is taken, much abides; and though
We are not now that strength which in old days
Moved earth and heaven; that which we are, we are;
One equal temper of heroic hearts,
Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will
To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield."

And at the risk of maybe irritating some people ever so slightly :D the last verse from a hyme I like, "O Jesus I have promised." I think that possibly even people who don't believe in religion or think it's all rather silly can maybe see a little sentiment and maybe beauty here sometimes and those who are a little irritated can have family or love in general in mind...

"Oh, let me see Thy footmarks,
And in them plant mine own;
My hope to follow duly
Is in Thy strength alone.
Oh, guide me, call me, draw me,
Uphold me to the end;
And then to rest receive me,
My Savior and my Friend."
 
I can't find the version of this I have on my pc so here's another...

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=253aGgk7NSE

PS.
I associate this piece with, lets say... one of the less good days of my life... but instead of dwelling on the pain I see it as a day on which my life changed direction and with the different perspective time and change has given me I now see that day as one on which a positive change was made.
 
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The Flying Spaghetti Monster stays out of human affairs and so can't be blamed for the daft things we do to each other. S/He's the sort of deity I like. :naughty:
 
AndrewFlannigan said:
The Flying Spaghetti Monster stays out of human affairs and so can't be blamed for the daft things we do to each other. S/He's the sort of deity I like. :naughty:
Click to expand...

OK Andrew.

I did say in my 1st post that I have my own personal beliefs which I'm not going to bother others with too much as we're all free to believe what we want and follow our own path but if this is the way the threads going to go then I just can't see any point as religion bashing or pushing wasn't my intention and I'd rather ask a mod to delete it.

So please, can we keep the religion disparaging to one side or maybe if someone isn't happy with me or the thread they can report me / the thread themselves but if this carries on Andrew I'd rather ask for the thread to be deleted.
 
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AndrewFlannigan said:
The Flying Spaghetti Monster stays out of human affairs and so can't be blamed for the daft things we do to each other. S/He's the sort of deity I like. :naughty:
Click to expand...

Two Quotes from Hamlet.

“There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so.”

“There are more things in Heaven and Earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy.”
 
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