Day 344: Looking Back Five Years

Five years ago yesterday, my family moved away from my hometown in Oklahoma to a completely new state that is over eighteen hours way from the place I always considered home. While I wanted nothing to do with the move five years ago and considered it to be the worst day of my life, now that I can look back on it my perspective has shifted majorly.

When we are in the heat of the moment, it is impossible to see what will happen in the longer term because we have no idea how things will play out. The only thing we understand when we're going through something is that single moment and our emotions that come with it in that second. The future outcome of our life is probably one of the farthest things from our mind.

However, when we are two, three, even five years past a large event that rocked our world we can begin to see the true outcome of the event. It may have seemed like the end of the world during that moment, but over time there were incredibly positive outcomes that were born from that period of time.

I am quite certain if my family had never moved away, I would not be where I was today. My photography would never have taken off the way it has because there were so many connections I made because I live where I do now. I never would have had the opportunity to join the beautiful community of Brooke Shaden's Promoting Passion Convention because the convention would have been too far from where I used to live. Never would I have found the company I use to print my images because they're too far away from Oklahoma which would have made me miss the trail of opportunities that led my artwork to an art fair in Paris, France.

Our perspective is so limited to the here and now that we have no idea the lasting impact moments have on our lives. The depths of sorrow can lead to the bird of a thousand beautiful flowers. We must realize that while a moment is hard now, there is hope for our future. There is still a tomorrow and as long as we are alive, there will always be beautiful moments waiting for us up ahead.

Take heart when going through the worst of times because you will come through. You will be strengthen and thrust in the way of brand new opportunities. Hope for the future and all of the amazing things that are still to come.

Until Next Time,
Lillian Merritt