The Long and Rainy Road

As much as I enjoy traveling, there’s often the same downside; the last hour. The scenery through Kentucky, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and into New York is especially beautiful in the fall. The colors can be very vivid, welcoming in the upcoming winter. Although, as I arrived in New York, the remnants of the snow from the night before littered the ground and roof tops, telling me that in rural New York, winter has already arrived.

No matter how enjoyable the drive is, it almost always seems like the last hour is grueling. This current trip was worse than usual, dark, rainy, hard on the eyes, and the fingers white, as the blood was pushed from them, gripping the steering wheel with great determination. It seems like life can be like these trips to New York.

Life has many exciting journeys, creating many wonderful memories. But even in the joy, life has its hours of trials that seem to overshadow the previous joys. Exhaustion can set in, the need for getting back into routines, and weariness can make the end of any joyful journey into moments of misery. It’s times like these that taking “mini vacations” can bring great relief.

In our exhaustion and frustrations, our emotions become larger than they really ought to be, and we begin to see our emotions as facts, which they rarely are. I encourage you, my friend and reader, to STOP when this occurs. Stop and rest, Think it through and claim the joys frustrations cause us to forget, Observe your surroundings and remind yourself that you’re ok, and Practice an attitude of Peace and serenity through meditation and Prayer. Take time to slow down, rest, and be in God’s peace as soon as you can, letting life go for just a moment. Don't worry, it's not going anywhere.


(The writings in this post are random thoughts and observations and are NEVER intended as professional or personal advice. Take what works and leave the rest. For information on mental health and/or substance abuse help, visit http://www.rodneyvalandra.com and refer to the links page.)

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