Who or what is missing from your life?
Keep aiming for your best when life seems less than perfect!
How’s your year going?
What’s going well? Stop and celebrate. Thank God and anyone else who’s helped! Share your success with us below.
Is something not going as you hoped? Or planned? How can you use it to become your best?
Radical change
This time 22 years ago my life changed radically! The year began with difficulties — yet within a day or two, an almost lifelong desire would be fulfilled.
And I didn’t know for another two months!
Missing my ‘baby’ brother
At the time I continued to grieve the sudden loss of my youngest brother. My therapy came through my love of words. Over four months, I devoted 100 hours after work and on weekends writing ‘Missing You’ as recited below. Back then, poetry came as a natural response to deal with strong emotions — more so than it does now.
Using Evan’s loss for good!
Not only did I write ‘Missing You’, I quit focusing on my previous most difficult loss — our plan not to have children. This came about after 10 years of marriage, following counselling to resolve conflict over our previous plan to have at least two children.
I needed further individual counselling and antidepressant medication to help deal with this decision.
I resolved to write for children if I couldn’t have my own. I bought books and magazines about writing, especially for children, and trialled my first adapted Bible story (illustrated with early software) in a Bible class.
More grief :(
Soon after another great loss hit me.
My husband separated from me. Devastated barely describes how I felt. A new focus to resolve our marriage problems became clearer over the next two years till we reconciled (though, sadly, only for another 10 years).
Surprise!
On the 8th March, after craving hot salted chips in a usual busy lunch hour which never included going into town for fast food, I sat in my doctor’s office awaiting the results of a test.
My doctor continued her consultation while she and I waited for the result. Soon after she showed the result.
More plans change
I was pregnant.
Suddenly my plan changed again, not just for that year, but for every year since! I began to work on becoming the best mother I can be.
I thank God for answering my prayers and hopes for children, even though my husband and I didn’t plan this — nor did I know what would happen in our marriage.
Some years later, after an initial focus on home educating our children till they were both about eleven years and other activities, I finally returned to a more intentional focus on writing. I aim to be the best I can, helping as many others as I can along the way.
Aim for Your Best
Plans may need to change, as mine did dramatically in 1996, but don’t lose sight of what’s most important! Do all you can to be your best!
Who or what are you missing in your life? How can you use your less than perfect life to keep aiming for your best? Let us know below!
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Do you want to know more about the peace I have from Jesus? Read Bible passages, customised to improve your English language skills.
Here’s more of my writing:
7 Telltale Signs You’re Mentally Strong Enough to Become Your Best Future Self,
13 Important Steps to Take When a Loved One Gets Confused, Practical Tips for Raising Kids Who Make You Proud,
Will You Ever Feel Truly Loved?
Subscribe to Colleen Golafshan for her updated journalling Thank You Guide.
