Open
Your heart to a joyous beginning
Your eyes to a bright future, your mind to the possibilities
Your arms to the friendships along the way
Embrace
All that life has to offer
The changes that will assuredly occur
The wealth of knowledge bestowed upon you
The evolution of yourself to come
Have Confidence
In your own unique abilities
In what you are made of
In your loved ones whose hands are always available to hold
Enjoy
The path set before you
The moments when nothing beautiful escapes you
The lessons learned from perfect-imperfection
The many gifts God has intended for you
I wrote “A Joyous Beginning” when I was experiencing an unplanned transition in my life. Since then, it has served as a reminder to me (and hopefully others) to look at a new development, whether sought after or otherwise, as an opportunity for growth and as an assurance of the promising experiences that lie ahead (even if we aren’t able to see it at the time). Soon after composing the poem, I gifted a similar version to a young lady who was graduating from high school. Next, I revised it for my nephew and his new bride upon the exchanging of their vows. And finally, I included it in my book, “A Joyful Life.” Each time I crafted a subtle change to the piece, I have been reminded of its intention,
On Saturday, my partner Jim and I met a man by the name of Joe. This elderly gentleman (mid-'80's) lives in a coveted area of Naples, Florida. He had listed an antique dining table with photos on a well-known website where anything from potential date mates, employment, recreational vehicles, homes, and tchotchkes can be found. We were interested in purchasing the piece and were astounded by the seller’s willingness to trust the site and his ability to navigate his way around it. We thought it was very modern and courageous of him!
Jim and I arrived at the Naples destination, introduced ourselves to Joe and headed towards the small but lovely island-blue-toned home. Just as we approached the steps of the house, a man pulled into the driveway, got out of his truck, and asked if the “homeowner was interested in a quote for sealing his roof.” Joe indicated his “place was being torn down by a developer who had purchased all of the houses on the street to build million-dollar homes.” He thanked the salesman for stopping by and we entered the house to assess the state of the table. Joe apologized for the clutter and boxes piled high throughout the dwelling. It was evident, a move was impending. He further shared that he was relocating to Kansas (from Naples, Florida, I know crazy to think he would want to move from the sunshine state to the promise of midwest snow, but we didn’t know the details of his story, yet).
Our new acquaintance further explained, he was going to be “living with his son who had spent time in the military serving our country.” I didn’t ask how recently his son had served, but when we got to the room where the disassembled table stood, a military uniform was hanging proudly in the closet for all would-be purchasers to view. Joe continued to express his pride for his son’s service and as we climbed over displaced furnishings and other “for sale” items, we caught a glimpse of more military memorabilia including a duffel bag, fatigues, and a plethora of badges and medals of honor. This proud poppa was clearly pleased to be heading to Kansas to spend time with his boy.
After a trip down memory lane, and listening to stories about Joe’s travels and the places we all had in common, Jim and I decided to purchase the antique dining table. We made several trips to our vehicle, carrying the tabletop, leaves, legs, and the mechanics of the complex underworkings of this handcrafted and slightly weathered work of art. We said our goodbyes to our storyteller, shook his hand and then he asked us to “take good care of the table” and “to make certain it had a good home.” We reassured him that we would restore it to its glory and indeed, take good care of it.
For over forty-eight years, Joe has lived in the Naples area, twenty-five of those years were spent in the particular home we visited. We saw family heirlooms and treasured memories, packed and unpacked, and remnants of what life had once been like inside of this home. We witnessed the love that Joe had for his family. And although there have been some moments of sorrow, the head of this household courageously looks forward to the promise of yet another beginning with his son and family.
Let’s face it, new beginnings, do-overs, and start again’s require us to be optimistic and brave just like Joe and his veteran son. We are called to make the best out of our situations and plant seeds for growth. It is not always easy, oftentimes, it’s not what we had planned for, and quite frankly, sometimes, it’s not what we want to do, at all.! But, with a little bit of fortitude, an open heart, and some support from our family and friends; we will find the joy in beginning again!
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