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Heartwings Love Notes 992 - Coping with Challenges

Heartwings says, "How we cope with challenges is a reflection of how we grow."

I have a distinct memory of myself at the age of three bending over my shoes as I tried and tried to tie them. It was very difficult for me, yet I had to persist because my caregiver and companion, Emily, hired by my mother, insisted I keep at it until I learned to do it. At the time I was enrolled in the Woodward school, in the prekindergarten class. Every morning Emily would walk with me the block or so of brick sidewalk that led to the blue double doors of the school. Tieing those little brown shoes was the first lesson in perseverance that I remember.

Now at the other end of my life, I am challenged once more with learning to cope with my limitations, or working to overcome my inabilities with dressing, putting on shoes and other simple tasks I learned as a small child. I seem to have come full circle. These and other tasks present challenges I did not anticipate growing up. Of course, there have been many others throughout my life, some I dealt with better than others, all of them opportunities to learn and to grow--as long as I saw them as such.

I believe I was fortunate in having Emily in my life for as long as I did. She left to get married when I was eight. My sister was born some months after that, and I was no longer an only child. This was another challenge, of course, though a different kind of one. Fortunately for me, Emily's training held true. I went on to survive and to thrive amidst the many succeeding challenges life presented me with. I have no complaints. Not do I feel the need to crow about my successes, either. What I am is grateful in the extreme for the opportunities. To be sure that gratitude is in hindsight.

At the time, when I was bent over my little brown shoes, fumbling with the stubborn laces, I had no concept of challenges, learning, or growing in understanding. What child does? I only knew I had to keep at it until I gained the ability to do what I needed to do. These days are in a sense no different, except that what I am learning is to have patience with the process rather than learning to accomplish the act. Life is filled with these kinds of opportunity, large and small. Seeing them as such prevents the buildup of resentment that might otherwise occur.

May you surmount all your challenges gracefully and with joy.
 

I love to hear from readers and would be honored if you would comment and let me know any suggestions or thoughts. If a friend sent you this, you can sign up at my web site, www.heartwingslovenotes.com, where more love notes can be found in the archives.

Blessings and Best Regards,
Tasha Halpert
 

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