Today was one of those days in my life where I was reminded how special this miracle we call life can really be. I saw the very best of humanity, and I saw the very worst of humanity. I saw how special life can be and I saw how dangerous life can be. I was reminded that life can be beautiful and I was reminded that life can be horrifying. I saw a celebration of life and I saw a homicide in life.

Life is What we Make it

I was at a funeral reception of a gentleman that my family has known for about 25 years. When they made an announcement that they were going to show a 20 minute presentation that his grandchildren had made, I was a little skeptical because I was wondering how they planned on keeping the audience’s attention for 20 minutes. When the slide show started, I was truly moved. I saw a man that truly lived an incredible life. Every picture captivated my soul because he always had an incredible smile on his face. Every picture showed an amazing connection with his wife, his children, his grand children, and his many friends. My partner Cristina who had never met this gentleman, started to cry because this slide show moved her so much. She saw the very same thing that I saw. We saw a man who made the very best of his life. Did he have problems in his life, I am sure he did. Everyone has problems at one time or another. It is not the problems in our lives that make us, it is how we handle those problems. The quality of our lives depend on the quality of our spirit. Life is what we make it, and this gentleman clearly made the very best of his life.

Then I Saw The Worst of Life

On my way home I was constantly thinking how precious life can really be. I live in a gated community right next to the gated community that my family lives in. I often stop by to see my mother on my way home. At the entrance of the community was about four different news vans reporting live. This was a shock to me because I am not used to seeing news vans outside of the gates of this subdivision. This subdivision is where Tiger Woods, Shaquille O’neil, Vince Carter and the rest of the who’s who in Orlando call home. The homes start at about 2,000,000 and go up to over 20,000,000. As I passed mansion after mansion I pulled up to a scene that seemed to be right out of a movie. I saw more police cars that I could count. I saw crime scene investigation units and I saw crime scene tape everywhere. This wasn’t CSI Miami, this was Central Florida’s most exclusive subdivision where bad things are not suppose to happen. I eventually found out that a man shot his wife in the head, ending her life. What situation in this man’s life could have possibly been so bad that he decided to take his wife’s life?

What in The World Happened?

Murder in the most exclusive community in Orlando. I don’t have all the details because it is an active homicide investigation. However, I really don’t care what the details are. Nothing in the world could’ve been so bad that drove him to kill his wife. I know that there is no reason in the world to end a life in the way that this woman’s life was ended. What went wrong? Were they facing money problems? Was their home facing foreclosure? Did one person cheat on the other? Did someone hurt the other person’s feelings badly? Who gives a damn because there is nothing in life that can make your world so bad that you need to take someone else’s life.  I have faced problems in my life that I thought would destroy me. I have faced adversity that I thought would be the end of me. Guess what? I survived and every time I overcame my trials and tribulations I became a better person. I have heard of people overcoming the most difficult circumstances. I have heard of people rising from the darkest of places only to experience a glory that was once unimaginable. If someone else did it, anyone can do it.

I Don’t Give a Damn

I don’t care what challenges you face because I know that you have the power within you to overcome anything that life throws at you. I know that there is nothing that you can face that hasn’t already been conquered by someone else. Is it going to be easy? No, its going to be hard. Sometimes it is going to be extremely difficult but I know you can do it if you desire to do it. You can achieve anything you believe. Nietzsche said, “What doesn’t kill you, will only make you stronger.” I know you have problems, but there is nothing that you can’t overcome. It may look like the end of the world, but I promise you that you can overcome. Never give up hope. Cherish your life, cherish the love, and cherish the days that you are blessed to live. You are not here forever so make sure you make every moment of your life count. Your life can be extraordinary or it can be miserable. Its entirely up to you. What life are you going to live?

Martin Luther King said, “Only when it is dark enough can you see the stars.”

Please take care of yourself,

Hooman Hamzehloui 2009

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One Life to Live is a post from: HoomanCan Blog