I discovered a man from my church is a doctor. An optometrist. He and I talked at length over the weekend about my mother’s macular degeneration and how she can possibly have a happier life with the disease that eventually takes your eyesight. I learned the condition is one of many that will eventually come to absolutely everyone who lives long enough. Parts of the body will break down over time, and the trick is to keep your body as healthy as possible as long as possible in order to simply delay the onset of anything that will rob you of joy for the life you have left. In other words, hold onto and nurture what you have and it will do its best to stay with you.
I think that is what we are all trying to do in many areas of our lives: hold on. Hold on to jobs, homes, the best education for our kids, relationships, even sometimes our sanity. But sometimes we hold onto bad things, too. Things that can destroy us. Sometimes the thought of the guy who cut us off on the way to work stays with us long after we’ve arrived at the office. It’s then when we are holding onto anger. Holding onto a feeling of pride, a feeling of a debt that is owed to us. We can hold onto so much that our lives can become very heavy. I now try to ask myself these questions: “What is the benefit of holding on? What good can come from my persistence or nurturing of an idea?” When posed that question, many scenarios seem considerably easier. In the situation with the man in traffic, nothing good can come from holding onto that anger. And when considering our children, we know if effort is put into their education, the benefits will come. But what about something more abstract? What about relationships? What about faith in other people? When do you nurture and when do you let go? I’m still working on that one myself.
