If...

August 18 marked the date that my Mother would have turned 83 years old this year. I posted awhile back that she passed a few years ago of Alzheimer's Disease. I'm happy to say that although I miss her dearly, I can look at her picture and smile, think of a memory shared and laugh, but most of all, I feel her presence often and I love the feeling of unwavering support and love she gave me and to this day, I still feel it.

She had a fondness for poetry and one of her favorites became one of my own favorites and so I thought I'd share it with you.

If

If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you;
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or being lied about, don't deal in lies,
Or being hated, don't give way to hating,
And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise;

If you can dream - and not make dreams your master,
If you can think - and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two imposters just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build them up with worn-out tools;

If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breathe a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: "Hold on!";

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with Kings - nor lose the common touch;
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you;
If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run -
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And - which is more - you'll be a Man, my son!

Wow, if only we could all actually live this way, hmmm? Lol! Well, I guess most of us try don't we - at least some of it anyway! I have very fond memories of my Mother reciting different parts of this piece throughout her life, depending on what she was facing at the time. She was so articulate and spoke softly and a smile would slowly appear on her face as if by mearly uttering these words, all would be well... and so it was.

Perhaps something in those words will speak to you - it's wonderful how that happens - sometimes we get to read or hear exactly what we need, when we need it.

Have a wonderful weekend dear ones! xox♥