Everything We Do

When Namie, my four-year-old daughter noticed some of my grey hair the other day, she said: 'Daddy, you've got lots of grey hair already." I said, “yeah, I'm getting old, huh?" Then, looking sad, she said, "Daddy, I don't like that." I said "why?" She answered without looking at me, "I want you to be strong... always..."

The promise I made was not only for her, but for myself as well and to life itself: "I will be strong for you, darling."

Each one of us needs a reason to get up, endure and live. I've seen people who stopped fighting and started dying little by little. I've seen people who stopped combing their hair and stopped loving and dreaming. They stopped having reasons to live.

On the other hand, I've seen people who looked exhausted, in pain and scarred but with fire of determination in their eyes. They're oozing with passion and fortitude to dream and endure. They have reasons to live and fight. - And these reasons are the very people whom they promised to take care and stay with.

We don't need a painless life. It’s boring. What we need is a meaningful life. Everything we do, the struggles, the risks and the pains take different colors when they're suffered for something greater than ourselves, for the people other than ourselves, for the people whom we promise to love and fight for...

Everything we do…

Father,
We bless You today,
For giving us more reasons to endure, risk and live.
Thank You for allowing Jesus to show us
The real meaning of giving,
The real meaning of life,
The real meaning of happiness.
Amen.

photo: The Adventures of Baron Munchausen | posted by john b. bejo