One of the most amazing qualities of my wife Mary is how she is coping with her cancer. She's never complained, but she could. She's never expressed fear, but she could. She's felt lousy, but she just lays down. The road ahead is hard and scary, but she's never brought it up. How would I describe her state of mind?
Many of us focus on two things - things we wish were different and/or things we worry about happening. It could be people that have let us down in the past or we are afraid will in the future, or a situation that didn't go the way we wanted it to or we're afraid won't in the future. Stuff from the past - call that regret. Stuff in the future - call that fear.
Regret and fear have been called thieves. They rob our spirit and steal possibilities.
Mary has the wonderful ability to stay centered in a state-of-mind that I'll call acceptance. Mary accepts a lot of things that she knows she can not change. She accepts me. Thank you Mary!! She accepts our children. And they love her for it. She accepts her past, and her future. How wonderful and amazing that is!!
