Last night, I sat on a smooth rock and watched the sun set over Glacier Point in Yosemite National Park. It was perhaps one of the most beautiful and, yet, harrowing experiences of my life. Beautiful, because before me lay one of the grandest views I had ever seen: the changing light, colors and shades, that fell on Half Dome.
Scary, because all around me were eager little boys that jumped and climbed on rocks and carelessly skipped down trails without a second thought for their own safety. I sat there, as a mother, fearful that one or another (including my own son) would trip or slip and plummet down the side of a cliff and fall somewhere between 3,000 or 4,000 feet or higher... As the elevation was about 6,000 feet, I estimate this to be correct.

The persistence of the sunset, as it cradled the noble firs and evergreens that lined the valleys and bleached rock faces, proved as relentless as those eight to fourteen-year old fearless boys so unfamiliar with their own mortality. Life.

Two days ago I sat by a woman in her late seventies, the mother of my best friend. She laid in a hospital bed, drawing heavy breaths and forbidding pain from gripping her face. She was diagnosed with cancer a few short months ago. Flashes of her youth, her sweet motherhood, and her grandchildren danced before her as memories were shared and love was expressed. Life is precious.

I recently gained a new client, a non-profit organization that aids families facing catastrophic illnesses or long-term hospitalizations. The founder of this organization feels that this is his mission, his reason. His own precious daughter suffers from a serious heart condition as she faces life with Down's Syndrome. But the joy within her touches all those who see her or hear her story. Life is a precious gift.

Last week, I told you of a young woman who was fired abruptly. Today she stands on two feet ready to tackle another day of submitting resumes and on-line applications. Her new-found humility graces her face and lines her new-found inner strength - strength she never knew she had. Persistency pays off. It is the difference between failure and success, fear and overcoming, dread and living out.


Persistency, perseverance, and living out. It's what gets you from here to there.

See you there.



by rayannethorn


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