What If I Usta Could

What if? We have discussed this one before; you know like “What if I had done it this way instead where would I be today” this is one that really can’t be answered because if you had done it differently then, the whole path of your life would have changed, taking you to any place but where you are right now, my best answer to a What if is Why ask Why, because you are right where you are supposed to be.

And why do we ask why when in most cases you already know the answer, I have no problem with someone asking a question to something they don’t know, but when you ask something like “Why did this happen to me” you really may not have the complete answer but in my opinion this happened to you because you can handle it, a little self pity comes along for all of us, but never let it overtake your life.

Play with the hand the Good Lord deals you, because if you couldn’t handle it he wouldn’t have given it to you, we all have hardships and troubles, a lot of us are at our wits end so to say and wonder just how much lower it is to “Rock Bottom”, some of us have hit rock bottom and are on the way back up, but no matter how hard life is treating you, isn’t it true that you are getting closer to your loved ones, hardships cause you to bond with your loved ones, in one way or another.

I remember times when we were out of money and groceries were scarce, Cindy would take whatever we had left in the cupboards and refrigerator and combine the ingredients into a goulash or stew, this was always the best tasting meal and it was always filling and just enough to get us by for a few days, knowing we had nothing and pulling together what we had made us a lot closer, we would sit around the table with the kids, listening to them complain on how we didn’t have any meat in the meatless spaghetti, or how the goulash would be better with this or that, but the funny thing is they never went hungry and they always asked for seconds.

Remember when you used to do things like this? Heck some of us still are and that is OK, think back on the things you used to do and pick them back up, I used to read a lot but have not in quite a few years, after being blessed with a Kindle for Christmas I am now reading (in addition to your blogs), at least an hour per day, and I am enjoying this as much as I did when I was younger.

I used to do a bit of artwork, watercolors, pencil drawings and such, I made the comment to Cindy that I should get myself a drawing pad and see if I could still draw, heck it’s been nearly twenty five years since I have done any artwork, and I remember a time when I usta could draw, she passed this comment to Tim and Elisa who surprised me with a drawing pad and charcoal pencils, they even threw in some willow sticks and a couple erasers because they just knew I would need them, and they were so right.

My first attempt at a charcoal drawing resulted in a picture titled Papa’s Hat, what do you think, do you recognize the person?

In the times we are all going through now, we have to appreciate what we have and make do because better times are coming if we have faith, don’t ask Why am I going through this and What if things were different, if things were different then I would be doing things I usta could. Seriously do the best with what you have, enjoy your friends and family, pull together and pool your resources if that is what it takes to get by, there is no shame in that, read a book and relax and if the notion strikes do something you enjoy like picking up a pencil and sketching a memory that will last a lifetime.