Just One of Those Weeks
May 29, 2010
This past week wasn’t one of our best. My son had a minor bike accident—one of the pedals broke off while he was riding and he smashed his face on the handlebars. He’s fine now, though at first he looked like he’d gone a few rounds in the boxing ring. I broke a tooth and when the dentist examined me, he informed me that I need not one but two crowns because the tooth behind the broken one also had a crack in it. And no, before you ask, I do not open beer bottles with my teeth. The modem for our internet connection self-destructed and we’ve been reduced to one working computer until the new modem arrives. We’re all fighting over that one computer—which happens to be mine, so shouldn’t I get precedence?—and it can get pretty ugly. You’ve already read my rant about daily chores, and you know, this blog is all about catching HAPPINESS for Pete’s sake. What is the deal?
After rereading Mr. Franklin’s quote at left, I reminded myself that I don’t have the right to have everything always go my way, or even to be happy. I just have the right to pursue happiness. So in the spirit of that pursuit, here are just a few little things that have made me smile this week, despite the things that have gone wrong:
Discovering a new shoot on the bougainvillea I thought had been killed by the freezes.
Harvesting cherry tomatoes from my own plant.
Signing up for a new art class.
Allowing my 15-year-old to drive home from the orthodontist and realizing that his driving is getting better. (Yes, I was smiling, not grimacing.)
Finding a dress for a wedding we were to attend—the first one I tried on! And it was on sale!
Attending that wedding and watching two 70+-year-olds find happiness and someone to share their lives with while both their families rejoiced.
Watching my dog lie in the grass in the sun.
More importantly, little by little I’m learning that happiness doesn’t only depend on external factors. My attitudes and actions influence my state of mind much more than external factors do. My son could have been much more severely injured. I could have required a root canal rather than a crown. Things could be much worse—and I’m grateful that they aren’t, and that we have the resources to cope with these little downs. Being grateful that things aren’t worse, searching for things that give me enjoyment, and choosing to focus on the positive rather than the negative have gotten me through this week in a relatively happy frame of mind.
How about you? How do you cope when things go wrong? I’d love to hear any suggestions you have. Not that I expect anything else to go wrong anytime soon. Right?!
4 comments
Sorry you've had that kind of week, but I'm glad you have the attitude you do about things. That helps a LOT! I try to have a similar attitude; I'm not always successful, but I usually can come around to that eventually - it just sometimes takes awhile.
ReplyDeleteI TRY to have that attitude, but I don't always succeed, either. This week I managed pretty well. We'll see what next week brings!
ReplyDeleteGreat way to turn that frown upside down!!!
ReplyDeleteWe had dinner with my parents last night and we managed to get on a rant about our aches and pains, which way a twisting spiral down into a place none of us wanted to go, so I commented about how fortunate we all are to be in good health, we'd just had a great meal in a nice cool home and the conversation started to soar from there.
So yes, it really does have so very much to do with our perspective! Glad you and Nick are better! Hope the modem arrives soon....
Modem. Still. Not. Here. Am. Fighting. Son. Over. Computer. Send. Help. :)
ReplyDeleteWe had a big discussion with the above-mentioned son about perspective in relation to yard work this morning. He hasn't yet learned that attitude makes a huge difference--but we'll keep preaching to him!