I beg your pardon. . .

I never promised you a rose garden.   Remember that song?  It takes me back to being a little girl at our camp in Lincoln, VT.  Hours spent playing in the brook, swinging from the Tarzan style rope at the top of the hill, playing with my Barbies in the moss in the woods.  

When you're a child, things are generally pretty good.  Yeah there's school & homework but really, that's about it.  No bills, no mortgages, adult issues, etc.  You actually believe that you can grow up to be an astronaut or a fireman or even a cowboy.  Please, Barbie can do everything right?  Why can't you?

Then you grow up & you realize that being an astronaut is pretty darn difficult.  And a cowboy?  Not so much.

And adult issues?  Suck.  They're hard.  They require character & strength.  And faith.

Most people dig down & work through their issues.  They know the rose garden is there if you're willing to work for it.

Others?  Others whine & complain like children.  It's not FAIR!  Who as a parent hasn't heard that one??  I know I hear it at least once a week.  My stock answer to Sunshine is that life ISN'T fair.

So these others who whine & are incapable of working through their issues/challenges/crises are miserable.  They're unhappy with their lot in life & just unhappy in general.

The quote above was on Pinterest & I repinned it.  It's a great reminder for me & how I choose to look at the adult issues in my life.  When Hunter was medically retired we weren't sure if our insurance was going to carry over uninterrupted.  As a result, I postponed Sunshine's dentist appointment.  When we went back a month later, I explained to the receptionist what was going on & why we'd bumped the appointment back.  She inquired about his retirement & when I said "medically retired" & explained why he was retired, she drew in her breath & said "I'm so sorry".  Like something was really, really awful.  It certainly hasn't been an easy path, but really, things could be so much worse.  I explained to her that we were lucky---Hunter has his limbs & use of them.  His situation certainly isn't ideal & as I said, it's not been easy but it's not nearly as bad as it could be.  She looked at me & commented on my wonderfully optimistic outlook & how it was a great way to look at the situation.

I'm nothing if not a realist, but there is a bit of an optimist in me.  I do look for the silver lining in things but I'm not afraid to call a spade a spade.  I'd rather be happy with my lot in life as opposed to miserable day in day out.  Ten years ago when the war started, I never thought that we'd wind up where we are.  Or that Hunter would wind up where he is with me along for the ride, but you know what?  It's so much better than it could be.

Add me to the "happy & grateful" list!