Join the Two Writing Teachers blog for March Slice of Life Challenge.
Bad things continue to happen. Bad things always happen. Last week, my friend’s home was destroyed in a fire. When I stopped by her hair salon to take her a bag of clothes and to offer some comfort, she said, “We’re going to be OK.”
I know she’s right. We are all OK.
One Good Friday 37 years ago when I was a senior in high school, our house flooded. I didn’t know it would be OK. We left everything in haste to escape the rising waters. The car stalled halfway down the street. My family was rescued and, in the aftermath, well cared for by friends. But we lost our home and many of our belongings. We went back in a boat to rescue our pets. There were sad moments during those days. Many times I asked if we would be OK.
Weeks later when the flood waters had receded, 21 people from our church showed up to clean out our house. Things were sorted. Things were thrown away. As I walked around my house to the window by my bedroom, something caught my eye. It was a stick. It was my stick.
As a teenager, I attended youth retreats with our church’s youth group. At one of these retreats I had picked up a branch and stripped it of its bark. I carried it around like a talisman. The stick came to symbolize finding my way in the world. But lying on the soggy ground outside among the muddy debris, the stick meant that everything was going to be OK.
On Easter Sunday, the priest’s message was this: Everything is going to be OK. And even in the tragedies, the times when things do not seem OK, the resurrection assures us that it will be.
Your reassuring words are always in style. Many people close to me are going through challenging times right now. I will share your message of hope. Thank you!
It’s difficult to see that all will be OK when you are in the thick of the challenge, but hope abounds. Thanks for stopping by.
For me, this was better than attending church. Thanks for your thoughtful post. I’ll carry that message with me through the day.
High praise, thanks! Notice how strong the memory is for me still. Tragedy embeds into our lives in a real way.
Hope. Just a little helps us find assurance it will be ok.
Tragedy is all around us, Margaret. There are so many friends who are in need of support but we all try to find the positive. Your message validates our quest to say it’s going to be okay. Thank you for your gratitude attitude to start my day.
Beautiful reflection on life and the Easter message, Margaret.
Tragedy happens but the resilience follows. Your stories weave through the strands of loss and hope beautifully. This slice is one to hold on to like that stick of yours.
A wonderful thought to hold – everything will be ok. So hard to do in time of stress. Thanks for the thoughts.
I’m happy to have that assurance, also. After our house fire, we went to church the following morning to thank God for our blessings and let Him and others know we knew we would be all right. We had to live in a motel for 11 months and we were more than all right!
Loved your story. Isn’t it a good feeling?
I think a fire must be so much worse than a flood because everything is ash. You can clean off mud and see the photos even if they are all curled. We were lucky to be able to get an apartment but it was across town from our house. There is more to the story, but the basic message is the same. We were OK.
Do you still have the stick? 🙂
Yes. I guess I should post a picture of it.
Wonderful piece, thank you.
It reminded me of a story I heard about the California wildfires a few years back. A man finally left his home at the last moment, not knowing if the fire would overtake it or go a different direction and spare it. he found himself leaving his grandfather’s cane against the front door, last thing before he left. He realized he was leaving it to protect his home. Different stick, but also about assurance.
Thanks for this story. Connections.
Thank you for sharing this beautiful message of hope, Margaret.
It’s true. It’s so hard to remember in times of need, but I guess that’s what faith is, isn’t it? Love how you put this post together! Thank you for the inspiration today!
This is beautiful, Margaret. Easter reminds us of hope – Jesus is our talisman!
I helped a family member a long time ago clean after their home flooded. It was pretty bad, as you said, but yes, they were okay, and that was what I remember we all focused on. Those small things we pick up along the way mean the world don’t they-that stick, not an expensive gift, but a stick chosen for such important reasons. I love your story, Margaret.
Thank you for your wonderful words of encouragement. As my mom always says, ‘It will be fine. Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but it will be fine.’
What a great message to hear on Easter…. Wishing you good things!!!
Margaret,
This is beautiful. It’s the post I just want to keep in my pocket so when life gets challenging I can be reminded of what I forget somethings: it’s going to be ok.
Cathy