Life Lesson #222 ~ We Move Forward

There are far better things ahead than any we leave behind.” ~ C.S. Lewis 

I’m a woman with a bit of eccentric character. I get this. I don’t keep with convention. I’ve never been the kind of girl to follow the crowd. I wasn’t raised to. I’ve never fit the mold or conformed to the world’s standards. Being like everyone else has never been my goal. Never will. I’m a daughter of the King. I trust in Jesus. That’s just who I am. But the reality is I’m about as far from perfect as they come. I mean I walk into walls on a regular basis for goodness gracious sake. If I were you, I wouldn’t exactly be followin' in my footsteps. I’m a hot mess after all.  I know, it’s unconventional to color outside the box or with broken crayons, but I do. This is the thing. I love who I am, despite the consequences. I wasn’t exactly raised to be normal. I guess you could say I’m anything but. Pretty much my mind is a little strategically bent most days. In my defense though, I've never been typical or run- of-the-mill. I was raised by two very adventurous, persistent, lighthearted, offbeat and radiant souls, which should explain a lot actually. I can’t deny I’ve been blessed with both unimaginable adversity and countless exciting adventures. But I can say this without a doubt, as a writer the well I draw inspiration from is pretty deep. I know this may sound crazy but I’m truly thankful for this amazing and many times very difficult life of mine. I learned a long time ago, it’s absolutely alright to live a life most people don’t ever understand. And so, I don’t. In truth, Henri Matisse best describes my life. "Creative people are curious, flexible, persistent and independent with a tremendous spirit of adventure and a love of play.” I’m a curious soul. I’m always asking questions, writing ideas down and imagining life beyond what today holds. I was raised by two free spirits after all and brought up in a home where authenticity was the norm. I often dressed myself up in bright mismatching colors. I was known for wearing polka dots bottoms and flowered tops with long knee high striped socks. I could never understand why my fashion sense never caught on. I mashed up ideas on a daily basis. I explored and investigated new paths every day. I was weird when weird wasn’t cool. But that never stopped me. I ran to creativity and originality as if my life depended upon it. And in retrospect I think it probably did. I never took the high ground just to say I told you so. I climbed that mountain in front of me simply because the view was wider, broader and bigger from up there. I was a fearless, inventive child with a passionate and kind heart. Sometimes too kind. I was definitely peculiar, and funny in ways many wouldn’t want to own honestly. But I was taught from the time I can remember to be real. And to “be authentic. Speak sincerely, Listen thoughtfully. Act compassionately and love. Always love. What we bring to life becomes our life.” (Unknown)  

Now, I know I’m a disaster on any given day. I don’t follow the rules. I speak my mind. I might even roll my eyes, out loud, without realizing it from time to time. And if I’m really on fire, my southern comes out big time. I don’t usually think about what pops out of my mouth too much. However, I am kind and always respectful. My daddy taught me that. But I’m fierce too. I stand up for my family, friends and myself when need be. It’s not unusual around here for me to ask, “What in blue blazes are you thinking?” Or when my temper’s up it's not unheard of for me to blurt out, “I’m gonna slap you silly.” I’m full of sass. I’ve tried to tame it but I can’t. I simply learned years ago to stop explaining myself. See, I wasn’t taught to fit in. It's just not something I worry about really. Being a misfit is just who I am, plain and simple. I was brought up to be a dreamer, an encourager and a rebel. I crave creativity. I don’t do normal. Never have. And I never really see myself climbing into that boat either. The reality is I’m a different cup of tea, maybe even a shot of whiskey for some. But when push comes to shove I'll tell you flat out I was raised in a home by a family of oddballs who have always liked weird people. They loved and embraced the black sheep, rejects, eccentrics, the lost and many times even the forgotten. I was taught compassion is always the solution. And while the world may have taken a few decades to get used to my sense of purpose, I’ve always understood Marilyn Monroe was on to something. “It’s better to be absolutely ridiculous than completely boring.”  And as a mama I‘ve raised my boys in the same bold eccentric manner my parents raised me. When the boys were little we sang at the top of our lungs, danced around until we fell down, fought off dragons on our imaginary steeds and made trips to the grocery store with both our masks and capes on. The greatest gift passed down through the last two generations has been an active, vibrant imagination. My parents' ultimate legacy will be this. They’ve forged thinkers, music makers, artists, writers and dreamers who’ll continue to inspire future generations to do the same. I like how Tim Burton flips the script. “Maybe it’s just America, but it seems that if you’re passionate about something, it freaks people out. You’re considered bizarre or eccentric. To me, it just means you know who you are.”  

Alright, we all know life isn’t a cake walk. I’m sure you can tell me this yourself. But it’s manageable, right? It’s more than that though. Life is wondrous. Rob Thomas reminds me of this every time I'm listening to his song ‘Little Wonders’.  How do the lyrics go again? Oh, that’s right, like this. “Our lives are made in these small hours. These little wonders, these twists and turns of fate. Time falls away but these small hours, these small hours remain.” Life, with all its many twists and turns, ups and downs is truly a wonderful thing. What makes life and love and family so beautiful is how wondrously, individual and unique we're all made.  We thrive as a family connected by the past but we’re so much stronger when we stop comparing ourselves and begin focusing on walking bravely into the future together. This is why I love the theme, keep moving forward, in Disney’s 2007 Meet the Robinsons. One of the best lines is delivered by Lewis, an orphan given up by his mother at birth. He looks at the villain in front of him, once a little boy himself, named Goob and explains. “You just focused on the bad stuff when all you had to do was let go of the past and keep moving forward.”  Yet sadly Goob's grown-up counterpart, Bowler Hat Guy, is so full of anger he goes back in time. While there he convinces his younger self never to let anything go. And while this grown up version of himself words are filled with hate and bitterness, Goob fixes himself on them. “Everyone will tell you to let it go and move on, but don’t. Instead, let it fester and boil inside of you! Take these feelings and lock them away. Let them fuel your actions. Let hate be your ally, and you will be capable of wonderful, horrid things. Heed my words, Goob! Don’t let go!” And unfortunately, this is how Goob with all his hate and comparing of fates ultimately winds up allowing Bowler Hat Guy to find blame more convenient than hope. Truthfully life wasn’t easy on this little guy. As an orphan poor Goob felt alone, lost and forgotten most of his life. Holding onto the pain and bitterness, it consumed him, and he grew up into a miserable old man, blaming Lewis for his misery, obsessed and hell-bent on destroying Lewis’ future and that of his family too. And let me tell you, it almost worked. Finally at the end, Lewis was able to stop placing his own worth in the past and embraced the future ahead of him.  He let go and started moving forward. Lewis was adopted himself and this set his path onto a beautiful and brilliant future of his own. As for Goob? Well he too took that first step forward, letting go of the past and found a family of his very own too. See the truth is this. We are all a little broken. We’re all a bit odd and different. Lewis and Goob were both peculiar...this was their strength though. Our brokenness can be ours too, that is if we don’t allow it to distort our view. Christy Ann Martine explains it this way. "Only the broken know what it’s like to live inside of their imagination. Creating worlds to dream in, we are artists of the mind. Our true gift is survival.”  

I’m sure Goob felt like life had dealt him a low blow. Who wouldn’t in his circumstances? But we’ve all been there, at one time or another. I mean when we ask life if our days could get any worse, it’s generally a rhetorical question., not a challenge, right? Still, it can be rather challenging, like it or not. As a family ourselves, we’ve faced some really big adversities. And nope, I won’t confirm or deny if we talk to ourselves throughout these crazy and upside-down times interminably either. But I will say this, we talk to God. We’ve learned to trust Him in everything. Proverbs 3:5-6 tells us, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart. Never rely on what you think you know. Remember the Lord in everything you do and He will show you the right way.” I look at everything we’ve had to overcome much like the T-Rex in Disney’s Meet the Robinsons. Big head, little arms. Bottom line: life can get really complicated. As for the devil’s plans...they can be overwhelming on any given day, I’ll give you that. But he doesn’t hold our tomorrows, Jesus Christ does. Think of the devil’s plans this way. Perfectly executed in the T Rex's own words. “I’m not so sure how well this plan was thought through... Master?” That’s how the devil is though...big head, little arms. God’s got us. And He created each of us with imperfections, oddities and peculiar natures for a reason and with a purpose. Don’t let the devil and his lack of authenticity convince you otherwise. Stop comparing yourselves. Your gifts are part of a much bigger picture. You have purpose and all your adversities...they do as well. We each have to decide the grass is just as green where we are. And all we must do is water it. This is my advice. Start ignoring what everyone else around you is doing. Let them do their thing and achieve their own dreams. Your life and mine are not about getting to the finish line first. Life is about so much more than any of that. It’s setting your own goals and breaking your own limits. Bob Goff’s quote perfectly defines this for me. “We won't be distracted by comparison if we are captivated with purpose.” 

So why worry so, so much? Personally, I’ve learned to let it all go. The past is just that, the past. Nothing new waits for me there. I’ve chosen to live in the light of today. My hope, it’s found in Jesus Christ. He holds my future. The truth is every single one of my dreams comes from knowing there’s always a brighter tomorrow out there. The Word of God says this in 1 Peter 5:7. “Leave all your worries with Him, because He cares for you.” I know He does. He’s proven this over and over again. He’s given me a life full of unconditional love, adventure and yes, some fairly dark tunnels to navigate through too. I am fierce but I’m gentle too. I own my faults just as much as I’ve earned my strengths. I have no desire or need to compare my life with anyone else. I’m a daughter of a King after all. And while I may be a bit of a wild one, running free with bare feet with my hair a tangled mess, I still wear His crown upon my head. Morgan Harper Nichols words inspire me. I think it’s because I see myself in her words to some extent. And honestly, I pray on a daily basis I can live a life such as she describes. "She will walk bravely into this test diving deep into the well of wisdom and knowledge that has brought her this far. And not just because she has learned many things, but because she has lived many things, and now she has the strength and courage to give it her all, press on toward the goal and achieve the impossible. For she knows she is guided, and by grace, she can do this.”  

And my friends, this is where Life Lesson #222 ~ We Move Forward, comes full circle. See we can’t hold on to our past for too long or it comprises our future. Bowler Hat Guy is the perfect example of this. Blame and fault are two different things, but the lines can get blurry. We can get so caught up in blaming others for our misery we miss the opportunities ahead of us. Bowler Hat Guy really brings this home, doesn't he? His words echo this. “Humm...let’s see. Take responsibility for my own life or blame you. Ding, ding, ding! Blame wins hands down!”  Don’t be Bowler Hat Guy! Poor man, he was so angry and bitter, comparing and resenting his life choices and the path it took he almost lost the one thing he wanted most...a family. But hope won out didn't it? Eventually anyway. I truly love how Mildred in Meet the Robinsons explains our need to let go.” Listen. I know where your head is, but I’m telling you, you have to get out of the past and look to the future.” This is where possibility awaits and hope lives. Again, as Mildred tells us, “Go show them how special you are.”  You are special. Each of us are in our diversity. Reality is, you can't show anyone this truth if you're sitting in a corner replaying your past glories or failures, comparing your quirks and talents to anyone else. I’m me, you’re you and nothing can ever change that, no matter how hard the devil and his T-Rex may try. I will always be Christie... odd, goofy, curious and a bit eccentric. Remington Miller has it right. "I found I was more confident when I stopped trying to be someone else’s definition of beautiful and started being my own.” And today, all these years later, I have my family to thank for this divergent way of thinking. I really do come from a different but extraordinary family. We may be weird and small, but we have each other. And like the Robinsons, we keep moving forward. After all home is where your story begins, and this is mine.  

“Around here, however, we don’t look backwards for long. We keep moving forward, opening new doors and doing new things. Because we’re curious...and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths.” ~ Walt Disney  

~ Merida Grace