The Old Man walked in the woods. He reflected on his good fortune despite his many mistakes. There have been real battles and the imagined ones. I heard a great podcast yesterday discussing the importance of letting people be who they are. Do not project your expectations on others. Our lives are full of a cast of characters, of which we are a player. Everyone deserves a chance to play their part well. Neva J told me that we are here for a reason. My belief in this axiom is the bedrock of my life.

‘I see you are wearing your new shirt that Jonathon got you for Father’s Day, Guardian Angel said. ‘You wore that to see your Nurse Practitioner this morning, didn’t you?’ Guardian Angel mused. ‘It seems to me you have gone from not worrying about your health to obsessing over it,’ GA said with a wink. ‘I was with you when Neva J and Bill sat with you as a little boy and the three doctors studied your heart condition,’ GA noted. ‘Do you remember the time you had convulsions and were rushed by ambulance from Eldorado to Evansville, and the ambulance driver said that this kid is not going to make it,’ GA said with his hand on the Old Man’s shoulder. ‘You got a good report from Stephanie, didn’t you? ‘ GA laughed. ‘I knew you were going to, but at times you choose to listen to your fears more than your faith,’ GA laughed.

We hear so many negative things that we forget there are many positives in our lives. People love us. They may not tell us every day, but their actions prove their affection. No one is always right. Neither Democrats nor Republicans have the market on truth. Joy is as close as the pages of a good novel. Joy is standing just behind you, trying to get your attention. Joy is waving her arms and doing a happy dance. Joy says, ‘You are in the midst of your mission and have much yet to do.’ ‘I have been waiting for you to remove your face from your pillow and open the curtains to see the brilliant sun,’ Joy proclaims. ‘Think about the trail you have crossed and the heat of summer, the cold of winter and the deprivations you endured to reach this point in your mission…now is the time for you to enter stage left…you are on and the spotlight is directed directly on you,’ Joy tells you in a soft but firm voice.

Someone is behind the door. Someone is peeking in through the open window. The apple pies are cooling, and the air is rich with a delicious aroma of hot apple pie. Your mouth is watering. You wonder if you have the strength of character to wait. Could it be that now is the time for you to take the center stage? Is now the focus of the mission laid down from the foundation of the world?

Humans are first with me. I can not bear the burden of wondering if I have hurt my fellow woman or man. My life is built on the guiding principle that we are children of God. Every physical thing becomes dust and is blown away by the wind of time. Only what we have done for others lasts and has permanent meaning.