You’ve Just Got To Put One Foot In Front Of The Other

You have simply got to put one foot in front of the other and keep going. Put blinders on a plow right on.” George Lucas

Yesterday I was at the store, the assistant who was ringing up my groceries looked at me as they all do and said, “How are you today Ma’am?” It had been a day, I took a deep sigh and said, “I’m making it, a little slow but that is okay.” He stopped, looked me in the eye and said, “I can totally relate.” I felt the presence of a kindred spirit at that moment. 

When I was little I loved fairy tales

When I was a child I believed in fairy tales. In fact, at a tender young age I became obsessed with the story of Darcy and Elizabeth in Pride and Prejudice. While not strictly in the genre of fairy tales ,it was a dream of a sort. A girl with little fortune to recommend her had captured the heart of the brooding Mr. Darcy. He was a man with a lot of land and money. Their match would never be recommended by anyone in their society yet the witty Elizabeth captured his heart with great force. 

Mr. Darcy was my dream of a fairy tale

Mr. Darcy deigned to propose to the lowly Elizabeth despite her station in life and she refused him! The cheek of it all. As the story unfolds, the hard shell of Mr. Darcy’s cold character begins to crack and Elizabeth’s heart begins to thaw towards Mr. Darcy. Add a little plot in there and voila! A fairy tale that has endured the test of time. I have wanted that fairy tale for quite a long time. 

Fairy tales are just sadly, fairy tales

Here’s the thing about fairy tales, they are just that. A bit of escapism to help us cope with life and all that it brings. In the US we’ve spent weeks rolling our eyes and stopping our ears listening to the promises of politicians who well, personally I think they all are a bit nefarious. Do I pray for them? Yes. Do I like them? Nope. They are not the stuff of fairy tales. 

There are times that we can only put one foot in front of the other

With the impending deployment of another one of my children, it has felt very much like I am just putting one foot in front of the other. Will he be okay? Will I be okay? His father and I will feel his absence keenly. He is always around to lend a helping hand or give us a laugh. In a way, it is breaking my heart to see him inevitably go on and live his adult life. Why can’t I be independently wealthy and just provide for all my family? Why? That would be another fairy tale in my life. 

We must put into practice counting our blessings

The answer is that life is not a fairy tale. We can however take solace in counting the blessings that life affords us each and every day. When I think of the life of Jesus and his disciples, they did not have nearly as many of the trappings that we do in this life. They couldn’t just pick up a small screen and have the world at their fingertips yet they were content. 

How did others in times past stay content?

How did they do it? They were content in the promises of God. They could see the blessings that were afforded to them at the moment and they had the blessing of eternity ahead of them. I often think that with so much at our fingertips we lose a bit of our humanity. Do I mean that we are terrible humans? No. Rather, I believe that we could use a little less screen time and a little more meditation time. 

Look around you and find your blessings

As I sit here in my home surrounded by my husband, my sons, their friends and others, I can’t help but give a little smile. That time helps me to put one foot in front of the other when it seems a little lonely. When I hear those folks yelling from the rafters that they are the answer for all humanity, (politicians) I can remember family, faith, music, good food and quietness of spirit trumps those loud voices. 

Thinking back to the time of Jane Austen, the author of Pride and Prejudice, they had a lot of quiet time. No wonder the young girls weaved stories of a handsome gentleman that swept them off their feet. They had the time to dream. They had the time to feel the wind on their face, and the grass beneath their feet. They had the wear with all to put one foot in front of the other. 

How do we find our footing in this space and time?

There are a number of ways to go about this intentional time. One such task is to make a list. In my adult life I have decided to seek therapy. You see, I’ve already had one son deploy and it was quite hard on my heart and spirit. I chose unhealthy coping mechanisms to get me through. I ate too much, I drank too much wine. I wallowed in grief. It was not good at all. As I confided this to my therapist she said one good way to deal with my son leaving is to make a list of things that I could do that would impact life positively. 

Make a list

Make a list. You don’t have to do it all, but it is there for you when you get caught in the doom trap. I am not a list maker, my husband will stand up and say, “Amen!” I am a fly by the seat of my pants artist. I like to flit from one thing to another. Making a list gives intention and grounding to help you to be a better person. If you can’t write it down physically, make it mentally. Get your mind in a better space. 

Fairy tales have their place

Is it okay to read fairy tales? Absolutely. But set your feet on solid ground. Build your hope in God. After all, as the hymn says, “My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness. I dare not trust the sweetest frame, but wholly lean on Jesus’ name. On Christ the Solid rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand. All other ground is sinking sand. Have that stable footing so that your feet won’t sink. 

Dwell in Your Positive Pensées (Thoughts)

One of the reasons I named my column Positive Pensées was for the simple reason to keep my thoughts, my Pensées in a better space. I hoped in that humanity of thought that I might help others find their way into a better head space. That is where our journey begins, right between our ears. There may be days when all you can do is put one foot in front of the other and that is okay, just keep walking. Better days will come.