Life is for living...

I dunno what's happening with the world. This is the Chinese year of the Goat. It promised to be a year 'blessed with peace and calm'. I was counting down the days until February 5th when the Chinese New Year   would arrive, carrying a squeaky clean slate, and a bright new beginning. After all the chaos and devastation inflicted by the Tiger in 2010 - I don't mean Woods, the least we deserved in 2011 was a bit of honest-to-goodness happiness. I'd tell the more depressed of my friends "Hold your fire...wait for the Goat. He'll civilize us all again". It hasn't happened yet. We're waiting...and waiting. In the meantime Tsunamis, Wars, Recessions and Dictators keep punching us in the face like innocent women being stoned to death. Children are being robbed of their optimism and their fathers. The latter Oh! so true. Only this week I heard of two very sad suicides which struck a chord deep within me - the futility - and what a waste of good life! One man in his 40's hanged himself due to financial worries, another chose to gas himself to death in his garage. Both were discovered by their children. Wonderful... I know this sounds harsh, but my sympathies lie with the families left behind. The men did not only kill themselves - they also extinguished every ounce of joy - forever - from the hearts of their wives and children who have to live with this legacy - every day - for the rest of their lives. Hello World! What's Happening?

There is a Happy Solution. There is a Happy Ending to the misery... There is light at the end of the Tunnel - not the train coming towards you I promise - No! It is the light of a good deep spirituality, the radiance of our Angels  always there to help us and comfort us in our hour of need. It doesn't cost a penny and it is always on tap. Just like your favourite Barista at Starbucks 'Ask and you shall receive' except you don't have to pay for spiritual grace - you just have to work at it.

Today my optimism returned on reading an uplifting story about a Canadian soldier in Afghanistan. He had been left for dead several years ago when he was brutally beaten in the head with a hatchet (that's not why my optimism returned...keep reading). He has battled several invasive surgeries to survive. His life is precious to him and even though at times, he was only dangling on by a thread - dangle on he did. Several years on, he is still in a wheelchair, but delighted to be alive. Thrilled to bits! He has a book project on the way, a new marriage, a beautiful daughter, etc. Each day he sets himself a new challenge, however small. He is SO happy to be alive. That is the way it should be. LIFE IS PRECIOUS - whether we have one leg or no leg - whether we are rich or poor -  fat or thin -  LIFE IS PRECIOUS - whether we have challenges or none - LIFE IS PRECIOUS and that's the way it should be.

Have a great day and even if your favourite is kicked out of 'American Idol', 'Dancing with the Stars' or the 'Amazing Race' - you have to keep battling on!! Sometimes a Kit-Kat can help. LIFE IS PRECIOUS and that's the way it should be. Challenges remind you that you are still in the game...

Love you and love one another...

Delisha xxx