My landlady is a lovely woman of Persian descent.
She has worked hard her whole life; has raised three good children who are now good adults; has been loyal to her husband; immigrated to Canada to create a better life for her family; and has always tried to help those who are less fortunate than she is. She is now at an age where she expected to be travelling, enjoying her life, enjoying her children and grandchildren, and feeling good.
Instead, in the past three years, her daughter’s husband died within three months of the birth of his first and only child; her daughter suffered a terrible depression after her son-in-law’s death; my landlady contracted cancer which she has been fighting for the past three years; her son married an Iranian woman and moved back to Iran; and her husband spends much of his time in Iran running his business while trying to deal with an economy that is struggling. This is not what she envisioned.
Why do bad things happen to good people? An age old question. Some people say that God only gives you what you can handle. Others say what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. Others indicate that it is the devil trying to discourage you from your faith. Others that life is random and nothing happens for any reason at all. I don’t know the answer but the only one of the four prior answers that I believe is that what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.
Life is challenging and inexplicable. Bad people become rulers of countries. Bad people make fortunes and use the money for ill intent. Bad people take advantage and abuse their employees, partners, spouses and friends. Bad people succeed in many aspects of life. It doesn’t seem right.
In speaking with my landlady, I was brought back to the reality that life is not fair. All that we have is today. So enjoy every moment without exception because you cannot count on tomorrow or plan for tomorrow with any degree of certainty.
Live in this moment; it is all that you have for certain.
