Someone who I love very much is having a very bad week.
On Tuesday, she learned she would be laid off from her job after 24 years of excellent service. This wasn’t on her timeline, as she thought she would work another few years.
On Wednesday, she learned that her husband needed open-heart surgery.
So many changes lay ahead for her. She will go from being the over-committed professional to a person with free time – a real rarity for her.
She will go from not having financial cares to having to pinch and get by.
She will go from the independence of a working woman to a caretaker (at least for a while) to her husband as he regains he strength after heart surgery.
Sometimes life is like that. We think we’re sailing along when something(s) happen that completely knock us off our feet.
What will she do?
1. Remember that life has sucked in the past too. No doubt, with a few years under our belts, life has sucked before. If you have made it through a hard time before, you will make it this time too.
2. Quit asking why. Why do bad things happen? Sometimes we’ll never understand. Sometimes things that make no sense now will be revealed to us later as being purposeful. I am praying she will not waste too much energy on this asking.
3. Look at possibilities. Don’t be Polly-Ana’ish, but try to find blessings in your bummer. In my friend’s situation, she can pursue long-abandoned pursuits. Chase dreams she was too busy for before.
4. Put one foot in front of the other. I heard someone say the other day that one of the most positive things we can do when we are discouraged is to make the bed every morning. It sets the tone for the day with a small accomplishment.
5. Times that suck DON’T last. People who persevere DO.
We are the sum of our life experiences. The joy and the tragedy.
We may not be able to control when life sucks. We can only control our reaction.
