“Things we lose have a way of coming back to us in the end, if not always in the way we expect.” Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
Three years I left recruiting. I thought I would never change careers or partially retire. I’m happy to say, my new life is full and productive, although I miss the comradery of the business world.
Two years ago I moved from the large suburb of Plano to the small town of Sachse, Texas (population 23,000 vs. 260,000). We have goats in a field down the road and live in a subdivision with the 3500 homes, the best of country and suburbs. I love the small town atmosphere, although I miss the fabulous restaurants and great grocery stores.
I began my writing career long ago for marketing my business and helping people find jobs. Now I’m writing a memoir as my life is full of joys and tragedies to inspire people to “do the right thing.” Finding the Harry Potter quote this morning is a little surprise, but our lives are full of both big and little surprises. The process of writing a book, rather than an article, is daunting and daring for me. I want to give up almost every day, yet the next day, I continue the struggle to improve the same text.
Happiness is when you write “The End,” but further work on the book proposal, the technical aspects and the marketing appears. The latest surprise, the book proposal I started last January has disappeared. Will I find it or start anew?
When surprises, such as job loss or the death of a child or a minor change arrive, we mourn what is over before we arrive at acceptance. We struggle to understand and think, “Why me?” We might label it grief, sadness, or frustration but the process seems inherent in all we do. When the stressor rages too long in our life, we seek help from our faith or professional health care friends. We may never forget the surprise but our surprises lead to new methods to cope.
As I watch the television where the immigrants face their search for a better life, I realize their surprises are unpleasant and lasting, but they are walking towards a better life, the same as our ancestors did when they arrived at Ellis Island.
The television blared at me this morning that the influx of Mexicans or South Americans waned and is now growing again. I wonder how many Mexican immigrant children reached better lives last year. I think a wall to prevent entrance is dumb. It didn’t work in Germany years ago. It is not keeping people out of Hungary today, but without suggestions for solutions, who am I to judge? I am not directly affected. About the only valid solution for me is to pray for world and local leaders to make good decisions for the surprises in our lives. I can try harder to help those in need near me.
What surprises are in store for you today? Surprises offer a chance for introspection. My bet is I better start re-writing the book proposal and pray that is the biggest surprise today.