Today we get to hear from my husband David. From now on, every first Thursday of the month will feature a guest post of his. Enjoy!
Do you remember playing the card game “war” as a kid? The game is between two players, and both are dealt a stack of cards. Each player throws down a card, the player with the highest card wins, and that player collects those two cards. Who ever has the most cards at the end wins!
Doesn’t it sometimes feel that life is one big game of “war”? That life is constantly dealing out cards to you and sometimes you win and sometimes you lose.
For me, growing up life was full of ups and downs, nothing major-just the normal things. Maybe it felt like I was dealt a ten at Christmas, because as a kid Christmas is always a winner. But then not long after that, life might hand you a four when that favorite new toy gets broken or lost. Then as you get older the cards dealt go up and down as you ace a test or fail a test, have a girl go out with you that you like or have that inevitable break up when it’s not true love.
For me getting out of college, I felt like life was dealing me the face cards when I had a career started and it was going well. Then I was dealt the queen of hearts. I met Carly and her daughter Samantha, and soon after asked Carly to marry me. The game of life was definitely going my way. My son was born and we came to find that we were dealt a joker. Turns out somebody forgot to take the jokers out of the deck, and boy were we thankful.
Then, on August 20, 1999, we were dealt the lowest card: a two. I was hurt in flash fire at work. What do you do when you get dealt that two card? Do you give up? Do you throw your cards down? Do you get mad and take it out on those around you, or do you keep playing? That is the question.
Life is always going to hand us low cards, but here’s the thing: there will always be a new card. Whether the new one is high or low, it offers hope for tomorrow. The trick of life is staying in the game when you want to throw your cards down, and having a joy that can’t be shaken, whether you have an Ace or a two in your hand.
-David
I think you have learned how “to hold them”, learned when “to fold them” and learned when to walk away!! I have the utmost respect for your shuffling and dealing and handling the cards life throws at you.
Bob (Or should we call you “Kenny”)
That sounds vaguely familiar… you are So funny!