Two Old Women

I recently read a wonderful book called Two Old Women by Velma Wallis.  It is an Alaskan legend that was passed down from generation to generation.  It’s a great read and so inspiring.  It's about two old women who were left behind to die by their tribe. Times were hard, it was winter, there was no food.

Up until the time they were abandoned, these two women had been in the habit of complaining about their aches and pains and how difficult it was to walk,  move, and get around. They were helped by their tribe, their loads carried for them, they had walking sticks. They were both advanced in age, but admittedly complained more than their difficulties merited.

Once the shock of being left behind by their tribe wore off and reality hit, one of the women voiced their choices - either stay in the open and die from starvation and cold, be eaten by wolves, or get up and move.  Though old, they were not ready to die and decided they would start walking in the opposite direction that their tribe went.

The story tells about their hardships, how they realized how easy they had it before in comparison, and how they had exaggerated their aches and pains when they were with their family and tribe. They walked each day until their bodies gave out.  Their hunting skills from their youth were rekindled. They were able to catch small birds and rabbits to keep themselves  alive.

They remembered a camp they had stayed at many years ago and managed to make it there. Much to their astonishment, they realized they had forgotten their walking sticks and found that by pushing themselves to their very limit, they had become stronger. They fortified the camp, survived the winter and stocked up food, made mittens, shoes and coats from beaver skins. By the time winter came upon them again, they were strong, fully prepared to meet whatever lay ahead.

The best part of the story, and I do hope you’ll read it, is that they had the opportunity to save their tribe, who once again was facing starvation.

We are stronger than we know. Miracles manifest when we do things that are hard! We can accomplish what we once thought was impossible.  Are you appreciating the hard road ahead of you? Have you learned through past challenges that you have become stronger? Are you able to be thankful for that? What are you facing now, that feels impossible?

Here are a few things that I thought were impossible for me: putting myself through Nursing School, leaving the religion I was raised in, divorcing my first husband. I would not want anyone to go through the intense pain involved with these things, but the fact is, we all experience heartache and hardship.  
Just like the two old women, we can choose to do what feels impossible and come out victorious. We each must decide - do you stay here and die? (die spiritually, emotionally, by playing it safe, staying in your comfort zone, not taking any chances) or do you choose to take a leap of faith?

If you have been following this blog, you know that I took a leap of faith by retiring early from Nursing.  I’m pursuing my passion of connecting people with God through food and making a living from it. I’m in the messy middle where it still sometimes seems impossible. But I choose to believe, to trust, to have faith, to do the work. I’ve done what I thought was impossible before, and so can you!