From the Bottom of the Bucket

            “When Life Gives You a Lemon……..”

There's a dark and a trouble side of life
There's a bright and a sunny side too
Though we meet with the darkness and strife
The sunny side we also have in view.



So keep on the sunny side, always on the sunny side
Keep on the sunny side of life
It will help you every day it will brighten all the way
If you'll keep on the sunny side of life. –  An old country  standar

d

This pandemic has brought a whole series of lessons about ourselves.  I know I am not unique in tis respect, but since my observations are limited by my perceptions, I am going to share what I have noticed.

First the challenge has increased for those of us that are committed to “the sunny side of life”.  I believe that optimism is a choice that one makes by constantly looking for the good in your experiences. Here are a couple of examples from my recent experiences

My friend Greg has spent the better part of the last five years working on transforming sixty acres of rural backwoods into a spiritual nature preserve. He took this on as a tribute to his wife, who died just before that time.  E has adorned the sanctuary with Native American sculptures (carved out of trees standing on the grounds). He also has formed several lakes and a stone bluff (named for his deceased wife) overlooking the creek that threads through his property.  I recently broke quarantine to attend a campout celebrating the dedication of this mystical place.  It is truly a magical space, made all the more profound by the fact that he has done the lion’s share of the work by himself !

During that event, I received a text from my daughter.  She was alarmed that her son, who is a military policeman in the air force, had been deployed to help with the civil unrest that swept our country.  This is the same grandson that I introduced to the woods on long hikes.

He was being tested at age twenty-five and though he had been trained, it was the first time for the real thing. He did fine (as I knew he would) and learned a few things about himself in the process.

The final episode came this weekend.  We have a group of people that meet once a month to go to a movie, then a restaurant for a dinner discussion along with some wine (mostly the later ).  Well the pandemic took its toll on that event, but we missed the interaction.   My wife, using technology we have learned, set up a Zoom meeting for us.  The movie was streamed live in 4k and premiered last week.  We attended opening night (virtually) and will gather electronically with the group later this month.

What do all these events have in common?  A death, civil unrest, and a pandemic adjustment.  All were met with a positive attitude and transformed into something else.  Optimism is NOT a natural state of mind.  It must be cultivated to be a response through daily practice. It is a habit easily abandoned to gloom and despair, but a little effort you too can walk on the sunny side. 


Until next month, I wish you fulfillment.



Bob