The Fight

The Fight

By Valerie Strawmier

(Written 10/28/18)

It's the storm, it's the light

It's the flicker of life,

So bright that it burns your eyes,

It's the action, the passion,

When you're making things happen,

The progress you make,

While the wind is lashing,

It's the beat of your feet,

On a sloshy, wet street,

The sound as you run in the dark,

While others sleep,

It's the fight, it's the might,

It's the burn of the light,

That drives you forward

From the inside

It's the win,

the grin,

The will to live,

the pain without sin

It's honest, it's life,

It's a storm, it's a fight,

It's the victory lap,

You see in sight

Now go to sleep, Champ,

You've won today

But tomorrow brings,

Another dragon to slay

You're ready,

You've won

You're not a loser,

Now move forward and take back your future

My Open Letter to the Families in Florida:

Time stops.
Your breathing stops.
If it wasn't for the view of people moving around you, you'd be certain the earth stopped too.
...

They were here.
You were talking to them.
You hugged them and made plans for later.
And now...they're not.

The sound of someone leaving your life so unexpectedly is absolute silence.
Silence from the people trying to comfort you while you can't stop screaming in your head.
They assure you it just takes time.

Time you don't want.
Time to think...about how everything is just wrong now, without the one who is gone.
Time to...just be.

It does happen, in a small, unexpected moment.
When you're holding something of theirs and the flicker of a happy memory tugs the corners of your mouth upward.
The way they laughed.
A line from their favorite movie they quoted all the time.
How excited they were to receive a particular gift.

A picture.
A smile.
A hug in a frame.
Joy and love from a much better day.

Someone tells a story about their hopes and dreams.
Reminds you of what direction they were heading.
How they loved and supported you too.
And you don't want to let them down.

You have more purpose now.
You need to do it for them.
Reach your goals and dreams since they can't.
Let them live on through you.

Time will help.
Love will help.
Remembering the joy they brought to the world and passing it on.
It will help.

We mourn with you.
We love with you.
We pray with you.
And most of all, we live with you knowing times will be hard, but they will soften.

With All Our Hearts,
The Rest of America

The Power of Precision Language

The Power of Precision Language

Love is a beautiful cheater word.

First, Valentine’s Day is my favorite holiday and I tell my hubby and kids “I Love You” 15 times a day, at least (I haven’t actually counted). Suffice it to say, it’s a very common phrase to come out of my mouth.

The other night we watched The Giver, and the setting was one completely devoid of emotion or personal passion. As the Receiver character started becoming aware of memories and old human feelings, he started to ask about “love”. He was quickly reprimanded by his mother in the movie, who demanded that he use “precision of language” claiming he had used a word “so antiquated it didn’t mean anything anymore”. While in that setting, precision of language was used to move away from personal emotions, what would happen if we actually used the power of precision language to specifically state how and why we love someone.

Love is grand and beautiful, but overall, it really is a cheater word. It’s a word you use when you’re not sure how or why you love someone specifically. You may be aware that they are very important in your life, but have you really explained to them how they make your life better and why you appreciate having them there?

What if instead of saying “I love you” so easily, we stopped and thought about how we could personalize the statement for the moment and the person to make it even more meaningful. What if we told our husbands, “I really appreciate your thoughtfulness. It makes my day so much better and I love you for that.”? What if we told our children, “I really appreciate how you’re starting to show your concern and care for others and I’m so proud to be your mom.” What if instead of falling back to the familiar and welcoming phrase of “I love you” all the time, we made an effort to be specific and let the power of words make a difference in the lives of those around us?

I am not advocating for the phrase “I love you” to be removed or that we stop saying it by any means. I’m simply suggesting that we use the rich vocabulary we have to enhance the meaning of shared loving expressions and see the magical power of words as they build up the people around us. It’s amazing to see how someone stands with their shoulders a little straighter and walks with more confidence after you tell them they are really making an improvement, or they have really helped make a project successful or that you simply enjoy their personality and what it adds to your daily life. These are all instances where you’re speaking directly to the heart of an individual and its lasting effect can help them grow and get through the difficult times.

I love “Love”! Without it, this world would be a dark, dreary place with no sunshine in the hearts of us who live here. Of course, the greatest form of love started long ago when the big man upstairs gave us the gift of His Son, and that is love we can never surpass. However, we can honor that love and make sure we spread God’s grace, encouragement and kindness with the specificity of the powerful language He gave us.

Perhaps next time before you simply say, “I love you” to someone, you’ll consider how you can make that more powerful and lasting for them by specifying what it is you love about them and why it means so much to you. I guarantee you they’ll think about it the rest of the day and they’ll have a smile on their face because of it.

Your Window

Your Window

As I sit here tonight and look out the window, I think, “God, what would you have me write?” And then I realize…

We all look at life through our own window. Your window’s been dropped, chipped, dented and scratched, etching your personal story on its face from the day of your birth. God gave it to you so that your perspective would be uniquely shaped along the way.  

Whether it’s dirty and spotted, or you keep it clean and spotless, your window provides the perspective through which you see the world and it’s how you make your decisions and judgment calls. Even though we don’t see the world clearly due to the nature of each window, the truth is that God sees the world clearly without any windows in front of Him. His view is perfectly unobstructed and this is why He asks us to trust Him. We need to trust Him knowing that “for now we see through a glass, darkly”. We will see when we’re “face to face”, but for now, we only “know in part”. (1 Corinthians 13:12)

It’s ok if your window is dirty and spotted. It’s great if it’s clean and spotless, but your perspective is something God specifically needs in this world. It’s going to make a difference and help someone else at some point and He created you for a special moment.

Never be upset about judgment calls you make simply because your perspective was skewed. God’s mercy and grace is plentiful and kind and He’s fully aware of what your unique view is. See His Face. Feel His Presence. Trust His Love.