Impossible is nothing

My mother was in Manila Philippines when Muhammad Ali was going to fight Joe Frazer at the time Muhammad Ali's name was Casious Clay. She even took a photo with him that I wished I had. Here is a quote by him: “Impossible is just a big word thrown around by small men who find it easier to live the world they’ve been given than to explore the power they have to change it. Impossible is not a fact. It’s an opinion. Impossible is not a declaration. It’s a dare. Impossible is potential. Impossible is temporary. Impossible is nothing.”  – Muhammad Ali

 

I can say that I have learned this quote to be true as I have watched my own life unfold. So many things that I thought to be impossible turned out to be absolutely possible with a little ambition, a lot of hard work, and the tenacity to go for it even when it was scary and intimidating and overwhelming.  I can say that I have seen time and time again my own confidence and faith grow as I would set huge goals that seemed almost laughable when I set them because they were so far out of my reach, only to have them come true once I had done everything in my power to make them happen and after a huge amount of help from God.  I know that when you have belief, hard work, and faith, impossible can become nothing.

 

I struggled with self-confidence early in my life, just as so many of us have.  I often felt small and insignificant and incapable.  What I learned over the years is the only way to overcome those feelings of fear is to take steps forward, even when you are the most afraid of failure and uncertainty.  Recognize and acknowledge to yourself that you are feeling afraid, but never let that fear stop you from moving forward.

 

Look, there are very few things in this life that are ever certain, and you are never going to know ahead of time what will succeed and what will fail because life is full of changes and surprises that quickly can send things down an entirely different path then we expected.  Some things that seem like a failure turn out later to have been the very thing that brought us to our biggest successes. Just because you can’t see the final act of your life’s play yet, doesn’t mean that it is doomed to end unhappy or as a failure.  There are going to be plenty of ups and downs between today and the end of the play so trust that when its all said and done you will have the “lived happily ever after” fairytale ending that you are hoping for.  But every Cinderella has to deal with a few wicked step sisters and having no dress to wear to the ball and losing a glass slipper, before she finally ends up meeting her Prince Charming.  That is just the reality of life.  Things may appear dark some days and things may appear to be heading in all the wrong directions, but just keep your mind focused on doing the best you can every day…putting yourself out there…continuously moving forward…and have faith that one day your story will end up the way that it should with your happily ever after flashing across the screen.

 

Impossible is nothing.  Fairy tales come from that notion. Magic can happen in life if you believe, then go do everything in your power to make it be so, and put your faith in God – he will send Fairy Godmothers into your life just when they are needed most to help you on your journey.  Don’t hold yourself back.  Be bold.  Be brave.  Be that one person who makes a difference in the world.

 

“Never forget that you are one of a kind. Never forget that if there weren’t any need for you in all your uniqueness to be on this earth, you wouldn’t be here in the first place. And never forget, no matter how overwhelming life’s challenges and problems seem to be, that one person can make a difference in the world. In fact, it is always because of one person that all the changes that matter in the world come about. So be that one person. ” – Richard Buckminster Fuller

Con amor,

Vero

 

 

 

I can't believe it has been five years!

August 20, 2008 marks the end of a marriage, my marriage to Brad Van Leeuwen. I received a letter from the judge dated August 20, 2008 and his signature. It was a simple piece of paper of no value like our marriage was to Brad. It is going to be weird to think that as when you look at a dash on the tomb of someone who has died it marks the beginning and the end. For us, it was September 11, 1981 - August 20, 2008. But this slow death really started on March 2003 when Brad went to El Salvador with his brother Randy and wife, how ironic!

I can't believe I waited five and a half log years for a miracle that never happened. What every married woman wants is a husband that someday will be called grandpa, a hero, an anchor and an example of a loving husband in whom you can sense a loving bond between grandma and grandpa. We won't be there together to see our youngest daughter Mandy get married or be in the same rooms when our daughters give birth. 

I remember when the Bekkers were in Church attending sacrament meeting when all of the sudden they got up and left in the middle of the meeting. He was our stake President so that was unusual but it was because their son and daughter in law had just given birth to their grandson and they needed to rush over to the Hospital. That will never happen with us. We will never be together welcoming our grand babies or be at their baptisms or blessings. 

How tragic is also for us not to have family pictures together beyond 2008.  No more vacations as a family either. We won't share anything anymore. We are now complete strangers like if there was nothing that tied us together. This is what divorce does. I don't wish this on anyone.

Marriage between a man and a woman is ordained of God and is intended to be eternal. In Matthew 19:5 we read: "For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh" Marriage is often referred to a partnership with God. Obviously, Brad didn't see it that way. He broke his promise. When I married him, he was a man who truly loved me, and one who honored his priesthood, one who showed respect and fidelity to me and gave me no reason to ever doubt his faithfulness. But he changed.

The million -dollar question is: Knowing what I know now, would I have married Brad? probably yes, Because I did give birth to three amazing daughters. They are my life. They are wonderful young women. I am so sorry, my sweet girls, for not providing you with a stable home. We are now bad examples to you. Please don't do what we did. Please, don't ever think the answer to your marital problems is to get a divorce. Please work things out. 

I still think a marriage is so worth it. I am so grateful I had my amazing girls even when it meant so much sorrow for me in the end. One thing I learned from this is that you never know who you really married until you get a divorce and how real the power of Satan really is. He got him and once you belong to him, he will destroy you. He destroyed our family. My only prayer is that I will become a better person because of this trial and one day I can say, I am a survival and will keep my chin up because the Lord knows I didn't want this to happen. I tried all I could even when it was to no avail. I’m o.k. and not only that but I found true love, the kind that will last forever. I love my life just the way it is now!

Con amor,

Vero