I strongly believe that everything happens because it is meant to happen. Every image our eyes run across, every new face we glance at and every problem we encounter, are all important pieces to our puzzle of life.
On a short stay away from home, I found myself in a hotel room flipping through channel after channel on TV. Since we don't have cable at home, I always take advantage of the abundance in entertainment. One show in particular seemed to catch my eye immediately (No, it wasn't What not to wear ;). There was nothing flashy or catchy about it in particular, I just felt like I should hold off on changing the channel for a bit longer.
They were in the middle of interviewing a Mormon singer/song writer that had recently made history. She was the first Latter Day Saint artist to reach top 10 status on the Christan billboard music charts. Hillary Weeks spoke about her most recent album and her newest music video. "Beautiful Heart Break". She went into detail about what the song meant to her. She explained that sometimes, unthinkable things happen in our lives that we wouldn't wish upon anyone and we just pray for them to go away. But, through it all, we realize how strong we are and how those experiences, though we may not know why they happen to us, help us to inspire, uplift and help others. Our trials are tailored specifically for us and something that may seem easy to you, would seem impossible for someone else and vice versa. Watching the music video that goes along with that song was so incredibly moving and eye opening. It spoke to my heart and I was so overwhelmed with compassion after watching it. It gave me a totally different perspective on life and how we need to appreciate the small things we take for granted, every day.
The video features various women that share their "Beautiful Heart break". At first, they seemed like ordinary women but, after you realize that they have been through some unimaginable things, all of a sudden, they don't seem so "ordinary" anymore. They were extraordinary!
Toward the end of the video, a group of brave women, each hold up a sign that silently reveals their "beautiful heartbreak" to the world. As you read each sign, you get a small idea of what they have had to painfully endure. I couldn't believe some of the things theses women have had to deal with and survive through! It was so hard to read all of their signs but, it made me realize that even thought they had to deal with these difficult trials, they were still alive and they were making it through, somehow. It was a great reminder that ALL Women have extraordinary abilities. Abilities that can help get them through their heart break with grace, patience, endurance, power, optimism, hope, and most importantly, Faith. A combination of abilities and traits that make them beautiful, truly beautiful.
Please watch Hillary Weeks' inspired video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xyX-I-um5Kk
After seeing this, I felt an overwhelming sympathy and respect for these women. What if I never got to see these women with their signs? I wondered how I would look at them if I ran into them in public. Would I compare myself to them at first? Would I blindly judge them? Would I treat them with the honor and respect they deserved or would I be so enveloped in my own life that I would be to busy to say hi, or even smile?
These simple, few worded signs, immediately changed my view of these women! I instantly got a tiny glimpse of the pain and anguish they have had to suffer. It's interesting that once I saw their inner strength and power that they possessed, their outward appearance faded immediately and any urge or reaction I had to judge was gone! I was reminded that we should be looking at the real beauty and strength in each other, rather than picking one another apart.
I will surely think twice before judging a stranger from now on, especially because, they aren't strangers if you think about it. We are all women that are struggling through life with different heartbreaks, we have more in common than we know. We should strive to be more united and less quick to put up our guards.
Imagine that we all carried around our beautiful heartbreak signs, how much would we be inclined to judge the lady behind us at the grocery store with screaming kids? She may be wearing the sign of a young widow, left to care for her children all alone. Would we think twice before honking at a slow driver If we could see that her sign was abuse? She might be dreading the pain she will face as soon as she gets home and driving slowly is the only comfort she can get at that moment.
I was at the grocery store the other day and I was up front getting my cart and I noticed a young mother pushing a double stroller in one hand, with a baby in the front and a new born in the back seat. Then she was pulling a shopping cart behind with the other hand. I remember thinking to myself, "Wow, she is a super women! How can I ever complain when I have only one cart to push, with one child in it. I'm sure her everyday life is a million times as hectic as mine. What an amazing woman!" Then, to my surprise, a lady she somewhat knew (didn't seem like they were best friends, maybe they were neighbors) Said, "Hey, how are you? Do you need help?" The mom said "I've done this before, I think I'll be okay." She unsurely said. "I don't have much to get anyway." Kind of hesitating the offer but knowing she needed help. The other women said "Well then, if you don't have much, I'll help you with this cart" as she grabbed the cart from her, before she could answer, and headed into the store. There are no words to explain the look on that moms face. It was like she had been worried all day about making the trip and praying for a way to get it done and just at the right time, her prayer was answered. I could tell she was relieved and it literally looked like a weight had been lifted off her shoulders. My next thought was, "Wow, another Super Women!" How awesome was this lady who didn't think twice about offering help. She just saw the need and took charge.
These "Super Women" are everywhere! But, if we don't see them in their "Super Women" moments or know what their personal heartbreak is, I think we quickly forget how amazing women can be and we resort to comparing and judging one another. I was very grateful to see these women in their "Super" moments. They weren't dressed in designer clothing and their hair wasn't done all fancy, I don't even know if they had makeup on. But, the beauty that I saw in their actions definitely sparkled brighter than any lip gloss ever could. It was a great reminder to me that we need to stick together as women and support one another. That we need to look past the "flawed" outer shell to the "Wow" factor on the inside.
I know I was meant to be at that hotel, to see that show, to see that inspiring music video, to be reminded of the potential and beauty that women poses, to see those wonder women at the grocery store, to remind me of the remarkable beauty that all women possess. They were all significant pieces to my "Life Puzzle" that I am grateful to have received.
Ever since that day I saw the "Beautiful Heartbreak" Video, I seem to be doing less judging and more understanding. I think of the women I interact with on a daily basis and see, the "Wow" factor they all posses. From my self-less friend who knowing of the baby's disabilities, still chose to adopt and commit herself to him forever, to the many women I run into on a regular basis that are always doing something to help someone else in need. These are all truly beautiful women that I am privileged to know. I hope we can all be more willing to stand united. I hope we can let our guards down and realize that we are all in different stages of our heartbreak that we are struggling with. And if we can be less quick to judge and more quick to understand and support, we will help each other quicken the healing process. We are all SUPER WOMEN! Let's start treating one another, stranger on not, like so.
