# 108 Cathy's Camel

An entry from a friend who inspires and supports me every day.  Cathy, this is priceless and thank you for this camel driven entry.

     Trust

Throughout my adult life I have relied on a saying my mom taught me to help get through tough times. Her favorite disk jockeys used this on their show almost daily. It is, "EGBOK," pronounced /EGG-bok/. It's an acronym for "Everything's gonna be OK." Mom sent me an EGBOK pin and I kept it in my desk drawer at school for almost 29 years. I glanced at it often and repeated the mantra in my head over and over during stressful times.

Then, a few years ago, long after my mom's death, I read this in a book. It is an Arab/Muslim proverb.

Trust in God . . . but tie up your camel.

These simple words were profound to me. I kept mulling them over and over until I came to realize that they made so much more sense than EGBOK. 

With EGBOK, I had faith that yes, in the end, everything would be OK. Somewhat comforting but there was no responsibility on my part. It's as if I were a cork, bobbing along on top of the ocean, being blown about by winds and currents, waiting for that good outcome. 

I don't want to be a helpless victim when facing a daunting situation. I want to to be powerful, well-informed, hopeful and well-prepared to face the outcome, whatever it might be. And so, now, when a serious problem arises, I do have faith but I also take great care to make sure all my camels are securely tied.

Thank you Mary, for inspiring me to think and allowing me to share with the vast army of supporters who are so privileged to know you.

Cathy A.

Thanks for reading #108 of 7777.