Friday, June 4, 2010

Quotes to live by

May flew by for me. Mainly because I wasn't home. I got to go to Indiana to see family, turned 29, went to sunny San Diego for a nice little vacation with Brent, and then took our boat to Truman Lake in Missouri and had a fun time there hanging out with my brother-in-law Eric. All these distractions were great, but left me little time to knit as much as I wanted. But now that I am home, I am back into the routine of knitting a bit everyday.

Two quotes have been sticking with me a lot lately and I thought I would share them and what they mean to me.

"You never know what kind of pain people are walking around with."
~Nate Berkus

A few months after Jackson died, I was watching "The Oprah Show." Nate Berkus, an interior designer and a regular on the show, was helping a family on the episode babysit and clean up their house. Anyway, Nate was in Thailand when the Tsunami hit in 2004. Nate survived, but his partner, Fernando Bengoechea, did not. During the show, Oprah asked how he was doing and what he's learned 5 years after the tragedy. Nate said something to the effect of "You never know what kind of pain people are walking around with." This quote has stuck with me ever since watching the show. How true this is. When you start to think about it, most people have been through something difficult in their lives -- whether it is a loss, abuse, illness, tough economic times, etc ... -- life is hard. Probably when you first meet someone (or even meeting someone after several times) you probably have no idea what they have been through. On the outside, they can smile, laugh, make small talk and seem fine, but you never know what someone might be really feeling. This has given me even more reason to be nice to anyone I meet. I've always tried to do this, but now that I've been through what I have this rings true more than ever. I want to encourage you to do the same. So when you're out in the world, always remember "you never know what kind of pain people are walking around with."

"Do not worry about the things you cannot control."
~Laurie Wood

Laurie is in my support group. It is possible she may not even realize she said this, but last month when we got together, she did -- and it has stuck with me. Another mantra I try to tell myself every day. Mainly because I need too. Since Jackson's death, my worry and anxiety levels have been a lot higher. I don't know if they will stay this way for the rest of my life, but telling myself not to worry about the things I cannot control has been helpful. I wish I could have prevented Jackson from dying, but I couldn't. And I know I cannot control lots of things, but boy would I like too! Anyway, Laurie, thank you for saying this to me. It has been so helpful for me to repeat this daily!

If you have any quotes you would like to share, I would love to hear them. I am always looking for good quotes/sayings to add to my page! And, as always, thanks for the support.

1 comment:

  1. So very true about never knowing what people have gone through. I have always loved the following Longfellow quote:
    “If we could read the secret history of our enemies, we should find in each man's life sorrow and suffering enough to disarm all hostility”
    It especially rings true to me now. Would we treat people differently if we knew all the pain they have endured and the strength they possess to have overcome it....? Yes, probably - nice to remember.
    Thinking of you and Jackson always!
    Ali

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