HOW FASCINATING
Months ago a friend labeled my season of life as, “fascinating.”
In the middle of surgery recovery with disruptions in my industry looming, I could think of several far less appropriate words.
When pressed for more, my friend explained that her response to life’s curveballs came from a book, The Art of Possibility. The main theme focused on keeping ones mind, eyes and heart open to what may come out of the unexpected by literally exclaiming, “How fascinating!” when things don’t go our way. Hmmm.
I love my friend for this. And I reserve the right to give that term the middle finger.
When life is difficult we often find ourselves feeling guilty or ashamed. If I was stronger, we think, this wouldn’t be so hard. If I was more positive, we tell ourselves, this wouldn’t be so discouraging.
But this is hard. And I think we’ve forgotten how to admit that.
There is power in showing up for life and admitting, “I am not okay.” And there is power in facing down circumstances and boldly declaring, “How fascinating!” In our mind the question then becomes, “Which is it? Hope or hard things.”
Both.
Two sides of the same coin.
I think back to 2020 - the isolation, the unknown, the tension and the fear. Definitely hard things. But in that stay-at-home season we discovered our oldest son’s passion for videography. Fast forward four years and he is a 17-year-old filming genius. He runs a healthy business and is passionate about creative projects. He also makes more money than any other high schooler I know. How fascinating.
I think back to 2011 - cuts in education following the Great Recession led to the elimination of my husband’s Assistant Principal position. Unemployment followed as did the depletion of all of our savings. It would take too many words to describe the difficulty of that season. Definitely hard things.
But in a period of transition we stayed in the garage apartment of extended family. A conversation was had, ‘We think you’d be good at this,’ and a new career was launched. Fast forward 13 years and we now own and lead the business our family member started. My husband’s career is thriving. How fascinating.
Hope and hard things. Two sides of the same coin.
There is a reality that sits in front of us when hard things arise. Struggle, disappointment, the full-body realization that the fight is real. We are not weak when we admit it is so, not weak when we admit that we are not okay.
And there is a reality that sits in front of us when hard things arise. Possibility, discovery, potential in the unknown. In navigating the storm there are new ways to be realized, a light in the darkness to be found. We are no less strong when we choose to look forward, no less connected to reality when we choose to focus on things yet seen.
Hope and hard things. Two sides of the same coin.
It takes incredible strength to hold onto both when life comes our way, hope and a genuine display of struggle. It is far easier to distract from difficult reality with a complete turning to tomorrow, far easier to sit marred in anguish with no hope for another day. Holding both fully is a rather supernatural feat - we don’t always do it well, but when we do, it is truly superwoman on display.
Hope and hard things.
Remember, you have the strength to hold them both.