Who is a Happy Man?

"The road to success is not straight. There is a curve called Failure, a loop called Confusion, speed bumps called Friends, red lights called Enemies, caution lights called Family. You will have flats called Jobs..."

I woke up this morning feeling "somehow". I managed to get out of bed, said my prayers, carried out my morning routine and off to work. 7:55a.m, I was seated behind my desk. Officially, I start work at 8. I booted my computer and while the computer was making up its mind on how long it would require to come fully alive, I realised, after some lines that I was humming "one day at a time sweet Jesus..." For some reason I can't explain, I kept repeating the line "Lord FOR MY SAKE teach me to take one day at a time..." Tim, my colleague walked in. "Morning Femi, how are you?" "Morning Tim, I'm good" I guess he was surprised. "Oh, that was a change! You either are not sure or not bothered but today you're good!" Well... I didn't know what to say but then I realised that I had made an impression which will last with Tim (probably) forever. Unconsciously, I have voiced my feelings, mainly driven by cirumstances and feelings.

4p.m, I tidied up my desk, saved my work for the day, made mental note of the milestones on my ongoing project and shut down the PC. My friend Abi had rang just a few minutes before then and I was still on the phone with her. I connected my handsfree and headed for the car park.

By 4:18p.m I was in my room and the laptop just finished booting; I am still on the phone with Abi, catching up on how her Pre-Induction at our new job went. I checked my e-mail and opened a mail from my friend Lanre.A portion of that mail spoke to me directly and I thought it may be speaking to so many people in my shoes and so I decided to share it on my blog.

I have copied and pasted the mail unedited below (I don't know who the Lateef guy is but Lanre is my friend and brother, he is indeed my blood). Read the mail from Lateef;

Dear all,

I got the piece below from a colleague and I found it thoughtful.

It was a busy morning, about 8:30, when an elderly gentleman in his 80s arrived to have stitches removed from his thumb. He said he was in a hurry as he had an appointment at 9:00.

I took his vital signs and had him take a seat, knowing it would be over an hour before someone would to able to see him. I saw him looking at his watch and decided since I was not busy with another patient, I would evaluate his wound. On examining it I saw it was well healed, so I talked to one of the doctors and got the needed supplies to remove his sutures and redress his wound.

While taking care of his wound, I asked him if he had another doctor's appointment this morning, as he was in such a hurry. The gentleman told me no, that he needed to go to the nursing home to eat breakfast with his wife.

I inquired as to her health. He told me that she had been there for a while! As she is a victim of Alzheimer's disease.

As we talked, I asked if she would be upset if he was a bit late. He replied that she no longer knew who he was, that she had not recognized him in five years now.

I was surprised and asked him, 'And you still go every morning, even though she doesn't know who you are?'

He smiled as he patted my hand and said, 'She doesn't know me but I still know who she is.' I had to hold back tears as he left, I had goose bumps on my arm and thought, 'That is the kind of love I want in my life. True love is neither physical nor romantic.

True love is an acceptance of all that is, has been, will be, and will not be.

Peace is seeing a sunset and knowing who to thank. The happiest people don't necessarily have the best of everything; they just make the best of everything they have.

I hope you share this with someone you care about, I just did. Life isn't about how to survive the storm but how to dance in the rain.

The road to success is not straight. There is a curve called Failure, a loop called Confusion, speed bumps called Friends, red lights called Enemies, caution lights called Family. You will have flats called Jobs.

But, if you have a spare called Determination, an engine called Perseverance, insurance called Faith, a driver called Almighty God, you will make it to a place called Success.

Cheers,

Lateef