Column by Julie Seedorf, Something about Nothing

The questions were: Do you have a wonderful life? What do you think having a wonderful life is? I hope you have given some thought to your life this past week. These are some of the replies I received in answer to my questions. The replies came from California to New York, from Texas to Minnesota. The replies came from men and women, young and old. The replies came from those who also have suffered losses and tragedy. These are their thoughts on a wonderful life.

&8220;I think a wonderful life is living in God&8217;s grace and caring for others. Having a wonderful family and friends that you can count on. Having that one special person you can confide in.&8221;

&8220;As people, we pursue happiness.But as we age, the more we try to find it, the fewer those moments happen on their own and the more we have to appreciate simpler things. Youth is wasted on the young.&8221;

&8220;Do I consider myself to have a wonderful life? The personal, home part of it, probably not.

It&8217;s great in the aspects of grandkids and our three wonderful girls.

But, I consider the most important part of having a wonderful life one in which you have a loving, caring relationship with your spouse, and that&8217;s not there. Your spouse should be your best friend; one you can talk to about pretty much anything; your support in good times and in bad. I shouldn&8217;t complain &8212; I have a great house, a good relationship with all my girls and a husband who provides well and comes home every night (physically, at least). I think I just read too many romance novels when I was a teen and young adult. I wish there was more to marriage!&8221;

&8220;You have caught me at a time when I am writing the final for my Lutheran confessions class. You cannot possibly use my response, but how can I not have a wonderful life, as a person who has been called through the gospel, enlightened, and sanctified by the Holy Spirit? How can I not think my life is wonderful as I read through all the confessional documents, to see the confessions that were worth dying for? How can one&8217;s life not be wonderful when it reads, &8216;The distinction between law and gospel is a particularly glorious light?&8217; Well, it cannot be so wonderful, because, unfortunately, the old sinful me is still hanging around. But the new, freed and forgiven me is grateful for all the gifts God has given me.&8221;

&8220;Yes, I have a wonderful life. I have a wonderful husband who is my best friend and is extremely generous and understanding. I have three lovely children who are extremely talented, healthy, smart, kind and good citizens. I have a very cute and healthy grandchild. Our family has been blessed to have lived in a nice town and we have all received a good education and have good people living around us and support us. We enjoy relatively good health and enjoy our lives.&8221;

&8220;A wonderful life has ample opportunity for serving. We get the most from life when we give freely, and willingly not just our possessions but ourselves. It’s one of the secrets to happiness that the more you give the more you get.&8221;

&8220;I really believe I have a wonderful life. I&8217;ve come to realize you don&8217;t need a lot of wealth to be happy. My wealth is my good health and my family. I am thankful for that. Our standard of living is so much better then most other countries, and we should thank God everyday for our freedom here. About the time you start feeling like things are bad, think about the children in St. Judes Hospital, or the starving people in Africa. I really believe I have a wonderful life.&8221;

&8220;I have an absolutely wonderful life. God is so good &8212; sometimes I think if it were any more wonderful there would have to be two of me &8212; but then cancer comes to another member of the family and both feet land back on the ground. Even having cancer can be a wonderful experience because you don’t think of how many friends you have until you or your family has some sort of a crisis and everybody comes to help out; past, present and future friends! Even with the stormy weather &8212; I have no window in my cubicle so it&8217;s always sunny!&8221;

&8221;The gift of life is wonderful in itself &8212; more so after loosing Jake and realizing how precious time together with family and friends is. So why do we get so busy we don&8217;t take all the time we should for just such things?

Maybe it is not so much the frequency, but taking those opportunities when they present themselves and really talk to or listen to what another has to say.&8221;

&8220;I would say that I have a very blessed life. I was rooted in a loving, faith-filled family. I married a wonderful guy 40 years ago who was also rooted in a loving, faith-filled family. We have built a life of loving, sharing, and giving that has been enriched by our three children, their spouses, four grandsons and a great many wonderful relatives and friends. God has been so good to us and we delight in sharing our blessings with others.&8221;

The thread is there. The people that answered my questions were from very different places in their lives but the key thread for a wonderful life was family and friends and first of all faith in God. I did not hear from anyone that was felt alone or was alone so that is a missing part of my column.

I, too, have a wonderful life. Yes there have been parts that are not so wonderful but during those parts of my life underlying were always God, family and friends that made those parts better. Like most of us I think there are always some regrets. Many times we do not realize how wonderful something is until it is taken away from us but the human spirit goes on.

I leave you again with the words from a gentleman that was interviewed after the flood last week. I do not know his name. This man lost his home and he had no insurance.

He told the reporter that while he was sitting on the roof of his house in the rain and waiting to be rescued he told God if he survived he would not complain about what was left. He was not complaining. Maybe the wonderful life is one we all have. We are alive.

Wells resident Julie Seedorf&8217;s column appears every Monday.

E-mail her at somethingaboutnothing@mchsi.com.