Where's the Silver Lining?

Tarnished lining

I think everyone has had a time when she (or he) felt bruised and battered emotionally. We may think we have a close and dear friend who turns on us, or a family member lashes out in anger, or even in hate. We wonder what we did to deserve the harsh treatment. We may even decide to withdraw into our own shell and not try to befriend or to show love any more. We ask, "Why bother, I just get hurt."

Garth Brooks helped write (I think) and sang a song some years ago that addresses this idea, called "The Dance." The core of the lyrics said that if we didn't reach out and take a chance emotionally, we might miss the pain, but we would also miss the dance.

So when I'm feeling low, misunderstood, and unloved, I may wonder if I'm just an old fool. However, since I've always been one to forgive and try again, I can't blame wanting to reach out to others, no matter what the cost, on age. I posted this poem today

“No fool like an old fool,”
So the worn saying goes.
I wonder when I turned
Into one of those old fools.

Shouldn’t I have learned
Over the years not to trust
Anyone so much so soon?
But I keep on doing just that.

Shouldn’t I have learned
Those who seem to heed me
Don’t necessarily care?
Yet I hand my heart over again.

Shouldn’t I have learned
After endless pain and suffering
Other people can and do cause hurt?
So, I give them the chance, again.

Why? Because I believe in giving
All a chance, no matter the risk.
When I reach out a helping hand,
I may pull back a stump, but . . .

But I still reach out that hand:
I make a difference, sometimes.
I think it’s better to be a fool
Than never to trust, love, or live.

Yes, I’m an old fool,
But I started young.