A Bright Spirit

A happy spirit is a very fragile thing. So many factors in our lives can jeopardize it if we allow them to. If we allow them to…This is the key. We may not have a choice in what affects us, like a natural disaster striking our community, or something even less serious, like having a run in our pantyhose. However, we do have a choice in the way in which we view these situations.

 I know a very special person who has been through a lot of difficult moments throughout her little life so far—moments that would send most of us spiraling out of control into great sadness. Yet somehow, as young as she is, she digs deep to find great strength and radiates that beautiful spirit to those around her.  The one advantage this little girl has is a family who loves and supports her in every way possible, encouraging her to love, forgive, and understand all that is happening in her life. Just when I think she can’t take anymore heartbreak, she once again surprises me and everyone around her by continuing to giggle and love life as every little girl deservedly should. She rises above the devastation of her mother’s illness and teaches all of us around her to have patience and love in their hearts. She is truly a person with a glowing spirit. Just when I think I need to guide her, I realize in surprise that it is really she guiding me, teaching me how to respond to the world when it deals me a card that is less than perfect. People like her serve to remind all of us that, sure, life is not fair, but that it is no excuse to complain and fall in defeat under the weight of its shortcomings. When I find myself getting upset over a traffic tie-up or dinner not coming out just right, she always pops into my mind. Her spirit is a gentle reminder to me that life is too precious to take for granted and that every moment should be embraced as one that is hopeful and a blessing.

The bright and powerful rays of these positive spirits in our lives are a gift to us – a fragile gift that reminds us to stay focused on what’s really important in life – embracing and passing onto others the light of a bright spirit.