I wrote this several years ago but it couldn’t be more fitting to today!
We close Lola for the week of Swedish days. I had come into town only once during that week. It was just enough to show me that closing was the best decision we could have made as the streets were packed and there was no possibility of parking. I decided to stay home for the week as we had just sunk a whole bunch of money into the car of our oldest daughter (buh bye vacation fund). As bummed as I was about not having the option of getting out of town it really made me think about how great my life really is. I think the same would go for so many others even if they’re feeling like it couldn’t get any worse. It’s all about perspective. Even though my checking account looks like the Sahara Dessert I was able to take a look around and see that I had a roof over my head, food in the fridge, electricity, transportation, and a healthy family. I have a friend who just lost everything in a tornado..although I know right now she feels like it couldn’t get any worse I hope she will soon reflect and see it could have been SO MUCH worse. Although she doesn’t have her home she was able to get a rental which appears to be quite lovely, her family although shaken up are all in tip-top shape, and she and her husband are still able to provide for their family. I have a million other stories of people who have endured hardships and tragic losses but I do believe that with every one of those obstacles there is an opportunity to see a light that you may not have seen before. Now, all of that being said I am not suggesting that you go through a tragic situation with a big ol’ smile on your face and immediately live this super positive attitude…we are all only human for pete’s sake. Face your 5 stages of grief…Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression, and Acceptance…but do it knowing that once you get to that last stage of acceptance you will not do only accept it you will grow, thrive, and become a stronger, wiser, and more loving person than you were before. Obviously my loss of a vacation fund could not even come close to being categorized as a tragic situation by any stretch of the imagination it was a minor inconvenience if that. However it was one of those perfectly placed bumps in the road that made me take a look around and become a more positive person than I was the day before. Every second of every day is an opportunity to become more positive. Spread the word!!
