Have any of you ever
seen the movie "Tangled" by Disney, based on the story of Rapunzel?
This movie was playing while I was at work this week, and inspired me to write
this post.
The basic story of
Tangled (spoiler alert!) is that a witch has kidnapped Rapunzel from her
parents and has locked her up in a tall tower to raise as her own child. The witch's motive is
not one of love but of selfishly hoarding Rapunzel's magical hair . For 18
years, Rapunzel is trapped in a tower . She spends her free time in a myriad of
activities, all the while "wondering
and wondering and wondering and wondering: when will my life
begin?"
And I'll reread the
books
If I have time to
spare
I'll paint the walls
some more,
I'm sure there's
room somewhere.
And then I'll brush
and brush,
and brush and brush
my hair
Stuck in the same
place I've always been.
And I'll keep
wonderin' and wonderin'
And wonderin' and
wonderin'
When will my life
begin?
When will my life
begin?
I know I have asked
myself that question plenty of times! I've asked myself "when will my life
begin" during the troubled years of my childhood when I thought I would be
forever stuck in a stressful home life. I asked myself this same question through
the uncertain years of high school. And of course - I have asked myself this
question daily through the chemo injections, the many medical visits, and the
numerous days spent overnight in the hospital.
Rapunzel felt that
the woman she thought was her "mother" was keeping her from starting
to really live life. Have you ever felt something holding you back from truly
living? Did financial circumstances prevent you from attempting to achieve a dream
? Did a person's words and possessive character prevent you from truly
embracing life experiences? Has an illness taken hold of your body and
prevented you from living the way you would like?
My answer is yes to
all the above questions. I thought:
"If I had
enough money, life would be easier and life can truly begin."
"If that family
member was less harsh to me, I can actually enjoy life and let it truly
begin."
"If I was cured
from central nervous system vasculitis, then life can truly begin."
Like Rapunzel, I
have felt "stuck in the same place I've always been." When I got
drastically sick again last September, it seemed like my life would forever be
in a cycle of "remission, flare up, getting back up again." Right now
- as I have just returned to the work field full time, I feel that I am in the
stage of "remission." But somewhere in the back of my mind, a little
voice taunts me, "How long is this
going to last? How long will your medication help you before your
illness flares up again?"
How do you know when
your "life" has truly started? Is living life only when your heart
is happy and your spirit is light?
A very wise friend said, "Don't wait for life to start...just start living."
Whether it's raining
or sunny, you can choose to start living life already - without having to wait
for the "next stage." When you
are in a difficult circumstance - an illness, financial hardship, negative
relationships - your experiences are building you up for future moments in
life. You are still living even when you "feel stuck." Life still
goes on even when you feel like you are not moving forward at all.
"Every event in
life can be causing only one of two things. Either it is good for you, or it is
bringing up what you need to look at in order to create good for you." -
Deepak Chopra.
Instead of
wondering, "When will my life begin?" - Think instead, "I wonder
how this waiting period in my life is preparing me and strengthening me for the
future?"
Remember the caterpillar...when it thought it couldn't wait anymore for life to get better, it became a butterfly.
