Manda Grace Lee
- Charles Schulz
Is that the irony of life? Spending so much time, efforts, ambitions trying to pursue being whole, and when you get what you want, or what you thought you wanted, it wasn’t what you wanted or needed at all. This fav childhood story seems to relate to what I think most post grads are feeling… Life is going by slower than expected, there is a constant pursuit of the next thing… All in hopes that we can feel/be whole. And hopefully we will accelerate to the life we always wanted.
Well right now, I feel like the missing piece… Life is slower than I like, and I’m enjoying the ride, appreciating my friends and family, but still have this feeling that something is missing.
In the story, the missing piece embarks on a search for its missing piece. Since it is missing a piece, it cannot roll very fast so spends time talking to bug-friends, baking in the sun, and lets butterflies land on it as it rests. After many almost-perfect-fit pieces, the missing piece finally finds the piece that completes it, making it “whole”. Life speeds up quickly and it can’t enjoy the things it used to. The once missing piece realizes that the journey itself was the best part, that there was no need to rush the search, but rather it longed for the search to continue. That for some reason it was made with a “missing piece” in order to live just the way it was… Slow but thoughtful and singing its song…
“Oh I’m lookin’ for my missin’ piece
I’m lookin’ for my missin’ piece
Hi-dee-ho, here I go,
Lookin’ for my missin piece.”
Now I know I don’t want to stay this way forever, but maybe just for right now, the missing piece in me can be a blessing instead of a negative…
“Aha,” it thought.
“So that’s how it is!”
I swim for brighter days
Despite the absence of sun
Choking on salt water
I’m not giving in
I swim
- Jack’s Mannequin, (Swim)
Spreading Hope.
This Little Light of Mine
There’s a little flame inside a soul
Some shine bright
Some shine small
The rains will come
And the waters rise
But don’t you ever lose your light
In this life you will know
Love and pain
Joy and sorrow
So when it hurts
When times get hard
Don’t forget whose child you are
This little light of mine
I’m gonna let it shine
This little light of mine
I’m gonna let it shine
Gonna let it shine
- Addison Road
“One of these days you’ll be under the covers
You’ll be under the table and you’ll realize
That all of your days are numbered, all of them one to one hundred
All of them millions, all of them trillions
So what are you gonna do with them all?
You can not trade them in for more, no, no
Take every moment, you know that you own them
It’s all you can do, use what’s been given to you.”
- Lenka “Live Like You’re Dying”
“There’s hope… It doesn’t cost a thing to smile… You don’t have to pay to laugh… You better thank God for that… Stand up for your rights… Keep shining your light… And show the world your smile!”
- India Arie
“A Bag of Tools”
Isn’t it strange
That princes and kings,
And clowns that caper
In sawdust rings,
And common people
Like you and me
Are builders for eternity?
Each is given a bag of tools,
A shapeless mass,
A book of rules;
And each must make-
Ere life is flown-
A stumbling block
Or a stepping stone.
- R. L. Sharpe
Everybody falls sometimes
Gotta find the strength to rise
From the ashes and make a new beginning
Anyone can feel the ache
You think its more than you can take
But you are stronger, stronger than you know
Don’t you give up now
The sun will soon be shining
You gotta face the clouds
To find the silver lining
I’ve seen dreams that move the mountains
Hope that doesn’t ever end
Even when the sky is falling
And I’ve seen miracles just happen
Silent prayers get answered
Broken hearts become brand new
That’s what faith can do
- Kutless
“Dear God,
It still amazes me how much you love me…”
