Lemons and Lemonade

Sometimes things don't always go according to plan.  Although one plans for those inevitable instances when they have to summon up some courage that was tucked away for that cold and rainy day, it can always be a disorienting experience.  For starters, we all know that life may not always appear to be fair. However, it is the attitude which one brings to those instances of potential unfairness that can transcend a person from who they were, to they were meant to be.  When you hear about good people that end up fighting a terrible illness, or someone that has had a tough life continue to navigate more storms than they should have, it can be easy to look up and wonder, why?  None of us never know the immediate answer to the question of why, yet, what I have learned from experience is that we are taught certain things in order to continue to graduate among the various stages in life.  This can be a hard thing to understand especially when you hear of a tragic consequence that may eliminate the life of someone unexpectedly.  The question of why can creep into anyone's immediate thoughts shortly thereafter and for some time to come.  Perhaps it is a situation that may be so unimaginable that it can cause feelings of disappointment towards someone that was close to you.  Since imperfection is part of being human, then we should always be reminded that we too are this and reserving judgement for someone perhaps is not our job.  Remember that life is also too short and for many that have survived those unexpected losses, they can attest to this fact.  When I went away to college, I remember having a session with some transition counselors and they gave a group of us new students a talk about turning lemons into lemonade.  In their own meaningful way, they taught me a lesson about how things don't always go your way.  What was important about those instances is that you had to look for the opportunity to turn the sour instance of the moment and somehow figure out how that could be lemonade at the end of the day. I have never forgotten about the lesson I was taught and over time in my adult life, I have had that opportunity to make such a decision about having a bushel of lemons at times.  For those of you who may find yourself in that situation where lemons appear to be the fruit of the day, consider the opportunity that lies in that circumstance.  Begin by counting your blessings and the other things in your life that are working positively.  Build upon the momentum of those thoughts and consider how far you have come in life where you can remember a younger version of you, who has now matured and is capable of so much more.  Finally, think about what you have learned in the process and always remember that as humans we need to never forget to have empathy and compassion towards others.  We never know when we may be faced with our own obstacles, that can elicit unwanted judgement ourselves.  Think about what is truly important in your life and when you consider the magnitude of life and death situations, does yours fall into those grave categories?  Hopefully the answer is no, which will then allow for you to walk forward from the place that you happen to find yourself in.  Just remember that lemonade can be sweet and refreshing and it all begins with a good number of sour fruit.