There Is A Cost

"Everybody must learn this lesson somewhere - that it cost something to be what you are." - Shirley Abbott, magazine editor and writer

I've learned this lesson and I know that many of my friends have learned this lesson as well.  To be what I am today has cost me so much that it's hard to put it into perspective sometimes.  I'm glad I learned this while I was still young enough to turn it around and become the best "Kathleen" I can be.

I have had quite a few adventures in my lifetime.  I always seemed to be caught up in the chaos of life and I couldn't get away from the drama no matter how hard I tried.  I used to say that I made many mistakes in my life, but that's not true.  I firmly believe (this is just my opinion) that nothing happens in God's world by mistake.  I was taught that everything happens for a reason - maybe to teach me a lesson, maybe to help another person, maybe to catapult me to the next level of spiritual learning.  All of my experiences - good and bad, grand and small - needed to happen in order to bring me to this very moment of life right now.  My two beautiful children were conceived at the perfect moment with my husband at the time.  Our marriage didn't work out the way I planned, but that doesn't mean the marriage was a mistake. It definitely wasn't.  It was exactly what I needed at the time.

I'm truly grateful for everything I've experienced.  I pray that others can learn this lesson sooner rather than later so they can realize how joyful life can be in the present moment without regretting the past.  I'm free from the weight of shame, guilt, and remorse that I used to drag around with me every day.  I continue to make amends to those I've hurt in the past when the opportunity arises and I strive to always be kind and loving to those I interact with every day.  Some days my behavior is better than others but that's okay. Life is good and I'm beginning to respect who and what I am today.  That's the best gift of all.