“A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunities in every difficulty.” – Winston Churchill
Accidents. Wars. Disasters. All of these are tragic and dreadful, and brings down the person going through them. We get depressed and ask God why He let this happen to us. We usually just look at the negative side and never think of what good it could change in us.
Three years back, when I was just starting my second year in high school, I had one of the experiences I rather not want to be repeated. It wasn’t really that tragic but it was still grave for me. My dad slipped on the wet ground and he broke his right leg. I got kind of depressed because it was the first time that I witnessed my dad in a really great pain. He had to be in the hospital for a week for the operation and recovery. My mom had to accompany him so my sister and I were left in our house. For a night or two (I couldn’t remember exactly), we were kept company by our cousin and uncle but for the rest of the week, we were alone in our home. My dad couldn’t go to work for about two months because of his bad leg. During that period, the things and chores that usually my dad does were being done by me and my sister.
What I have experienced is not as grim as what Jonathan Iwegbu had undergone. I am lucky I didn’t have to go through a war. I am lucky I didn’t have to lose properties and loved ones. I am lucky I didn’t have to suffer the aftermath of a civil war.
Jonathan suffered heavily from the consequences of the war but he still has the optimism to thank God for what he has left and he believes that everything happens for a reason and that it is God’s plan.
If Jonathan can see the civil war as something positive, how much more can I treat my adverse experience? I learned to think that the accident was made to happen to make me much more responsible and caring. Because of what happened to my dad, I realized that I have to take good care of what I have right now; they are precious and indeed priceless but also fragile. In a moment, they could all be wiped out from me. So while I still have the people I love, I should show them that I really love them.
litritcher13 