rainy tuesday poem

This time of year is the toughest for me living in New York - it's dreary, dark and the cold weather just seems to drag on forever (it is not uncommon to have snow here in April! ugh).  I've been better this year about planning some trips to some warm places to visit family and friends.  I'm actually leaving tomorrow to go visit one of my best friends from college.  (The same friend I visited in Savannah here).  Spending time with her always brings a smile to my face and instantly puts me in a better mood :)  

Today one of my favorite blogs posted about gratitude, and also linked to a few of her favorite poems.  This reminded me of a poem I've always enjoyed, and thinking of it helped to brighten up my day so I wanted to share it here. 

IF

If you can keep your head when all about you

Are losing theirs and blaming it on you;

If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you, 

But make allowance for their doubting too:

If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,

Or, being lied about, don't deal in lies, 

Or being hated don't give way to hating, 

And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise; 

If you can dream -- and not make dreams your master;

If you can think--and not make thoughts your aim,

If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster

And treat those two impostors just the same; 

If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken

Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools, 

Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,

And stoop and build'em up with worn-out tools;

If you can make one heap of all your winnings

And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,

And lose, and start again at your beginnings, 

And never breathe a word about your loss;

If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew

To serve your turn long after they are gone

And so hold on when there is nothing in you

Except the Will which says to them: "Hold on!"

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue, 

Or walk with Kings -- nor loose the common touch,

If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,

If all men count with you, but none too much;

If you can fill the unforgiving minute

With sixty seconds' worth of distance run,

Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it

And -- which is more -- you'll be a [Woman], my son!

-Rudyard Kipling

So much of this poem really speaks to me personally, but the lines "If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster, and treat those to impostors just the same" really applied to the stress I was feeling today.  It is so easy to get caught up and forget that we make our jobs possible, and our jobs don't make us possible.  That win or lose, rain or shine, promotion or no promotion - I will still be me, and I will still be ok.  :)

PS: Here is one more sweet poem I found today. 

PPS: I recently found out the reading of "If" was the entire service at the funeral of my favorite author, Ayn Rand which makes my enjoyment of this poem even more poetic :)

PPPS: Sweet post on a parent's advice, and a cute blog post on being a newly married couple

Happy Tuesday!