What an Amazing Life!

Life is like a long winding road, with little dips in the road and high terrain to go over. I reflect on the highs and lows that this life has brought me. I don’t sit and wonder if most of it has been a high road or a low road, but a road full of knowledge and adventure. The people along the way have been my teachers.
As I drive, I can’t help but notice how tranquil everything is. If I were to describe perfection, this would be it; the trees all lined up in rows, the grass that goes on for miles and the beautiful wildflowers growing everywhere. Traces of wildlife can be found if you look close enough.
I see a rain cloud up ahead, but I anticipate it with excitement. I know that the grass and the trees and the wildlife need it for nourishment, and I know that the scenery will still be tranquil. It’s kind of like life, things are calm and steady and just like that, a rain cloud appears. This rain cloud can be as big and bad as you want it to be, the same thing with hard times, or desperate times. Don’t be frightened by the rain cloud, just be prepared. You know you’ll have to adjust your speed and turn on your headlights, which is all you can do.
I made it safely through the rain and five hours later a storm came out of nowhere. It was thundering and lightening, and then it began to hail. There’s nothing that I cannot stand more than driving in a hail storm. I took a deep breath, turned on the radio to listen to the weather, no tornado warning had been issued, and so I drove to the very next exit and waited for the storm to pass. I was always prepared for all kinds of weather; I had an emergency kit in the car as well as a blanket, water and some crackers and protein bars.
This situation is much like life, sometimes things just happen unexpectedly. But you do all that you can do, and have faith in what you did. Sometimes there is nothing left for you to do but wait it out, and then proceed to your destination. I think back at some of the things that happened in my life that were out of nowhere. For an example, a company closed its doors for good. It came out of nowhere. The only thing I thought was no job, no pay, and no existence. How am I going to make it? What am I going to do? I have bills to pay and mouths to feed. My kids depend on me for food, a roof over their head, and clothes. Every week when I got paid I put a certain amount of money aside, just in case of an emergency, I was prepared.
Just like that storm that came out of nowhere. I did the same thing. I took a deep breath; I grabbed the newspaper on the way home, updated my resume and sent it out everywhere, and then I waited. It is the day that I thought nothing would come of it, the day I almost gave up that I realized, I had done everything that I could possibly do. That is all I could do. Once you do everything that you can in a situation, calmness comes over you. This calmness is a sense of knowing, a sense that kicks in that says, trust in what you've done because there wasn't anything else you could do. That thought brought a true sense of peace.
Life is full of winding roads, and ups and downs. It is during those times that we are blessed to have our friends and family with us along the way. Our scenery might change, our friendships change, and we change. Tears have fallen, hearts have been broken, smiles and fond memories have been made along the way. It is such an amazing life and I am grateful and prepared for whatever each day may bring.