Everyday Encouragement

Cheerleaders all around us—that’s the way some people see life. Last fall on All Saints Day, we celebrated the concept—being cheered by departed saints now in another realm.

         But sometimes inspiration arrives like a wake-up slap. We expect one reaction from someone, but receive something entirely different. That happened to me the other day when I arrived at a friend’s for our Spanish language practice.

         We normally dive headfirst into phrases, stories, and vocabulary. But this time, I was in a bad frame of mind. I didn’t even realize how low I’d sunken until my compatriot voiced her concern.

“What do you mean, you can’t do this?”

“I have zero motivation, no energy for it, and I just plain don’t want to.”

“But . . . but you’ve come so far! Why sabotage yourself now?”

I had no acceptable reply. What was, was. My feelings mastered me. Logic flew out the window with an unrespectable thud.

And so did our Spanish practice. Instead, a spirited woman basically forced me to work on something I knew was necessary for my writing success, but had put off. Indefinitely. Maybe forever.

Encouragement sometimes tracks us down in unexpected ways. It did me that day. My Spanish mentor became my kick in the pants.

This summer, our neighbor gave me some Easter egg plants—no, not eggplants. By late July, we had the real thing on our hands.

         People raved about them all summer, especially when the “eggs” turned yellow, then gold in September and October. You simply don’t expect to see eggs sprouting from green foliage.

         The same is true of the encouragement I received the other day. It behooves us to keep alert for unforeseen support from any and every quarter. My November release, Catching Up With Daylight, highlights stories of reassurance from unlikely sources, often in difficult times, and the importance of living in the present moment so we can realize the gifts that come our way.

How about this as a personal daily goal for 2014?

After teaching English as a Second Language and expository writing, Gail enjoys her family (married 35 years, two children and two delightful grandchildren) and writing. Her nonfiction (Catching Up With Daylight/WhiteFire Publishing, August 2013) and fiction (World War II era) share a consistent theme—empowerment.

http://www.Gailkittleson.com