A son walking his aged mother in the Park of the Americas in Spain.
There is nothing more inspiring to me than to learn of situations where out of the worst circumstances come these beautiful stories of triumph. I love when the spirit of humanity rises within us and waves her golden flag of hope and strength. Recently a few of these stories of strength and resilience have really influenced me.
In Heaven is Here, Stephanie Nielson writes about a plane crash that nearly took her life and left her terribly scarred. This is the triumphant story of a woman who knows her divine worth. It inspired me to count my blessings and be thankful I am a mother.
I just finished reading this book. It is the terrible experience of Elizabeth Smart who was stolen from her home by the wickedest of men. She was abused in ways that I can’t even imagine. What I love most about her story is that she is not a victim. She knows who she is and she sees what happened to her as just that. It was something that happened, it does not define her. She has gone on to live a beautiful life where she has helped others.
The third is The Book Thief. I originally read this book about eight or nine years ago. It is one of those stories you never forget. I had the opportunity to see the pre-release of the movie last night. It is still settling with me, as my sister said it is haunting. I would say it is the best movie I have seen this year. What I love most about this story is it is just real, the unvarnished truth. The resilience of the human spirit at its best.
I am thankful for these stories. They make me count my blessings. I see so clearly that ALL of us have to go through hard things. Yet, we can choose our destiny. In each of these stories the heroine (some fiction some non-fiction) has every reason to crumble up in to a ball and give up. They could wave that white flag, and for a moment some of them do. Some of US do. Let me tell you, NO ONE would blame them. Instead they are COURAGEOUS! They are waving their golden flags of the human spirit for everyone to see. They are living FULL lives of love, hope and happiness. I am so grateful for story writers who have the gift to weave a story like The Book Thief. I am so grateful for REAL LIFE examples of women who are absolutely amazing. These women choose life! I love it.
Happy. XOXO The Sunny D
