Celebrate rising again as much as reaching the finish line.

Life holds many disappointments. Sometimes even failure. Few walk through their life without being touched by that sour twisting of loss, and being thrown down by circumstances… but then they get back up.

They rise again. And again.

“If you have made mistakes, even serious mistakes, you may have a fresh start any moment you choose, for this thing we call “failure” is not the falling down, but the staying down.”

~ Mary Pickford, Canadian born actress 1892-1979

Getting back up needs to be noticed – it needs some celebration. 

Are you standing up again… yet again? Or it might not be you, but maybe someone you love is rising again.

Celebrate!

Rise again and gather those you love around to celebrate with you! Rising again may be even more important than reaching a finish line…


There’s a song by a Canadian folk-singer, Stan Rogers, that Rob and I love – it’s about a ship and maritime fishermen …  however, the last stanza seems appropriate for this post.

And you to whom adversity has dealt the final blow
With smiling bastards lying to you everywhere you go
Turn to and put out all your strength of arm and heart and brain
And like the Mary Ellen Carter, rise again.

 

Rise again! Rise again!
Though your heart it be broken and life about to end
No matter what you’ve lost, be it a home, a love, a friend
Like the Mary Ellen Carter, rise again.

Rise again… rise again…

 

~ last stanzas of Stan Roger’s song “The Mary Ellen Carter”

Stan Rogers – Canadian folk-singer 1949 – 1983

 

Enjoy the YouTube video below (click HERE if you can’t see the player.)

This is a section from a film on Stan Rogers where a fellow recounts being shipwrecked in a wicked storm, and how the song made the difference between him giving up or hanging on until the Coast Guard arrived to rescue him.

Then you’ll see Stan Rogers sing the song, “The Mary Ellen Carter” in concert at minute 1:40.