The Third of March

Most of my life the third day of March held no special meaning. It was no one’s birthday or anniversary that I knew of. Today, however it will never pass by again without me taking notice. My life has been a roller coaster ride filled with ups and downs. Some of the highs have been so high I could touch the clouds, higher experiences than many ever know. And likewise, some of my low experiences are the kind of lows that many can live a lifetime and never have. I’ve scampered barefoot beneath the tropical sun, felt the rains in Africa, lived through a war, lost all I knew and loved except my family when ripped out of Africa at only ten years old. I’ve lived in the beautiful West Virginia mountains and been a high school cheerleader for a state championship football team. From Africa to quintessential Americana. I’ve won a local pageant and been named a runner-up at the state level. And I’ve lost one of my dearest friends in a yet unsolved horrific double murder. And that’s just the first twenty years of my life. The roller coaster just kept going after that. In fact, one reason I write is because God has given me a life that has been filled with unusual experiences—too many to share in one book, much less one blog post. But today I will tell you a few of those experiences that the third day in March will always remind me of. Last year, March 3, 2021, had my rollercoaster life told in one day. That morning I watched the announcements of the Selah Awards, one of the Christian writing world’s most prestigious awards. As I listened, I heard my name called out in two categories! (A couple months later I went on to win one of them and place second in the other.) I was flying high on the morning of March 3, 2021! My rollercoaster had reached a peak again. It wasn’t the highest peak I had ever reached but a peak, nonetheless. Then right on que like a roller coaster would, my high plummeted to a dark low a few hours later when I got a phone call with some disheartening news. Yesterday which was again March 3, I again watched the Selah Award announcements and though I did not hear my name called, a new writer who I have mentored was named and I’m tickled pink. Then as is par for the course in my roller coaster life, in the late afternoon, my Facebook showed me memories from a few years back when I had posted about the sudden death of my youngest son's best friend. They were fifteen and had been best friends since kindergarten. The friend (the little red head in the picture) was hit by a car crossing a road. Life is indeed full of ups and downs but it's still sweet. Oh so sweet!