Personal Responsibility

An absolutely, perfectly, tremendously wonderful day. The best weather of the year. Sunny. Comfortable, not hot, not cold.

A little old lady, who has told me bits of her story over the span of several years, tells me it is a perfectly beautiful day and she plans to enjoy it. She shared with me several things in her life that were not so pleasant, and, in fact, down right miserable, but she said that she intended to enjoy the sunshine. She listed a number of things that had not gone well in her life, then told me that those things happened because of choices she had made and if she wanted them to change, she was going to have to make some choices. Then she returned to her plan (her first choice) to enjoy the sunshine today.

I felt the hope that came from the realization that she was in a difficult place today because of yesterdays choices, but planned to be in a better place tomorrow because of today's choices. I admired her humility as she accepted her personal responsibility for the past as well as the responsibility she had for planning her future.

What was most profound, however, was the fact that I have known her through a season when she had given up all responsibility, wanted others to make all her decisions and take care of her, and paid a dear price for this. Now, I recognize that even when we go through seasons of giving up, or trying to give up, it is never too late to recognize that even that was our personal choice, and we can still make a new choice.

Today was a sunny day and seeds floated in the Fall air and my sinuses did not feel well. But I saw the sun, I breathed the air, and I chose to enjoy the day, and I did. I'm choosing a successful future because it is the kind of future I want to have. I'm believing it really is possible for all of us to have a great today, and a great tomorrow, regardless of our circumstances, when we recognize that we have a personal responsibility to make the choices we need to make in order to move toward a brighter tomorrow regardless... of what happens today.