LIFE.. you squeeze me like a lemon!

Dear life, 

You promised me a lot. But what you have given me has surpassed all that you promised. I knew that both beauty and ugliness would come my way for nothing comes unalloyed in life. My life has encompassed both good and bad. When I look back and also regard the present, I realize that the richness of life is in bringing all these experiences together and weaving a beautiful tapestry of them. 

When I try to achieve my goals in haste, you slow me down. You teach me patience; the value of waiting for what is worthwhile. You teach me that life is ever-flowing; like the river that gets around so many bends and boulders, you also make me flow over and around obstacles and difficulties. 

You often squeeze me like a lemon and so stress, pain and defeat become part of my experiences. You make demands on me. I was made to take on responsibility, to care for others and to give something back to you. However, when the demands became excessive you have shown me that sometimes I have to be squeezed to give out my best. You have also given me the chance and opportunity to recover when the feeling of being squeezed of all energy threatens to take over. 

Looking back, I find that you have enriched me with a gamut of experiences. You've let me experience the fact that being tested does not mean one has to seek escape from you. When we say 'yes' to life, we are really saying 'yes' also to surprises, setbacks and personal tragedies, and not only to happy times. 

In the course of my life, so many things have happened, but not every happening was significant. I have now learned to skip and not mull over or get bogged down by happenings that could have been accidental, coincidental or negative, and therefore they do not say much to me anymore. Life, you are a twin sister of TIME. In learning to make the best use of time and putting our talents to best use in activities that are essentially time-bound, we are really living life to the full. 

Yet, I request you: please don't squeeze me like a lemon. I have learnt my lessons and the need to put up a good fight and keep the faith. I will celebrate you and not waste the opportunity. 

And when I whisper a prayer, I say, "THANK YOU LIFE, FOR THE GIFT OF SELF TO ME!"