My Favorite Quote from Albert Camus ~ In the midst of winter, I found there was, within me, an invincible summer.

My Favorite Quote from Albert Camus ~ In the midst of winter, I found there was, within me, an invincible summer.

Actually, the entire passage reads as follows:

In the midst of hate, I found there was, within me, an invincible love.

In the midst of tears, I found there was, within me, an invincible smile.

In the midst of chaos, I found there was, within me, an invincible calm.

I realized, through it all, that…

In the midst of winter, I found there was, within me, an invincible summer.

And that makes me happy. For it says that no matter how hard the world pushes against me, within me, there’s something stronger – something better, pushing right back.

Falsely yours,
Albert Camus

This has always resonated with me because it illustrates beautifully the resilience of the human condition.  I found that I had the power within me to make a difference that my personal fortitude would carry me through the difficult times, that there is hope. My attitude gives me the courage to survive the challenges that life hands me and to change the things I can.

Invincible ~incapable of being conquered, overcome, or subdued.

There have been times in my adult life where I truly questioned my resiliency; but I was no conquered or subdued. Instead, I searched deep within myself, called upon the support of those who love me, faced the storm and emerged on the other side to the sight of a rainbow.

If somebody had told me even 10 years ago that I would be living on a ridge at the edge of the beautiful Shenandoah Valley surrounded by nature, with a view of blue jays and cardinals out my window, the love of a truly good man by my side, enjoying a life filled with peace and serenity and good fortune, blessed with a job that affords me flexibility working for people that appreciate my particular talents, learning new things, celebrating life every day, joyfully immersing myself for hours in a dark room, hand sewing reproduction historical clothing, and digging in the soil to cultivate beauty in a landscape of shale, I would have never imagined.  But, I found within me that invincible summer.

Whenever the metaphorical winter brings me to the edge of sanity and comfort, I look deep within myself to find the memories of roses, of fresh garden tomatoes, of sun beating down upon me, of the smell of summer rains. Of sunrises and sunsets, of the warmth of love from my husband, family and friends, of the joy of living.

I know that I am strong; I have the tools to live a happy, healthy, life filled with abundance. I always have the summer within me.