The view from the mountains: Facing life’s stormy weather

Published 10:41 am Tuesday, June 25, 2019

Stormy weather comes into everyone’s life sooner or later.

One day the sun is shining outside and the warmth and the light it brings makes you feel healthy and happy.

But then the weather from the heavens alters your sense of wellbeing as it begins to change.

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A new life lesson I’ve learned as I’ve aged is the huge connection as the chill descends and you begin to weather the storm inside your body.

I can tell you with my battle with pneumonia for the sixth time since moving to Colorado, I recognize the battle ahead and dread sets in.

My sense of independence, of doing everything for myself, caring for my cat, all changes.

I often end up in the hospital. I always end feeling like a burden.

Nobody makes me feel this way in my family. People at Brookdale assure me I’m not too much trouble, but I’ll bet you most of my friends and readers have experienced the same feelings and worries.

My readers, my friends and my wonderful family ask how they can help me find my energy and wellbeing to stay positive in the face of knowing COPD with my failing lungs is not curable. The answer to this is what I’m struggling with right now.

First off, I’ve learned without the hope of living a full and meaningful life again, I surely will not recover.

Writing weekly is still my purpose and that has not changed just because the sun has gone in for a while. I will recover.

Even though the sun is neither lighting up my life or outside my window now, I just have to turn on the lamp. I control that.

I have done that and I will recover.

I’ve never realized dying is partly tied up with the strong desire to recover or not. I was told COPD is a condition that we all give ourselves by smoking and other harmful things.

That’s not true. I never smoked or drank. Yet, that is my diagnosis.

So I’ve had to work on my desire to do too much thinking and figuring out how I got all of this stuff.

Secondly, learn about your condition and then do not dwell on your fate. Once you understand it, then let it be.

Instead renew your vows to use your purpose for good. If I concentrate on this, I will recover this time around.

Third — this is where yours and my faith comes in — it is time to lean on it. We need to know from where our strength comes and know it can and will sustain you and give you peace necessary to recover.

Now, when the dark stormy weather outside brings darkness and depression inside and into your soul, just ask yourself again what’s your purpose, and do you feel you have more to give and then ask for God’s will and help to do it.

Then you will recover within God’s purpose for you.

I have always loved storms. I love the sounds as the winds whip the trees around. They make me remember how South Georgia storms at my Granny Pete’s house were like music as the water pounded her tin roof.

There’s a certain power I feel during a storm as lightening pierces the sky there is light in it and light heals.

What I’ve learned is storms end and calm follows. But during them there is strength and power.

Let the storms into your life to heal your body.

Stormy weather. Maybe, just maybe, the turmoil, the reexamining of life, the fact that when it’s dark we must learn to see with our hearts as our eyes dim, or even we see simply by turning on the lamp light until the sun comes out again.

Thank you for walking with me on this journey. I hope if you have such a walk, a few things I’ve learned will give you peace.

The view from the mountain is wondrous.

Jean Brody is a passionate animal lover and mother. She previously lived in Winchester, but now resides in Littleton, Colorado. Her column has appeared in the Sun for more than 25 years.