Some of my
favorite movies, my favorite books are those that have a protagonist struggling
against all odds, getting battered and beaten at just about every turn, only to
finally succeed in the end. It’s gut-wrenching. As a viewer or reader, you
wonder, ‘How much longer can this go on? Is there any relief in sight?’
I think of Chris
and Gordy in the movie, Stand By Me. Two twelve year old kids, the
underdogs. Chris comes from a family of trouble makers. He isn’t given much of
a chance by his teachers or the system. Gordy comes from a family in which his
older brother, the “good and smart son” the “athlete and popular son” dies. His
parents can’t get over it and have no time for Gordy, clearly their least
favorite of the two.
Of course, there’s
Rocky. A second-rate boxer gets his chance at the champion. I’m not a
particular fan of boxing or boxing movies, but who cannot watch and hope that
this guy bucks the odds and wins the title fight of his life.
In my own
writing in the Lives Trilogy, Brett and George rise above all that is
presented to them. Abduction. Trafficking. Murder. And yet, they somehow make
it. They somehow survive. They somehow rise above, and through it all, there is
faith and hope and love.
Many of us just
watched March Madness. Sixty-four or so teams competing in a tournament that
lasts weeks, culminating with a game between the final two teams. And in that
game, the clear underdog ends up winning at the buzzer. If it was a book or a movie,
it wouldn’t get written or get sold because those who do the selecting and who
make the decisions would have deemed it too predictable. Yet, it happened.
There is a story
about a well-meaning mother who saw a butterfly struggling to get out of a
cocoon. The mother, as I said was
well-meaning, so she decided to help the butterfly by opening up the cocoon so
that the struggle would be less. When
the butterfly broke free, it ended up not being able to fly and in a short
time, died. What this mother didn’t
know, unfortunately, was that through the struggle to get out of the cocoon,
the butterfly’s wings would become strong enough to fly on its own. The mother was just trying to help.
Just trying to
help . . .
I think we’ve
all been in situations where we watch an individual, perhaps our children or a loved
one, struggle and strain, and we want to jump in to the rescue. We want to
point out that, “If you do it this way . . .” or “I did the same thing when I
was your age and . . .”
It’s hard to
stand by and watch someone struggle. So very hard. It’s harder when we watch
someone compete and lose, over and over. And then at the last, when that
someone, a child or loved one, succeeds and wins, we rejoice.
Life can be
pretty darn hard. Some have it easier or harder than others. That’s sometimes
the way it goes. Not necessarily a rhyme or a reason for it. It just happens.
Some of us have been on the receiving end of easy, while others of us, perhaps
more of us, are on the receiving end of hard.
Yet, I have to
sometimes remind myself, and others, that there is Beauty In The Struggle.
As much as we
sometimes hate it, as much as we sometimes are impatient for it to end, and as
often as we might struggle and fail . . . or succeed . . . there is Beauty In
The Struggle.
It doesn’t pay
to be like the woman who tried to help the butterfly get out of the cocoon,
because there is nothing gained in that. As well-meaning as she was, as
good-hearted as she was, she ultimately failed because the butterfly was not
able to gain the strength out of the struggle to survive on its own.
As I’ve said
many times in my posts, we’re all in this together. Each of us struggle with
failure. Each of us struggle against the odds. Each of us runs into and up
against the brick wall. So if we recognize that, we can encourage and support
each other. We can lend a hand when and where it is appropriate to do so. But
ultimately, we gain the most when we face that struggle and recognize that
there is Beauty In The Struggle. Always, there is Beauty In The Struggle. Something to think about . . .
Live Your Life,
and Make A Difference!
To My Readers:
I received one
of the nicest comments about my books in the Lives Trilogy. She wrote:
“Some of the
most amazing books I have read in a long time. As soon as you start then you
are fully addicted and brought into this amazing story. Must read by Joseph
Lewis. I never wanted mine to end but yet couldn't put them down.”
If you like
thriller-mystery-suspense fiction, you can find them on Amazon in both eBook
and paperback, free with Kindle Unlimited:
Stolen Lives, Book One http://tinyurl.com/Stolen-Lives-J-Lewis
Shattered Lives, Book Two http://tinyurl.com/Shattered-Lives-J-Lewis
Splintered Lives, Book Three http://tinyurl.com/Splintered-Lives-J-Lewis
Taking Lives, Prequel to the Lives Trilogy http://tinyurl.com/Taking-Lives-J-Lewis
No comments:
Post a Comment
Thank you for your comment. I welcome your thought. Joe