An English Word To Rhyme With Orange

I believe in having faith and hope even when staring into the eye of the most impossible of situations.  I refuse to allow myself to become jaded by a world lacking and hurting.  Sure, my realities have been harsh at times and I have moments that send me down a rabbit hole of cynicism, pain, hate, and fear.  It is in these moments I really do not love or even like myself.  And what is so incredibly deceptive about moments like these, is I almost believe it makes me more powerful, I almost believe it makes me stronger. 

I am realizing throughout my life, true strength, true power, is remaining connected to my heart, having faith and love, and trusting the universe is creating something wonderful for me.  There are many who may see this as a silly Pollyanna dream world I live in and maybe it is but I continue to grow and accomplish things I once believed impossible.  

I remember even as a young child believing the people who ran marathons were just incredible.  I thought it was one of the most impossible things for a person to attempt but I always thought it would be something I would like to try.  After having five children and a stroke, the small seed of a dream faded quickly to the back of my mind, it was surely impossible now.  Then only five years later I was crossing the finish line after running the entire 26.2 miles non-stop.  

I was never really a runner, only did one season of cross country growing up.  There was no reason or sense in me even dreaming that I would complete a marathon at some point.  But I did, it just kind of sat there in my mind as this thing I wanted to do.  Eventually I just released it and forgot about it for more than half my life until it came back around this time with a little more promise because now I was consistently running longer races and feeling stronger.  I decided I would and I did.  I trained for months, alone for hours running with nothing but my thoughts and a couple water bottles, dodging potholes, branches, and all the other things that tried to trip me up along the way.  I worked for it. I worked hard and remained steady in my belief I could do this.  When I wanted to cut some of the longer training runs short, I would think of the finish line and push myself a little farther.

 I learned that just because a dream seems impossible does not mean it is.  I have never believed in impossible.  And I have learned that everything truly has it’s time, even the impossibilities in life, if I just let go and let it happen and continue to hope, believe, trust, and love. 

Now and then I am challenged by those passing through my life to stay connected to the heart and soul of who I am.   I have learned that they are nothing more than the potholes and broken branches that try to trip me up along my way.  Despite the critics, I would and will choose every single time to be kind and loving and to act with faith and hope in all I do because I do know the world is a lot less lonely and dark when you believe with conviction that it isn’t.  

I know even buried under three feet of cold snow that in not too much time, I will be sitting on a beach in the sun.  Even though today is cold and dark and the snow is piled high and in this moment it feels like winter may never end and the weather reports continue to forecast more and more snow, we all know summer will come.  To me that’s how easy faith in the impossible is, just knowing it is possible and of course summer will come.

Many years ago, a mother of a friend of mine said to us, “The only impossible thing in this world is finding an English word to rhyme with orange.”  I have lived my life validating that statement repeatedly.  So good, bad, ugly, I still believe that finding that English word to rhyme with orange is the ONLY impossible thing.  And there is a whole lot more power and strength in that faith than could ever exist in the craziness of  anger, fear, and bitterness disguised as strength and power.