That's the way it is!!!!!!

It has been really raining and snowing around here this past week! I want it to stop, I need it to stop, I am demanding that it stops!!!! I need sunshine.

Because sunshine on my shoulders makes me happy!!! (Thanks John) .

It rained and it poured and then rained and poured some more until our basement flooded. Once the basement was flooded it stopped, just stopped as if it was a slap in the face sent to us from Mother Nature herself.

I knew right away that something was not right. My first clue was the animalistic raging sounds like the Incredible Hulk stopped by. The Hulk was not having a good day and there were really angry Hulk sounds coming from downstairs.

The sound was coming from the one who stepped in the carpet to find it soaking wet!!!!

Brand new carpet!!!

I wasn't sure whether I should cover my ears and run away and save only myself or throw a life jacket. I went into rescue mode by trying to rescue ? from the disaster and keep their spirits afloat.

That was not meant to be....Some people don't want help when floating at sea by themselves. They believe that one man alone thinks better then a whole ship full of sailors willing to help.

Sometimes this is where I find myself on the end of the food chain...

Like a flounder in a sea of sharks... Not the best time to swim past! I might get my head bit off!!

They don't want to be thrown a life line, they don't want you to point out the lighthouse sending out a beacon of light. Some people don't want help or want to realize that the raging storm is only temporary and will clear soon. The blue skies will come back eventually, they always do!

But the loud thunder and lightning that strikes sometimes can stay with you forever. That may never go away and make you fearful of every storm. Wondering if it is going to be a warm spring shower or piercing rain, whirling winds that then can turn into tornadoes.

Sometimes you have to make the choice to either swim or sink in bad situations. I hope I always chose to swim!

Later that day I was reminded by someone else that people react differently to situations...

I would have to agree!

I believe one of the comments was, "Not everyone believes that they need to smile when something bad happens, like you do!!!!

I actually don't think you should be smiling either, that would be kind of weird at the moment and no one said you had to "love" the situation.

But, it is what it is and the only way to make any of it better is to move forward.

Cut your losses and get to work.

It may be lame but I find my self thinking of a church song and it helps me move through the most difficult jobs...

Put your shoulder to the wheel , push along.

Do your duty with a heart full of song,

We all have work, let no one shirk,

Put your shoulder to the wheel!!!!

Songs used to pop in my head when I was younger that would help lighten the mood.

When my family would argue ( like all families do) I would burst out in song. "There is beauty all around, when there's love at home" I usually would hear " Jen stop" I would then be motivated to sing a little louder and a few moments later I would hear " Jen you really need to stop" Being the Jen I am ... I would just smile and continue to sing " There is joy in every sound, when there's love at home. Peace and plenty here abide, smiling sweet from every side"

9.9999 times the two would start laughing and forget the trivial argument. My mother still reminds me how she hated when I would do that because she wanted to be mad and just couldn't be when I broke out in song!!!!!

Bad, horrible things happen to people everyday. Things that can't be fixed by a little girl singing a church song. Things that can't be solved or healed. It doesn't make the pain go away. But positive thoughts and actions can soften a difficult situation and bring peace to a world of turmoil. I never remember anyone saying that someone was so comforting to them by being angry, rude, really mad or enraged by the situation. I believe the words "we'll get through it" or we're in this together" might be a little more uplifting!

I agree that it is okay to become upset or sad in situations but I know that attitude is everything. You can either rage and get upset with others around you or you can pull together as a team and say yea this stinks but it is just a bump in the road. Everyone has a choice to make, by how they react.

My dad has always said this when someone was feeling down and out.... "You need to pick yourself up by the boot straps and move on" many times he would say it when we didn't want to hear it,t at times it was annoying and overused but he was right, it is true!!!!!

I am so, so, so far from perfect and am constantly making mistakes in life and trying to be better the next time, but the one thing that I can say is, that somewhere in life, I realized that no one benefits by getting upset over things that they can't change.Things happen that are out of our control and we can't help ourselves or others out by letting it upset us and taking it out on others. It brings everyone around you down. It is what it is!!! If you do chose to be lose control, you will do yourself and others more damage then any catastrophe might have brought to you. No one learns and no one grows from someone being angry.

If I was floating at sea getting knocked under by each new wave that came along and barely able to keep my head above water...yea I would bummed, scared kind of pissed that my boat sank but not for long . I would be thrilled when someone offered me a life vest. Then I would grab onto it, hook arms with the others trying to stay afloat, make a plan knowing that it was going to be a long hard battle to reach shore. I would take a deep breath, look for that beacon of light coming from shore and start kicking until I made it to land!!!!! I am sure I would become discouraged at times, maybe even cry or say why me, but I would try my hardest not to let it effect the others that were trying to make it to shore. If I let myself fall apart then others will watch me and have reason to fall apart too.

If I was vocal about my anger for the situation it would only contribute to the others sinking. I would be giving in to something before I ever gave it an honest effort. I would be drowning in my own anger that I have brought upon myself. What good would that do anyone? I would hope that I was the kind of person to buoy up and pull the others along that couldn't save themselves!!! That's the kind of person I want to be and be remembered as...

They might be right that everyone has a different way to get over things but for me, I don't want to be in the group with those that are raging mad that they got wet or their plans were ruined when that big wave knocked them out of the boat. What's done is done and at that point you can't do anything about it but try to make the best out of what you have left.

Some might chose to fall to pieces and rationalize the reasons they are angry but they will find themselves out in the ocean way after dark still complaining how life has done them wrong . Getting nowhere but further out to sea!!!! Then what are they going to do!!!

I want to be the one backstroking to shore looking up to the night sky counting my lucky stars that the situation wasn't worse! It always could have been worse.

I know I need to learn that not everyone needs or wants my help. Not everyone prepares for such events like I do counting and labeling all the supplies just in case we fall into the water. I know not everyone swims the way I do or goes the route I choose because I think that it would be more efficient . They have the right to do things their way. I only do it because I love them and don't want them to take extra strokes if they don't have to. I for sure don't want them to suffer alone but maybe I need I need to. That is something I need to work on and accept. However, I do have the right to not sail on the same boat they are on because of our differences of opinions. I also don't have to stay and go down with the ship in stormy seas just because they want to.

I guess I will learn to sit and play in the sand until I hear the words.....

WHY AREN'T YOU OUT HERE HELPING ME!!!!!

Then I will shout back out to them... Because you told me you didn't need my help and quite rudely

I might add!

Then the person will say annoyingly...... WHAT I can't hear you?

( I'm very sure he could hear me just fine)

So I find myself hitching a ride back out to save his life ( meanwhile hoping he learned a lesson)

I ask myself why I do it and the answer is.....

Because you love him and you know that he would do the same for you!!!

Except the difference would be..... he would shout out " I'm sending someone out to get you,

I will meet you at home!!!!!!"

That's the way it is, you've got to roll with the punches!!!!

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