Great acceptances
We don’t need to be big or strong or colorful to be beautiful.
I photographed this pretty little bird at Crater Lake, Oregon, June 2000.
“Contentment, and indeed usefulness, comes as the infallible result of great acceptances, great humilities—of not trying to make ourselves this or that, but of surrendering ourselves to the fullness of life—of letting life flow through us.”
— David Grayson
I couldn’t help but find some comic relief in what I learned when I looked up the author of this quote; I kept coming up with articles on some guy named Ray Stannard Baker. It took me a couple of false starts before I read on enough to find that David Grayson was a pen name. My first thought was “Hey, what happened to what you said about not trying to make ourselves this or that?” Okay, so I’ve always been a bit of a smart alec. Regardless, I like what he says here.
The word “great” isn’t usually paired with the word “acceptance,” but I do find the concept intriguing. The fullness of life includes a lot of things for which we might not have wished or planned– otherwise life wouldn’t truly be full– but once we get over the bumps, acceptance can indeed be a blessing. If we are to keep life flowing through us, that means being open to the new while not hanging on too tightly to the familiar and comfortable.
What are the great acceptances of your life? Whatever that phrase might bring to your mind, I hope you are happy and content to be who you are, and where you are. I know I’m happy you are here! As my hero Fred Rogers was so fond of saying, “There’s only one person in the world exactly like you, and people can like you just the way you are.”
This post was first published seven years ago today. The original post, comments and photo are linked, along with two other related posts, below. These links to related posts, and their thumbnail photos, do not appear in the blog feed; they are only visible when viewing the individual posts by clicking on each one. I have no idea why, nor do I know how they choose the related posts. That’s just the way WordPress does things.
- Posted in: Uncategorized
- Tagged: acceptance, contentment, fullness, happiness, humility, joy, life, satisfaction, self-esteem, serenity, usefulness
Defeat Despair 
I think Stannard-Baker used a pen name because he had spent so much time as a muckraker. He started writing about his childhood, a gentler life and time. Because he’d spent so many years and was known to be very good at exposing corruption and greed in businesses I think he needed a change so it seems appropriate he rewrote himself as well. He actually won a pulitizer or two and spent years working for Woodrow Wilson.
Interesting info on a little-known writer, for those who did not follow the link.
There hasn’t been a day in the last week that you haven’t been on my mind. Sending thoughts of strength and comfort.
Thank you so much! I appreciate it. I think of you often, too, and wonder how you are doing in your new location?
Good morning, Julia! Today’s Upper Room message underscores the “usefulness” side of what comes through the great acceptances and great humilities. https://www.upperroom.org/devotionals/en-2023-06-08
Your life is certainly full of usefulness. Thank you for being such an inspiration!
You’re welcome, Susan. I hope some good can come out of all this, for someone besides (hopefully) Matthew and me.