I Wish You

I wish you plenty of obstacles in your road, for obstacles help us to learn more than anything else.  May the obstacles never be too overwhelming for you, and may you always find the strength to deal with them inside yourself.  As the saying goes, "Smooth seas do not make skillful sailors," and we would do well to learn more life skills in order to improve our own lives and to be able to help others to overcome some of the obstacles that they encounter.

I wish you the ability to recognize obstacles for what they are:  either impenetrable barriers that should cause us to choose another path, or hindrances that can be overcome with patience and perseverance.  Too often, people confuse the two and end up wasting time, energy, and spirit trying to attain something that truly is unattainable, or giving up at the first sign of resistance that they encounter in their paths.  But may you not be too quick to jump to a judgment as to which is which--very often, things that we think at the outset are one, end up being the other.

I wish you plenty of company and companionship with people who will be able to help you to overcome the obstacles in your way, for only through accepting help from others can we learn truly to help others.  The giving heart must be able and willing to take, and if we don't allow others the chance to help us, we're robbing them of the opportunity to grow and to change through giving.  We're taking away from them the sense of satisfaction and fulfillment that comes from having helped a fellow human being in need.  May you never allow pride to keep you from letting others give you help, no matter how slight the help may be.