herbiehancock

When I am struggling with something, the lines from a song that came out in 1970 go through my head in a sort of subconscious mantra that helps to soothe my nerves and calm me down and give me reassurance.  The song is titled, "O-o-h, Child" and was sung by the Five Stairsteps.  The lyrics go, "O-o-h, Child, things are gonna get easier.  O-o-h, Child, things are gonna get brighter."  In 1970, I was eleven years old.  I am considerably older than that now.  That's a long time for song lyrics to be stuck in my head and for them to continue to resurface on a regular basis, but they do. Pretty much for as long as I can remember, I have carried around with me the thought that "things are gonna get easier."  If I just do this or that or accomplish some goal or solve some puzzle, then things will suddenly, magically be easier, brighter, better.  When I was in high school, it was---  if I can just pass this Algebra test, or if I can just learn to par...

This photo is from Pixdaus. While visiting my mother at the nursing home this week, I noticed a woman in a wheelchair who was following after one of the aides as she walked down the hallway. "What needs to be done?" she asked the aide. "Do you need me to make the beds or wash the dishes? I can help. I want to help." "No, the beds are all made, and we have somebody here to do the dishes. You don't have to worry about that here." "But I need to have something to do. I can do something to help out around here. I need something to do." "Well, I'll have to see if I can find something for you then," the aide replied. I don't know if the aide found something for her to do, or what it was if she did, but I hope she kept her word to the woman in the wheelchair. We all need to feel as if we are useful, that we have a purpose, that we can contribute. I saw this photo of a candle in a broken water jug, and it reminded me of that w...