I met a lady in Portland, Oregon, who had an indescribable zen quality that words just won’t accurately capture. Hidden under the serene composure of a weekend tourist were the emotional and physical scars that were gathered but not sought after.
She slowly began to tell me her life story or a part of it anyway. She had been a severe addict binging on a cocktail stew of crack and methamphetamine. Years earlier, her life hit such a low point she hexed to do sexual favors in the windswept doorways of San Fransisco in exchange for the thing she needed most: a fix.
I tried not to judge her brittle past because I knew intuitively we are all more alike than not. We have all been addicted to something in our lives and for everyone it’s different. It could be cars, money, status, gambling, wine, sex, caffeine, doughnuts, or chocolate.
She relayed how she finally gained the determination she was no longer willing to play the victim. Transforming her life from a street tweaker to a life of decency was no easy feat. Anybody who can turn their life around from those brutal circumstances should be applauded.
It was a bright sunny day overlooking a small lake in the Lan Su Garden. “You’ll get everything you want when you want everything you have”. I really tried to grasp a definitive answer. I said I understood but I later realized I didn’t fully understand her point. My takeaway was to embrace life on the spectrum wherever you are.
Now I get it. You’ll get everything you appreciate when you appreciate everything you have. Appreciate both the sweetness and the bitterness. We can learn from everything in our path. Stumbling blocks can be turned into stepping stones leading to higher ground. Note to self. Be present. And be thankful.