All That Is Gold Does Not Glitter

"All that is gold does not glitter, 

Not all those who wander are lost; 

The old that is strong does not wither, 

Deep roots are not reached by the frost. 

From the ashes a fire shall be woken, 

A light from the shadows shall spring, 

Renewed shall be blade that was broken, 

The crownless again shall be king."*

That which appears one way is not necessarily the way it is. Every part of life carries this truth, and it carries both ways. Not everything that is good straightaway appears good, and something that appears fair can yet be foul. 

In experiences, a golden moment or opportunity can be disguised as trash. It takes patience and vision to look beyond the outer appearance to see the value of the occurrence. 

Even if a fair conclusion cannot be reached in one's life time, who is to say that generations following will not be affected in an overtly positive was because of actions or experiences had by yourself or previous generations. 

This time of year always brings for me that rememberance of times past, of heroes who didn't realize they were heroes who gave up their lives, loves and comfort to fight for generations to come. Even generations that wouldn't remember their sacrifice, offspring who wouldn't appreciate the mud one had to dredge through, the blood of comrades one could never wash off, and the memories that haunted to the dying day. This, though it may be concealed as loss, as withering, as covered in waste, has more value than the highest amount if gold ever collected, the largest gem ever collected, and the most money ever spent. These were lives given for the generations to come. These were hopes and dreams dashed so that others' hopes and dreams could be realized later. 

This is truly a treasure worth finding and holding on to. 

Honor the sacrifice. We will remember them. 

*J.R.R Tolkien, Lord of the Rings 

 

Enjoy The Little Things

Once I realized the truth that comes with responsibility, that age comes with new knowledge and new issues, I began to wish to myself and hope that life would become simpler. It always seemed to escalate. This issue happens and I think it's the worst thing ever to come along, then the next thing happens and I wonder how I thought the last thing was so bad, so on and so forth. While it may not necessarily happen exponentially, it does seem to increase.

Ah, the simple life. That time as a child when it all seemed so complicated when really, all I had to worry about was keeping my room clean and not getting too many smacks for picking on my sisters. It all was so unfair! Then as I got older and issues got bigger, I started realizing that life is a lot more complex than my 5 year old brain had comprehended. Time happened, years came and went, and all of a sudden I find myself as a responsible adult with all these adult sized challenges.

What I have come to realize in my supreme current wisdom (which in a few days to a few years I will come to know is just another level of simplicity to overcome) is that life doesn't get simpler. Life becomes adapt or die. Life pushes you beyond that point that you once were and gives you the opportunity to become more weathered and wise than you ever were before. The simplicity doesn't increase as time goes on, only the ability to cope with the new things.

It's not all bad news, 5 year old me. There are joys that one gets with increased age as well. It's just that those joys are as complex as the challenges that come along. Sometimes the joys and challenges get together and contribute to each other, sometimes they are completely separate from each other. Life gets good, you little rascal. You get good too. Just never simple.

So Small a Thing...

'"Is it not a strange fate that we should suffer so much fear and doubt for so small a thing? So small a thing!”*

                        

So often I make the same mistake that Boromir did. Clutching to a misguided hope in something other than his own strength and courage or faith in those around him, he searches to a solution that will be a quick and easy fix. While it may not necessarily be the thought that Tolkien had in mind when he created the character of Boromir, this still speaks to me in a few ways. 

- Am I searching for something that will be that easy fix for my problems? Should I instead accept the fact that these things inside of me I struggle with are there to strenthen and overcome in the journey instead of taking the shortcut that seems to solve it? These challenges in my life and in myself are things to overcome and become the champion of my own tale. How much more inspirational will that be than finding an object to solve everything magically. 

- Why do I fear that small thing that is inside me? The things that I let become obstacles in my dreams and my decisions are instead simply part of that tale. Instead of being the almost overwhelming problems, I can see them as a small thing that should not cause fear and doubt. My dreams, my life, my journey is so much larger than that. 

The hope and truth in all this is: even though Boromir failed in one moment of weakness in his original quest, he had the courage and strength in himself to overcome this failure and ultimately be the champion we all desire to be. I see the story of Boromir as the tale of a flawed hero, but a hero nonetheless. 

*Excerpt From: Tolkien, J.R.R. “The Lord of the Rings 1 - The Fellowship of the Ring.” iBooks. 

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**Image from http://joeoliverart.deviantart.com/art/Boromir-Speed-Painting-343345876