The greatest of human contentment is found not in the world around us but within ourselves - in a deep self-peace that is reflected within the beauty of truly knowing that we are enough just as we are. Knowing that we truly belong. Knowing that it is the very uniqueness of our journey that gives meaning to every breath we are given.
Realizing such contentment and self-peace is a continuous journey. And at times, one that can be painful to endure and filled with adversity. We are in constant search of finding where it is we belong - questioning the beauty within every breath we are gifted. We unknowingly cling to distraction and immerse ourselves in the world's chaos - a means in which allows us to live blindly within our own lives and avoid looking inwardly at the state of our own selves. Allowing us to numbly exist all while sacrificing our beautiful and authentically unique spirits. We cling to the stability of chaos and distraction - never able to find the place of quieted true contentment within ourselves, scared and unable to see the beauty in our own unique journeys.
A Quiet Stillness
As I sit beneath the expansive summer sky my mind wanders as it often does. There's a sting of sadness that often surfaces when I'm left alone in such a quiet state of mind. It's the silent side of cystic fibrosis. It is a plague unto my mind and heart when all is still. It appears when I am not consumed by the world's chaos and engulfed in my own subconsciously created distractions - every minute given to something other than myself as a way to deny my own reality and cope with an ever-growing discontentment created by CF.
There's a quiet stillness about this summer in comparison to other summers. Or, maybe I am just seeing my own reflection a bit differently in this season of life- acutely aware of time, purpose, and contentment. In such quietness lies an intense restlessness. A restlessness that is knowingly rooted in the silent side of CF and the uncertainty it perpetually stirs within the deepest parts of my being. It's a restlessness born of stillness, the passing of time, inevitable change, and the uncontrollable circumstances of my unique journey with CF. But most of all, it's a restlessness that disrupts my inner peace- making me question where it is I belong and the beauty of this unique journey I've been gifted.
Beautifully Enough
As times passes I realize more and more how different all of our journeys are. And seemingly I realize just how lonely this road less traveled can be. There's something special in the sharing of what is familiar between people- an unspoken bond and deepness. It gives a reassuring sense of belonging and understanding. The pang of sadness comes not in living this unique journey I've been given with CF and all that comes with it, but it comes in knowing I will never fully share life in the same way with dear friends and family. The sadness comes when I realize that my journey will always seem so very different. So, I do my best to quiet this restlessness. Not by immersing myself amidst distracting chaos like I desperately try to do so often, but by sharing my honest self and most of all, listening. Hoping to vibrantly live and experience life not only through my own unique journey but through the beautifully different journeys of all those who fill my life.
I look to the summer sky and breathe in the warm air of my favorite season, a wash of reassuring contentment fills my quieted soul.
Life fills my soul.
In a brief renewing moment I am reminded that it is in our own uniqueness that we truly belong. That self-peace is found within the most honest parts of who we are - rooted in gratitude for the life we have each been given. Rooted in knowing we are beautifully enough just as we are. Rooted in the truth that it is through sharing each of our different journeys we truly live and experience the beauty in every breath.