What's in a name?

What's in a name?
Names can identify us, represent us and our beliefs, tell our history and even our future.  Sometimes we can be summed up by our names.   Some names seem to be self-fulfilling prophecies.  A child named Bubba does not call to mind a tall, reedy, geeky kid nor does the name Poindexter bring to mind a squat, compact foot ball player. Just think of the names of certain characters and the traits associated with them: Ebenezer Scrooge, Jay Gatsby, Sherlock Holmes, Carrie Bradshaw.

Because association of names and what a person, place, object is called is important, this blog will be called Well of Encouragement and can be found under the link:  Well of Encouragement. Please join me there as we continue our journey together.  VR

Working with what we have

This past summer, I, along with some other family members, visited my ninety-seven-year-old great-aunt.  Eunice lives independently, in a small garden apartment.  She is truly an inspiration in her attitude, her pluckiness and  verve in living. 

For many years in post retirement, Eunice volunteered at the hospital where she had been employed.  She would visit patients, distributing magazines, mail, and books.  Faithfully every week even when her own infirmities would bother her, she would tend to her hospital charges.  Her last volunteering occurred in the last 2 years.  She had to stop due to compression fractures in her spine, which make it extremely difficult and painful to walk.

As that volunteer door closed, she embarked in another volunteer opportunity- She calls the “shut-ins” from her church, those individuals who no longer can routinely get out of their homes for visits, church, shopping, etc.   She sits in her chair with the phone beside her and calls those who need a friendly voice or a listening ear. She keeps detailed charts regarding whom she calls and their individual needs.  As she was telling us about her new venture, she stopped, paused and said, "You know, it just occurred to me that most of the people I am calling are in their sixties and seventies!" 

She could just as easily stop her volunteering.  If anyone, she has certainly earned it. At her age and physical ailments, she could have rested on her laurels.  Yet she has chosen to concentrate on what she can do rather what she cannot.

Do I do that?  When I am faced with an unpleasant situation or at least some type of change in my life, do I embrace that change or do I want to curl up in my own room and throw myself a pity party?  

Whenever I am tempted to rail against my "lot in life" I need to be reminded of Eunice.  No matter what I am given, I have the choice to either work with it, or not.  May I have the strength to carry on in such a dignified and graceful manner.