Inspiration- what encourages us to do what we hesitate to do; it may be the action of others, a voice in our heads, a feeling in our hearts, or a gut feeling in the pit of our stomachs. We can find inspiration anywhere we look, sometimes it’s right in front of us, we just have to open our eyes and recognize it for what it is. Inspiration usually shows up when we experience doubts or fear; we think we can’t and then see someone or something else that makes us think again. Our triumphs and success can then be measured by the experience that encouraged us to move forward through our fears.
I met a woman last weekend who inspired me to be strong and face the next adventure. She doesn’t know she inspired me, but we shared a nice chat and after reflecting on our conversation, I thought, “Wow, I can face the unknown and let it happen without fear.” I walked into a gallery in Chama, New Mexico while I was vacationing with my mom and boys. I had been in the store the day before and was contemplating replacing our crappy Target soup bowls that get hotter than the dickens in the microwave and leave the food stone cold. After deciding my husband would agree that it was a smart purchase, I went back to burn a hole in my wallet. I found a few other gifts while I was in there and told the woman how excited I was to find these treasures. She told me she had almost closed up early to go home and do some booking keeping. As the conversation progressed, she divulged that her husband of 44 years told her he filed for divorce just two weeks earlier. She was having to learn how to do the bookkeeping, which was never her forte since she had always been the artist. We had a wonderful, authentic conversation about her next move. She tried to hold back tears, but let a few slip out when talking about missing her parents during this difficult time. But she raised her head and said she was going to sell her house and move to Portland to be with her son and his wife who are expecting their first child in a few short weeks. She will continue being a potter because that is her passion, and she wants to rent a store to sell he
r work. Whoa, this is a strong woman! At age 66, facing being alone and supporting herself for the first time in her adult life, she knew who she was, and what she was about.
When I question my strength and my ability to adapt to new situations, I now have another point of reference from which to draw a conclusion. And that is, if this woman, this artist, can face an unknown future of financial challenges and loneliness with hope, than I can certainly look at my family and smile and say “let’s see what comes next and let’s greet it with hope.”
We must climb the mountain
to see what’s on the other side.
