Making Lemonade

There are times in life when you feel like you are standing in the middle of a lemon tree orchard. You have your hands full of nothing but sour circumstances and you have no idea what to do. I would like to suggest making lemonade, by adding a little sugar that sour blend becomes a little sweeter. There is no way to change the path life is taking other then hard work and a good attitude. If you want to stand in the middle of your lemon tree orchard and wait, you may never see your way through. However, if you choose to walk through you may find that the sun is shining brightly on the other side.

 I have chosen to step out of my lemon tree orchard. I cannot change the circumstances, but I can change how I react to them. I know that if I decide to be crabby and angry, it will not change how life is playing out, so it makes sense to take a shot at being joyful and sipping on my homemade lemonade.

 I have the pleasure of knowing a woman who lives this theory every day. She is not a close friend, but I have interacted with her on and off for several years. When I see how she walks with grace through her personal trials it makes me want to learn to live that way. She finds joy in all she does, making meals for her family, caring for her friend's small children and going camping with her husband. I have seen her live through some of life's toughest moments and still come out on the other side of her lemon orchard with a thankful heart and a smile for a friend.

 This trek out of the orchard will not be easy for me. Changing how you look at life's tests takes patience, patience and strength. It is easy to become sullen and angry at things that are difficult, but with just a tweak of the heart it can be just as easy to release that sour heart and sip the sweetness of happiness and joy. Today as I look out my window at the pouring rain coming down sideways in the blustery wind, I found myself tested to find a blessing. After some thought I realized how fortunate I am to have this day to clean and refresh my home for the holidays. I plan to put on some Christmas music and dust and mop to the beat and when it is time for a break, I will enjoy the sweet lemonade I made today by changing my heart.