Nothing is Permanent

"Nothing is permanent in this wicked world, not even our troubles."

• Charles Chaplin
  

Nothing is Permanent

A few years ago when I started one of my first businesses I was really struggling. It seemed as if I was constantly swimming against the tide. Revenues were not growing the way I had projected and it just felt as if I wasn't making any progress. Then a conversation with my one of my Uncles made a big difference for me.

"How are things going?" asked my Uncle Truss.

"Not so well." I replied.

"Oh well, you've done well before and you'll do well again." He reminded me.

"Remember the attitude of gratitude!" He continued.

Then he walked away with a smile on his face and a spring in his step after he handed me a little card with the gratitude saying printed on it.

But, there was also something printed on his face. It was his gentle smile. A smile that conveyed to me that he really did have faith in me and he really did believe that things would be well; I knew that he knew it! He is a man that has had his share of troubles in life so I knew he talked from experience.

When he was early on into his first marriage his wife became ill and died, leaving him with a young daughter to bring up on his own. Even though it was difficult he continued on a found a wonderful young woman, who was herself a widow with a young son, to marry and together they had more children and built a wonderful life together. But, it wasn't easy for them.

I'll never forget visiting them in their home for many years as they lived in the basement while the entire upstairs was under continued construction. He worked full time outside his home and would then come home and work to complete their house at night and on weekends. They scrimped and saved, toiled and labored to finally complete their home. But, in the end their home was finished and beautiful and they didn't borrow any money to create it. It was theirs!

They lived a nice life in that house and enjoyed their children until they grew and moved away. Not long ago my Aunt Mary Lou passed away and my Uncle Truss sold their house and down sized. When I saw him last, he still had his knowing smile and the same spring in his step. He gave me his gratitude card again and said, "See, I told you you'd be doing well again!"

I looked into his eyes and saw the deep well of strength, love and experience still in residence there. I thought, "Nothing is permanent, except for one thing! Change is permanent and the way a person deals with change can be permanent!"

My Uncle Truss deals with change by keeping a smile on his face and holding faith deep within his heart. I keep his little gratitude card in my wallet and his experience and encouragement anchored to my soul. They remind me that the world is mostly good, not wicked, and that goodness of the heart can be as permanent as change!