Sunday, August 8, 2010

Hold Fast

The last couple of days have left like fall, a dramatic change from the heat and humidity that has dominated for the past few weeks. Today, the sky is a dull grey, the sun concealed behind a thick wall of clouds. The forecast includes rain, which has yet to fall. A number of people with whom I’ve talked are holed up inside, unmotivated by the weather — a day to lounge about in pyjamas.

I managed to get dressed, and made a daring venture on a Sunday morning to Wal-Mart, but I, too, struggle to throw off that sluggishness that creeps in on grey days like this one. The little voice in my head keeps enumerating all the things that I should be doing, and if I’ve been successful at anything today, it has been the 30 minutes I put in at the piano, capturing a new melody that sprung into my mind.

Today has been, above all, a time to reflect, take stock, as I remember a dear friend who recently passed away. This is the day we would have celebrated her birthday, perhaps not together as we were living in different cities, but in spirit — held to each other by a common bond, common friends. As I think about her generous smile and her contagious laugh, I’m reminded of the beauty that is this world. I’m reminded that we must hold fast to our dreams, to the people we love, to the friendships that have made a difference in our lives. Today, I am thankful for my friends and family who have stayed close to me in both the best and worst of times, who have encouraged me, who have given me the strength to carry on one day at a time.

Yes, today, I hold fast to my dreams, happy that, as Lucille Ball once said, “I’d rather regret the things I’ve done than regret the things I haven’t done.”

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