When I was younger I was entranced with stories of magic. I devoured books where wizards and warriors battled the powers of darkness in strange worlds. I rejoiced when they triumphed bringing peace and happiness to their lands. I guess like most of the readers of these stories I secretly wished for magical powers for myself. I wanted to be able to magically make my pain disappear, to make my problems go away, and to have power over this world that so often has power over us.
As I got older, however, I realized that there was no such thing as magic and the harsh reality of life set in. I struggled through a long period of poverty. I had daily pain from a back injury that never healed right. I felt sadness and sorrow when both of my sons were diagnosed with Autism. I still sometimes daydreamed of magic but in time even that faded away.
Then one day I am not sure when I began to discover a different kind of magic. This magic grew stronger in my heart, soul, and mind day by day and year by year. This magic was called LOVE. This magic connected me to God, because God is love. It also connected me to my own highest self and to all of the other souls in this world. It didn’t eliminate my poverty but it made every day of my life feel richer. It didn’t make my back pain go away but it helped me deal with it so much better. It didn’t cure my sons’ Autism, but it helped me see them as the beautiful, loving, eternal, and joyful souls that they truly are. It didn’t make me a wizard or a warrior but it helped me to dispel the darkness of this world with my own light.
There is such a thing as magic in this world. There is such a thing as magic in each one of us. This magic is called LOVE. May you choose it, share it, and live in it every single day of your life. May you use it to help others, to heal this world, and to build a bridge to Heaven.
You want some people to be in your Life, but they don't.
你希望一些人能陪伴你,但他们没有。
You don't want some people to be with you, but they do.
你不想要一些人走进你的生活,但他们却来了。
You are endeavouring to come out of certain conditions of your life.
你竭尽全力想要摆脱某些生活状况。
But you are forced to live with them.
但又不得不继续在这种状况下生活下去。
You don't want to go outside in the Rain, but sometimes you have to.
你不想在下雨时出门,但有时你却别无选择。
You are yearning for something to happen, but it always eludes you.
你渴望一些事情的发生,可偏偏不如你所愿。
You never anticipate some incidents to happen in your life, but they do occur when you are oblivious of those happenings.
你从没有预料到一些事会在你的生活中发生,可偏偏在你毫无防备的时候发生了。
Sometimes you get things what you don't aspire for, but you don't get certain things what you are really looking for.
有时你会得到,你并不渴求的东西,但却得不到心心念念想要得到的东西。
You don't like some places to visit, but sometimes you have to stay there for a while.
你不喜欢去一些地方,但有时你不得不在那里待上一段时间。
This is your Life, say welcome with the open mind.
这就是你的生活,用开放的心态去接纳它吧。
You have to avoid all the preoccupations.
你必须打消所有的成见。
The Life is like a 'Flowing River' it takes all the bends and curves that you don't know.
生活就好比一条流动的河,一路上有你无法预见到的曲折。
But it never stops its flow because 'flowing' is its original nature.
但河水从未停止流淌,因为“流动”就是它的本性。
You also flow with the Life you have, which takes the unexpected turns.
你同样在生活这条奔流不息的河里游走着,伴随着许许多多不期而遇的转折点。
This is your Life, simply accept it.
这就是你的生活,接受它就好。
Seven years ago, my wife and I had to take our five week old daughter off of life support, by far the hardest and most painful decision of our life. Our daughter, Alle Shea, was born with the rare bone disease called Osteogenesis Imperfecta. At birth Alle Shea’s skull looked like a cracked egg on the x-rays. She also had multiple fractures in her arms and her ribs, her legs, and her wrist. The day Alle was leaving us, we were able to take her outside on the hospital deck and hold her in our arms until she passed away.
Now, we had two choices that day: we could have let the grief over take us, or we could take that grief and turn it into a positive. Since that day, my wife and I have worked tirelessly volunteering our time hosting special events, and talking to students and the media about OI. We even contacted hospitals to try to get them on board with our cause - and this is the battle we are still fighting. Over the seven years, we have volunteered thousands of hours. February of 2015 we started OI Care for You program. We send stuffed animals to children with OI in the hospital for treatment, surgery or home recovering from a break.
那天我们有两个选择:要么被悲伤击倒,要么把伤痛化为动力。从那天起,妻子和我不知疲倦地利用所有时间举办特殊活动,和学生、媒体聊成骨不全症的话题。我们甚至联系医院,想让他们也加入我们,我们现在仍然在为此努力。过去的七年中,我们做了数千小时的志愿活动。2015年二月,我们启动了OI Care for You这个项目。我们把毛绒玩具送给在医院治疗、做手术或骨折在家休养的患成骨不全症的孩子们。
Each one brings a smile and comfort to a child with Osteogenesis Imperfecta (OI).
每个玩具都带给患病孩子微笑和安慰。
We had OI families come from neighboring cities and towns and thank us for doing what we do and giving them another way to show support for a family member with OI.