By Rev. Amari Magdalena
Having celebrated two years of survival since my open-heart surgery, I am thinking about change. Some people sit and wait for change often complaining. I chose life! As our seasons change, so do our lives. I have experienced many, many changes in my life which I feel has better prepared me for what is being, and will be, presented in my life.
As a young child I went to 7 different grade schools as we moved all throughout the Midwest for my father’s job. In truth, I actually enjoyed it, in part, because our mother was such a good sales person on how great it was going to be and also because I excelled in school. Everywhere we went, it seemed, we also had relatives. That, and my mother made friends easily, so there was always social life. We also got exposed to a variety of religions. I’ve actually been baptized in the Congregational, Methodist, and Catholic churches. No wonder spirituality was woven into my life.
Years ago, I dated an author, now-deceased, who wrote about the survivor personality. I feel it is a good thing for more people to adapt the flexibility and ‘roll with the punches’ attitude of survivors. During WWII and Nazi incarceration of Jewish and Slavic people, I feel those that managed to survive were able to see a future of freedom and to hold their spirits in good stead in order to make it through the horrible ordeal. The movie The Bird Man of Alcatraz is another example of finding peace in a less than desirable situation.
There truly is no really solid stability in our lives. Inside and outside change is all about us. The technological age has certainly expedited that along with changing climate, wars, political chaos, and massive shootings in our country. By reputation we are becoming a country that others are warning their inhabitants to avoid!?!
Our only salvation, is to learn to live in the present moment with gratitude and wonder. And, perhaps to utilize some of these survivor traits:
Adaptation, Acceptance, Adjustment, Awareness, Alteration, Acclimation, and to become Accustomed no matter how long or short our stay.
In a split second, everything can change. ENJOY every moment of this life in Awe, and Appreciation!
“The measure of intelligence is the ability to change”-Albert Einstein
“The greatest discovery of all time is that a person can change his future by merely changing his attitude” –Oprah Winfrey
“Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world.”-
Harriet Tubman
“I always preferred the change of choice vs the change of chance yet chance helped me grow more and learn to keep adapting.” –Amari Magdalena
