230523 Life

Life isn’t always roses and lollipops.

I believe that life is what we make of it. It all begins in our own mind. We become what we think. I’ve lived through good times and bad times.

I remember when I first went for duty on Guam. I had gone through many navy schools, basic electronics, equipment repair schools and training to be an airborne early warning radar operator. I was so excited, my dream of being in a flight crew was upon me. At least that was what I thought. I ended up with 94 days working in the galley at the naval air station at Agana, Guam. I scraped dirty metal trays and then washed them on a 12 hour shift every day. Later I was changed to the overnight shift, cleaning huge pots and pans and then making box lunches for outgoing flights the next morning. My disappointment was palpable. I was angry, but over time I became used to my situation and came close to enjoying it. It was a matter of accepting where I was and what I was doing. Once I changed my thinking, I did my job as best as I could. When doing a job well, any job, one can become happy. Everything is possible to endure if we have the right thinking. Later I did become a radar operator and enjoyed it immensily!

When I lost Joyce 19 months ago, my world was in shambles. I was depressed and angry until my thinking changed. That happened when I realized why she was taken first and I was not. Joyce would have been more miserable than I was. She would have needed assistance with many of life's chores. Joyce was an independent woman. She was frustrated with not being self-sufficient. She didn’t like having to rely on me for getting her around, paying the bills and other things that she used to do herself.
Once I realized God had taken Joyce for the reasons I have listed, I began my path toward my new life. My thinking changed and my life has changed. I prayed for guidance and the Lord gave it to me in what may seem an odd way. It was to stop and meditate for a few minutes several times a day and not think about anything in my life. Once my mind was clear, His answers came to me. Many times it’s only for 3 or 4 minutes but that’s all it takes to center myself and continue on with life.