Our Lives Are Made In These Small Hours

Too often we look around and only see the bad.  And why not?  Sometimes life really isn't the kindest to us.  Sometimes life hands us lemons that make some pretty crappy lemonade.  Sometimes we have so many unfortunate things and events in our lives that it hides any and all good.  It's in those times those that we have to dig as deep as we possible and scrape the bottom for any bit of strength we have.  We need that strength to scrutinize closely our lives and find something worth living for - something worth moving forward for.  It could just be some tiny moment in time that gives the spark we need to go just a little farther.

Last night, I lived one of those moments.

As usual, I attended the regular Tuesday night spin class taught by my favorite instructor and very dear friend.  She often plays my music for warm-ups and cool-downs in her classes, so I was expecting that.  I did not expect what transpired in class.  We started our first big climb of the class to strumming I knew I had heard before.  Within a few seconds, my voice came booming over the loud speakers of the class.  We began our climb to one of the newest songs I recorded: "Extraordinary."  I couldn't believe it.  It was surreal to be pushing and pulling against resistance to the rhythm of my own voice.  I closed my eyes and rode.  As the final chorus played, the instructor encouraged us; "Be extraordinary," she told us.  I closed my eyes tighter.  How could this be happening to me when just two hours earlier I felt so depleted?

Last night's spin class proved that our lives might be filled with difficulties, but it's the small moments that make all the struggle worth it.  It's the five minutes of hearing a song you wrote just a month previously booming over the loud speaker.  It's the five minutes of watching everyone in the class move to the beat of your melody.  It's the friend who believes in your talent enough to play that song.  It's the people who constantly encourage and challenge you to be the best person you can be by both words and example.  It's the people who supported you when you weren't strong enough to support yourself.  It's the glimmer in your eye when you believe, if only briefly, that you can achieve the goal you've always dreamed of attaining.  It's the smile on your face when these small moments can breathe life into you.

It's easy to dwell on the difficult and the struggle.  In fact, sometimes it's important to dwell on it while we process and deal.  But if we can dig deep enough, we just might find the strength to decide if the small moments are worth the struggle.  I can't say you'll always believe they are; I can't say I have always believed it.  But, I hope you will at least be strong enough to consider it. 

Until next time...peace.