The best is yet to come

When we go through times such as we have experienced in the past few years, we sometimes think it just can’t get any worse. Yet, there is always something good in each day we live.

Most of us reminisce about days of our youth, when life seemed to be simpler than it is today. We think things were better then, or we think things were safer, or just that life in general was more fun, more decent, and family life was closer and more sacred.

All of the above may be true, but we are not living in a year of the past. We are living today, and we need to make the best of every day that we are alive. There is an expression most of us have heard. “Don’t cry over spilt milk.” This means that when we have experienced something that did not go well, we don’t dwell on it. We look to the future for something better.

Recently, we have seen some real tragedies in our city and in our country. We mustn’t minimize these events that have been so hurtful to the people involved, or the victims and families of victims. I cannot imagine what the recent fire victims in Madera are going through right now, or the parents of the children who were killed in that senseless shooting at the school in Texas. These were terrible tragedies, and I can sympathize and hope for better days for them, but the pain they are experiencing now will not soon go away. I know that.

I have wondered what I can do for others who have had experiences that have caused such personal pain. I can reach out and let them know I care, and sometimes that alone makes a difference.

I am very fond of many of the quotes authored by Mother Teresa. She was a very wise and kind woman. She said, “Do not worry about why problems exist in the world — just respond to people’s needs.” She also said, “Yesterday is gone. Tomorrow has not yet come. We have only today. Let us begin.”

When we consider others’ needs because we care about them, we must think about what they are experiencing in order to understand how to help them. Often something happened that we cannot understand, as in tragedies. Veterans also have experienced times we cannot possibly understand. Yet, we can always express a concern for them. Kindness and caring are attributes our society never has more than it needs. To be encouraging to others shows a sincere concern for them.

I believe we will see better days ahead. The best is yet to come.

— My love for all,

Nancy

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“I alone cannot change the world, but I can cast a stone across the waters to create many ripples.”

— Mother Teresa