No, I haven’t been gone for weeks or even days. My trip to the grocery store took less than an hour this time.

Indeed, it doesn’t matter how long I am gone, nor if I accidentally step on her pawn, my dog’s display of affection has never changed for the past nine years. Regardless of whether I ignore her presence beside the stove while cooking dinner, or caress her belly when watching TV, her eyes always send the same message:

I love you. I need you. I miss you. You are precious to me.

I remembered my dog’s “welcome home” ritual earlier this week, while riding south BR-101, Brazil’s main interstate. My mom and I were on our way to see my 96-year-old grandmother, one of the many people I visited during my short time here. I’ve been in the country for the past two weeks, visiting my Brazilian family, this time without my husband and children. It’s the first time I come alone since I moved to America 18 years ago.

Of all the times I’ve visited, this one has been especially emotional to me. Since I’ve been on my own, I have received and been able to offer undivided attention to my family. Everywhere I go, the display of love and appreciation fills my heart with joy. It’s a beautiful “welcome home” ritual in every house I visit, and each embrace conveys what a thousand words cannot express.

Living 6,000 miles away from my country and loved ones has changed the way I see all the important relationships in my life. I don’t take the time spent with my parents for granted anymore. Each laughter shared with my siblings and each moment with my best friend are held close to my heart, since it will be another year before we see each other again.

Many years ago, I was riding down I-75 to my first job in downtown Atlanta, praying and asking God to help me cope with the emptiness I felt inside. My mom had just returned home from a visit to America, and I was thinking about the days she spent at our home. Had I shown her the depth of my love? Had I been slow to judge and quick to forgive? Had I been wise and picked my battles, instead of allowing small aggravations to steal our precious time together? I knew the answer. Her visit could have been much better, had I been just a bit wiser.

Various situations played in my mind, when I spotted a sticker on the window of the car in front of mine. The simple words, written in bold white letters, spoke volumes:

“No Regrets.”

Given the other Surf and Rock Climbing stickers that the young lady collected on her car window, one could easily understand her meaning: Seize the day. Be adventurous. Don’t miss out on life.

But as I thought about those words, a deep conviction settled in, and “No Regrets” has become my life motto ever since. No, I have not climbed any mountains or surfed any waves since then. That day, however, while thinking about my relationships and how fast life passes by, I decided to live more intentionally, forgive much, choose my battles wisely, and, most of all, grab every opportunity to treasure those I love.

It’s amazing how pointless certain arguments can become, and how unimportant small differences can be, when you have to say goodbye to the ones you love. Should we live as if they were gone tomorrow, or simply if we could not hold them for another year, would petty things bother us so? I think not.

May God help us seize each day with our loved ones as if it were the last, and strive to live with no regrets.

Lord, help us seize each day with our loved ones as if it were the last, and strive to live with NO REGRETS.
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This article was originally published on Patricia’s column for The Atlanta Journal Constitution on Saturday – November 25th, 2017.

The post Cherish Your Loved Ones… and Live with NO Regrets {The Atlanta Journal Constitution} appeared first on Soaring With Him Ministries.

Quoted from the memorable blockbuster film “Dead Poets Society,” these were the words I recalled when I heard that one of the funniest men on earth had died. His characters made me laugh, cry and remember to keep life in perspective. Whether in “Mrs. Doubtfire,” portraying the hilarious father who didn’t spare extreme measures to reunite with his children, or as John Keating, the unorthodox, free-spirited English teacher in “Dead Poets Society,” Robin Williams’ endearing personality conquered Hollywood and gave the world countless moments of joy for almost four decades.

I was thinking about Williams’ death while walking in the park this morning. I noticed a gentleman I often see there. He sits on the same bench and looks at the horizon, as if contemplating something that no one else can see. His demeanor is somber. His eyes, always sad. I have never seen a smile, even as regulars greet him. Because of his demeanor, I wouldn’t be surprised if someone told me he suffers from severe depression. Indeed, there are people around us who cannot hide their sadness.

Conversely, the news surrounding Williams’ suicide shocked the world because we, his fans, believed the smile. We believed those laughing eyes. We believed that the glamour that surrounded his life was enough to feed his spirit. We believed that the joy he portrayed while performing extended to his personal life.

However, no matter how many journalists and psychologists speculate about the reasons for his depression, one truth remains: Robin Williams felt hopeless. Hopeless enough to take off the mask, turn off the camera and put an end to his life.

His suicide brings hope and joy into perspective in a society where wealth, fame and status are synonyms with success and happiness. It reminds us that there is more than what meets the eye in the cover of magazines and under the limelight. We see famous people’s happy faces and we believe them. We watch them parade their smiles, perfect bodies and mansions and we buy the propaganda – that material possessions bring happiness.

“There is a hole in man’s heart that only God can fill.” In 1670, Blaise Pascal introduced this concept in his book “Pensées,” written as a defense of Christianity. The concept of the “God-shaped hole,” however, has taken on a life of its own and has been used by various theist authors to refer to that perpetual thirst in man’s soul that only God is able to quench. Many spend their lives attempting to fill that void with possessions, relationships and accomplishments, and often get to the end of their lives feeling hopeless and defeated. On the other hand, we meet people of great faith who have very few possessions and even go through unimaginable pain without losing joy and hope.

To many, these people are delusional. To people like myself and so many others, there’s a different answer. God is our hope. That special hole is filled. Indeed, because of hope, I have gone through cancer and did not lose my joy. I have experienced great financial loss without losing perspective. And as I focused on God, regardless of my circumstances, I have found the strength to press on.

No one knows Robin Williams’ relationship with God. I certainly would not dare to speculate. Indeed, even people of faith can lose hope. But I personally choose to keep God in that place designed for no one else but him. Because only in him do I find hope to indeed seize each day and the strength to make life extraordinary.

The post A Reflection on Robin Williams’ Death – Last Weekend’s AJC Column appeared first on Soaring With Him Ministries.