Susan Thom

Sometimes, Situations Allow Us To Practice Humility



Posted: Wednesday, July 25, 2007

by Susan Thom



I guess humility is the act of being humble. I strive to be humble, but I don’t quite make it all the way. I still don’t appreciate what I have to the degree I should. I still complain when things aren’t the way I want them to be. I wish I wouldn’t do that. I appreciate the beautiful plush green grass, and the plants and flowers and the birds and chipmunks and waterfall and chimes and suncatchers in my tree. I love my swing on my front porch. I love our home and our property. I just don’t want to take them for granted.

I was humbled recently when I needed to leave my home and couldn’t return for three days and three nights. I was humbled because I went through just about every negative human feeling there is, and without my kids, my partner, my puppy, and my home, I was brought to my knees. So many things happened to me during those seventy two hours, but I certainly knew that I wanted to get back to what I left. Maybe humility is to know that you took for granted that which you most loved.

How do we prevent that from happening? We take so much for granted, and unless we lose it or it is taken away from us, we simply take what we have for granted. It’s not a malicious, purposeful act. I think we just get so caught up in our "things" that we don’t realize what we’d do without it all. I missed my family first and foremost, but I also missed my computer, and my home, and my bed with it’s featherbeds and down comforter. I missed my dogs and my front porch swing. I missed my own bathroom. I missed my pajamas. I missed my Durango.

Now how do I keep those feelings fresh? I feel like I should put up a memo for myself that I can see everyday, "Remember all you have been granted." I could make a list of all I hold dear, and look at it through the day, and thank my Higher Power for blessing me with so much. I think I’ll do that. Then I won’t feel neglectful. Sometimes the worst circumstances can make for the best lessons. We certainly don’t want to hear about it while we’re going through it. Once things settle down, we usually can figure out at least one lesson we learned buy our experience. I learned who my true friends are. I learned that I can go through a bad situation, and contain myself, and hold my composure. This is not a constant, mind you, but I held up pretty well. I learned that my home is very important to me and I’ve put a lot of time and effort into making it so.

I learned that I don’t like to be without my kids or my partner. I learned that I’m lucky to have a home. I learned that I can deal in adversity and do what I have to do. I can use my resources in my head, and come up with solutions to some dark and dreary problems. I learned more patience. I’ve been working on that for a long time, and I got my chance to try it out. I did pretty darn good. And I know that other situations that have happened in my life gave me the strength to get through my most recent situation. So, I guess we do learn by our mistakes, if we want to.

My Higher Power has put a lot in my path in the past months, and I’ve learned each time. Whatever He wants of me, I need to be strong, that’s a given. I’m getting there. Strong, but with humility.

Susan Thom is the mother of three children, two sons, 20 and 23, and a daughter 25. Her older son is in the air force in Germany right now, and her daughter is in the army in Tacoma, Washington.

Writing calms her, and gives her a place to go by herself! Clears the head and gets it out. She lives in a rural area, with a lake and mountains, and her partner, and has loved writing since she was a child.

She has been on a journey of self discovery for twenty years, and has learned many things about the human mind, and how to maintain some semblance of calm and peace within.

If someone reads one of her stories, and relates to her feelings, and gets a suggestion on how she dealt with them in a positive way, that would be the ultimate gift of her writing.

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