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Ring the Bell





Angela recently finished radiation treatments, a medical war against breast cancer, a battle she hadn't anticipated this time last year. At the end of agonizing months she was able to ring the bell, signifying victory. She stood strong and proud and rang it. I imagine tears in her eyes for winning the battle, for relief that the treatments were over, and that her pain would ease soon. Facebook friends cheered her on from all over the world.

 My daughter chose a wedding gown and was invited to ring the bell.

 Wait....what?

 Ring the bell for shopping?

 Welcome to America: 2018 

 Where we are rewarded for menial tasks. 
Where we make a much bigger deal out of finding a wedding dress than we should.
Where we have to make everyone feel important about everything.

 Honestly, I was embarrassed when the salesgirl asked my daughter if she wanted to ring the bell. Yes, she found a dress to be married in. To wear for about four hours. It took forty-five minutes for the decision to be made. It wasn't life altering. I've actually shopped for groceries longer than it took her to find a dress and no one asked me to ring a bell when I found just the right bag of apples.

 We are destroying our young people. They are growing up with an inflated sense of ego, of thinking the world owes them something, and they don't know how to deal with disappointment.

 Yes.

 I'm going there.

 We've all watched the disappointed throngs whine and protest and generally act like toddlers because they didn't like the outcome of the latest presidential election. Guess what? Every election year there are people who are disappointed and life. goes. on. The sun still rises and sets. There is still reason to enjoy each day. Life isn't about everything being comfortable. It's in the discomfort that we grow. It's in the disappointment that we learn how to make the best of any situation. 

 Having the ability to solve problems is part of life, and you can't figure it out if you're not facing the problems that come across your path.

 Trials build character. Trials increase our faith. Trials push us to do things we wouldn't do otherwise.

 Do you crumble when a trial comes your way? Angela may have initially felt her spirit crumble when she was diagnosed with breast cancer last year, but the warrior within rose and she fought each day, determined to come out stronger. She ended the year in a race. In an actual race. I wouldn't even do that. 

 If anyone deserved to ring a bell it was her. I'm not sure I've ever done anything worthy of ringing a bell. 

 How about you? 

 Let's determine to finish strong. This life is the only one we have, let's live it well and when we cross the line and take our first breath on the other side, let's make it our goal to hear those words we ache for, "Well done...."

 That's when I plan to ring the bell. 




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