Weather the Storms

Life is rough. It takes its toll emotionally and physically. Sometimes I wish I could rewind back to a "happier" or "more innocent" time in my life, before some of my problems began. I imagine, despite my lack of life experience at the time, things were "better" then. I've even found myself wistfully looking in the mirror remembering younger days.  I've noticed lately that I can see my gray hairs in the mirror from a distance now- no squinting required!

The evidence of our past, rather than marring perfection, brings a beauty that comes from the richness of experience. Like a piece of furniture that gains from a certain amount of use and wear, we carry a unique fingerprint of our lives upon our bodies, and upon our very souls.

Life has a way of tearing us down and building us back up again. We are not the same afterward, but we are still whole and beautiful. I love this movie I found today via The Mary Sue, in which a little boat weathers many challenges and survives.

Little Boat from nelson boles on Vimeo.

Everyone has bad experiences and hardships. We can choose to carry the marks as ugly scars, or we can allow them make us more colorful and unique.

Weather the storms. Love who you have become. You are rare and wonderful.