I went to the Grand Canyon and Antelope Canyon this month with my beloved husband. He is the one that pesters me, laughs at me, makes fun of me, makes me the pun of his jokes, and believe it or not, loves me. He has taught me to laugh about the small things and I have taught him to laugh at the big things. We each deal with problems in our own way. I could name all my big problems for you, but you have your own to forget about. We move on, past our problems, but we don't forget them.
Our problems, progression, mistakes, pains, joys, and gifts, are all engraved on each of us. Each one is like a layer in the Grand Canyon. It took years to get all those beautiful layers of rock, silt, dirt, and minerals. Some layers are thicker than others. Some are thin. Some even have little pebbles embedded in the layer, like the scars we carry with us. And after each layer water would come and wash in a new layer. I would be baptized with rejuvenated hope. And then, the water would dry up again and leave another layer. Each time another problem would come, I would blame my creator. Why? Why me? The layer would dry eventually leaving another bed of dried rock to carry on top of the others. Then the rocks crashed against each other and some were raised and others went deeper into the earth forgotten and out of sight. The ones that raised above the earth reached for the sky and revealed their layers. People would come an look at these rocks and behold their beauty. All those layers revealed her secrets, yet it was beautiful.
Then the sandstone that filled the crevasses, the years of no joy, no learning, no pains, were washed away by the rushing water. We must have those years of no joy, to see the joy. We must have the years of pain, to enjoy the years of no pain. No layer is more important than another. They all work magnificently to create a breathtaking view. Now thousands of people love to visit these Canyons and see her years of creation. It was the time that created her, and it will be time that creates our beautiful life. We must stick through the tough time and see that there will be beauty to behold.
I think back to my young life at 17. I got pregnant and married. I remember times when I would go pick up my child from kindergarten and some moms would not talk to me because I was so young. I could feel people look at me with pity, "That poor girl is already pregnant. She will never get to enjoy life. Her marriage is doomed. Her poor child." The women that sought out different things in life only pitied me. "Your not old enough to have a 10 year old! How old are you?" (I still hear this!) Your not old enough to have a son that's married! I have already prepared myself for, "You're not old enough to be a grandma!" I will say, "Oh dear! Enlighten me on the age requirement. And what is the age requirement for having a doltish tongue?"
Then there were the ones that didn't judge me for those social standards the world set. They saw a girl wanting what was best for her child and marriage. They saw a young girl, but one that was determined. I just used my "handicaps" to weed out the women that abhorred me. It was easy to like me or hate me. Those that didn't see my life as pitiful became my friends. I was fortunate to find some wonderful friends. I have never regretted having children young. Infact, in third grade I said I wanted 100 kids. I have since changed my mind. I may have different layers in my life that create a different canyon. That is the beauty of it, we all have different lives. I was fortunate that I couldn't hide my differences (becoming pregnant at 17), but some people try to hide their differences from society. Don't hide it. Use it. Show your layers.
If you suffer from a mental illness, don't be embarrassed.
If you have a medical diagnosis, don't hide it.
If you made a mistake, own it.
If you lost, congratulate the winner.
If you failed, wipe off your knees and try again.
When I was 5 and learning to ride a bike I would fall. "Get up, get up. Try again." I learned to ride the bike in 3 days.
I NEVER heard, "How come you fell off!? Don't you know you have to keep peddling!"
Then I turned 11 and tried smoking with my friends. "What were you thinking!" I learned to hide my mistakes.
INSTEAD, I needed to hear, "You can try again at this game called life. Get back up and try again. Tomorrow is another day."
Then I was 15 and watched some porn. "You are going to be a sex addict and never understand relationships." I learned to hide my curiosity.
INSTEAD, I needed to hear, "You may have curiosity, but this is addictive. Try again tomorrow and keep peddling through life."
Then I was 17 and became pregnant. Silence. Sadness. I learned to regret my life.
INSTEAD, I needed to hear, "keep peddling in this game we call life. This will one day make a beautiful layer in your life if you let it."
Now I'm 22 and have 3 kids. I tell them for every mistake they make, to get back up and try again. We all have to keep trying. We make mistakes, we fall down. We don't master being a teenager in a week. We need encouragement to get back up and try again. We don't master motherhood in a year. We must try again. Masters were not created in a month. It takes years. Just as a canyons take years. And we may not ever master it, because we are ALL always learning.
Antelope Canyon
Page, AZ
Then the sandstone that filled the crevasses, the years of no joy, no learning, no pains, were washed away by the rushing water. We must have those years of no joy, to see the joy. We must have the years of pain, to enjoy the years of no pain. No layer is more important than another. They all work magnificently to create a breathtaking view. Now thousands of people love to visit these Canyons and see her years of creation. It was the time that created her, and it will be time that creates our beautiful life. We must stick through the tough time and see that there will be beauty to behold.
Grand Canyon
Arizona
South Rim
I think back to my young life at 17. I got pregnant and married. I remember times when I would go pick up my child from kindergarten and some moms would not talk to me because I was so young. I could feel people look at me with pity, "That poor girl is already pregnant. She will never get to enjoy life. Her marriage is doomed. Her poor child." The women that sought out different things in life only pitied me. "Your not old enough to have a 10 year old! How old are you?" (I still hear this!) Your not old enough to have a son that's married! I have already prepared myself for, "You're not old enough to be a grandma!" I will say, "Oh dear! Enlighten me on the age requirement. And what is the age requirement for having a doltish tongue?"
Then there were the ones that didn't judge me for those social standards the world set. They saw a girl wanting what was best for her child and marriage. They saw a young girl, but one that was determined. I just used my "handicaps" to weed out the women that abhorred me. It was easy to like me or hate me. Those that didn't see my life as pitiful became my friends. I was fortunate to find some wonderful friends. I have never regretted having children young. Infact, in third grade I said I wanted 100 kids. I have since changed my mind. I may have different layers in my life that create a different canyon. That is the beauty of it, we all have different lives. I was fortunate that I couldn't hide my differences (becoming pregnant at 17), but some people try to hide their differences from society. Don't hide it. Use it. Show your layers.
If you suffer from a mental illness, don't be embarrassed.
If you have a medical diagnosis, don't hide it.
If you made a mistake, own it.
If you lost, congratulate the winner.
If you failed, wipe off your knees and try again.
I love myself!
(FICTION)When I was 5 and learning to ride a bike I would fall. "Get up, get up. Try again." I learned to ride the bike in 3 days.
I NEVER heard, "How come you fell off!? Don't you know you have to keep peddling!"
Then I turned 11 and tried smoking with my friends. "What were you thinking!" I learned to hide my mistakes.
INSTEAD, I needed to hear, "You can try again at this game called life. Get back up and try again. Tomorrow is another day."
Then I was 15 and watched some porn. "You are going to be a sex addict and never understand relationships." I learned to hide my curiosity.
INSTEAD, I needed to hear, "You may have curiosity, but this is addictive. Try again tomorrow and keep peddling through life."
Then I was 17 and became pregnant. Silence. Sadness. I learned to regret my life.
INSTEAD, I needed to hear, "keep peddling in this game we call life. This will one day make a beautiful layer in your life if you let it."
Now I'm 22 and have 3 kids. I tell them for every mistake they make, to get back up and try again. We all have to keep trying. We make mistakes, we fall down. We don't master being a teenager in a week. We need encouragement to get back up and try again. We don't master motherhood in a year. We must try again. Masters were not created in a month. It takes years. Just as a canyons take years. And we may not ever master it, because we are ALL always learning.
Keep on clogging!
