Faith

"You need one person to believe in you. You just need one." Lady Gaga

We were in small groups in my health class. The subject was aging. I was the only woman in a group of all very young men. When we came to the assigned topic of menopause, one of the guys looked at me and said, "You'll have to help us with this one." It was funny.

When we were discussing death, one of them talked of his struggles with the Roman Catholic faith in which he was raised. He asked me if I was religious, and I said I wasn't, that I used to be a Baptist but that really didn't work for me. I arrived at a place where the narrow worldview of black and white, right and wrong, good and evil, devil and god, heaven and hell just didn't make sense. I had embraced my beliefs with my usual enthusiasm and earnestness, but had to turn off the critical thinking part of my brain to be able to do that.I couldn't do that anymore.  He asked me what was I now, and I said maybe an agnostic, because I just don't know. Years ago I lost my faith, or so I thought at the time. It was a painful experience, and it seemed like the worst thing that ever happened to me.

I see now that I never lost my faith. I am still a believer. I believe that today is the best day, and that tomorrow will be even better. I believe in the inherent goodness of humanity, that while there is pain and suffering, the human spirit is amazingly resilient and can emerge triumphant. I believe in myself, in my ability to overcome obstacles, and to not let the many mistakes I've made in the past keep me from finding a better way for myself going forward. I believe that if I want things to be better, for myself, for those close to me, for the world in general, I will need to do something about that.

This faith extends to other people. Have you ever been at a time in your life when you just didn't think you were going to succeed, but knowing that someone else believed in you helped you get over the next hurdle? Knowing that someone else, even just one person, as Gaga says, can make all the difference in the world.

Who is it that you believe in? Who is it, that when they finally reach their goal, you will smile, nod and say, "I knew it all along"? Do they know how much you believe in them? Would it help them for you to tell them that today?

Susan

"Lean on Me" written by Bill Withers