If I Would Try

IT’S HARD TO STOP

Lately, something has been happening that I do not like but can’t seem to stop!

Things are fading. Lots of things related to Lauren. In my mind, I can not “see” her as clearly as I once did. Of course, pictures help a lot with that. What really bothers me is I can not really remember the sound of her voice anymore. In our day and age, I do have recordings of her voice, some of them are pleasant reminders of her spontaneous and exuberant nature. Others are just too painful because her mom and I know what was happening in her heart when she left those messages. A post I wrote 2 plus years ago called “Fading” talks about how it felt then. Everything is dimmer now!

This week my wife was at a wonderful conference hosted by author Karen Kingsbury. It was not about writing, rather, the theme was “Where you were – Where you are – Where you want to be”. During the event, Karen shared a very meaningful story about her father and Rod Stewart. It all revolved around Stewarts’ famous song “Have I told You Lately That I Love you”

Have I Told You Lately That I Love You

Have I told you lately that I love you
Have I told you there’s no one else above you
You fill my heart with gladness
Take away all my sadness
Ease my troubles, that’s what you do

For the morning sun and all it’s glory
Greets the day with hope and comfort, too
You fill my life with laughter
And somehow, you make it better
Ease my troubles, that’s what you do

There’s a love that’s divine
And it’s yours and it’s mine
Like the sun
And at the end of the day
We should give thanks and pray
To the one, to the one

Have I told you lately that I love you
Have I told you there’s no one else above you
You fill my heart with gladness
Take away all my sadness
Ease my troubles, that’s what you do

There’s a love that’s divine
And it’s yours and it’s mine
Like the sun
And at the end of the day
We should give thanks and pray
To the one, to the one

And have I told you lately that I love you
Have I told you there’s no one else above you
You fill my heart with gladness
Take away all my sadness
Ease my troubles, that’s what you do

Take away all my sadness, fill my life with gladness
Ease my troubles, that’s what you do
Take away all my sadness, fill my life with gladness
Ease my troubles, that’s what you do

IT IS NEVER TOO MUCH

We have always been a family that told each other many times throughout the day that we loved each other, and we still do. Some might feel it becomes rote or empty when we do that, but for us it never did. My wife and I wanted to be sure that we all knew that love was one of the big boulders we built our lives on. In the story I mentioned above, Kingsbury shared how that song title was engraved on her father’s headstone. Eventually, through a series of miraculous events, she got to share it with Stewart. He was genuinely grateful and valued her sharing it.

I guess in some ways it was what the apostle Paul was driving at when he wrote in a letter to a church that meant a lot to him. The undertone of his letter to the Philippians is how much Paul and these people loved each other. In the middle of a prayer he said “For I want you to understand what really matters, so that you may live pure and blameless lives until the day of Christ’s return.” Philippians 1:10. Isn’t that what makes life meaningful.

It must matter because no matter how much you have said it, you will always wish you had said it one more time, I Love You!

In the chaos and pain of mental health and addiction, it is sometimes hard to say those words. Often to someone we do really love, or maybe even to myself. There are frequent disappointments, disagreements, and lots of dysfunction. There is also the roller coaster of ambivalence and yes lapses. It’s hard to let those words come out in the middle of all that. I guess what I am asking is “Will you try?”

THE FIRST STEP TO REACHING THE IMPOSSIBLE

Another song caught my attention this week. It always inspires me and confronts me when I see someone face the impossible and win! This story grew out of the life experience of a young girl named Mandy Harvey. She overcame what we all would say is impossible. How you may ask, simply because she decided to try? I know, I have seen those memes too “Do or Don’t There is No Try”. Well, I think Mandy’s story proves this idea quite wrong. I will let this video of her singing the song “Try” tell her whole story. It is well worth watching.

Try

I don’t feel the way I used to
The sky is grey much more than it is blue
But I know one day I’ll get through
And I’ll take my place again

So I will try
So I will try

I don’t love the way I need to
You need more and I know that much is true
So I’ll fight for our breakthrough
And I’ll breathe in you again

If I would try
If I would try

There is no one for me to blame
‘Cause I know the only thing in my way
Is me

I don’t live the way I want to
That whole picture never came into view
And I’m tired of getting used to
The day

So I will try
So I will try
If I would try
If I will try

YOU CAN DO IT TOO

What is your impossibility today? Don’t listen to the voices of doubt and the fear of an uncertain future stop you. Start by telling yourself what Mandy said “I will try”! Or a better way of saying it is another thing Mandy said: “I want to do more with my life than just give up.”

This weeks featured image is by Brooke Shaden. I do not know the titles but sometimes we have to try many keys to find the one that opens the door.