2019: Sometimes, weeks or even a month go by without my turning my attention to LinkedIn. Nothing at all against LinkedIn. I’ve treated Google+, Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, and my website the same. Illness can have a profound impact on a person. Expectations arise both before and after surgery, as well as after treatments. When those expectations disappear into nothingness, an array of questions emerge with sharpness: How long will this last? Will this ever end? What if it doesn’t? What can I do better?
2021: Decades ago, I wrote the beginning of this blog, thinking the hiatus was over, but I was wrong. Still, this was a good blog, and still timely. Every word is meant—for all those yesteryears and today. Over three years is a very long time. And any problem that persists can dull one’s energy. 2016: Silence became my friend, isolation my solace. Then, LinkedIn announced the 4th Anniversary of my company, Soul Care Books LLC, and two days later, when I logged into my account, a nice, extensive flood of “congrats and hoped you’re feeling better” messages popped up.
Just the day before, my husband and I discussed the year-long research I’ve been doing at a snail’s pace. Complaining again about how I was feeling, Jack surveyed the mountain of new research books, the thousand filled index cards, and a messy office with scraps of notes carefully ‘filed’ everywhere, every which way, including hanging on the sides of the bookcases. “And what am I supposed to do with all of this if you die?” he asked, horrified. “Throw it all away. No one else is going to be able to write my book!”
2000: That brought back a memory from my time attending seminary. I jokingly told classmates, “My perfect death would be to die at the computer writing yet another brilliant work!” Thinking this led me to a prayerful statement made to God: “If You want this book written, You are going to have to help.” Helpful arrived in the form of thoughts and a sense of purpose, with the results of published books.
2023: “God Gives, and God Takes Away.” Every person knows the truth of this statement. Through the Grace of God, my health had improved, but in December, my husband accidentally died. Feeling empty to life, I returned to writing to restore equilibrium. 2025: And that brings me to this moment as I email ‘thank you’ to hundreds of people who sent Happy Birthday wishes. Most of the wishers know little of my struggles. What they do know about are my two passions: Faith, and writing about how Faith helps in living a happier, more meaningful life.
My message to you is: Please, never think that a smile, kind word, or even a written ‘wish’ to a stranger is not worth its weight in gold. I am living proof that my LinkedIn-friendly, caring “Connections” helped me understand just how much negative thinking I had fallen into and what a waste of time that was! Today is a renewed time. Silence and isolation were yesterday’s hidey-hole. Today is soft energy.