Box opening

Do you ever feel that life is random?  Personally I don't think it is, but I do sometimes feel that way!  Do you ever search for words to help someone who struggles?  Do you ever find that words are simply too clumsy?  This poem addresses these issues.

Box Opening

On deal or no deal they open some boxes

And respond with a gasp or a sigh

Sometimes there's cause for great celebration

But often I've known people cry

There's no way of knowing what each box contains

Yet people have game plans they use

Perhaps family birthdays or random events

To help decide which box to choose

And life sometimes seems very random

A bit of a lottery draw

We cannot predict what the future will bring

What your life or mine holds in store

And just like the boxes there's no guarantee

No knowing what each day may reveal

And the strangest thing I have discovered

There's no certainty how you will feel.

You may think you can gauge your reactions

By what has occurred in the past

There's many a challenge can shake us

And life can change ever so fast

Now things haven't got me defeated

But the box opening lately's been rough

And I'm finding some days are quite tricky

And often incredibly tough

As somebody asked me this morning

“how have you found things today?”

I found that I didn't quite have the right words

For all that I wanted to say

My feelings are constantly changing

There's fear, relief and confusion

The moment I think I am back in control

I discover it's just an illusion.

And I'm grateful that person this morning

Had the insight to understand

That no words of wisdom were needed

But simply held on to my hand

That gesture meant more than you'd know

For it touched something broken inside

As God opened one of His boxes

And love and compassion supplied.

Karen Holmes

October 24 2010