Finding that Silver Lining

Things Are Not As They Seem.

Last night my wife and I attended my company Christmas Party.  It was a fun evening.  Part of the festivities was exchanging gifts and playing Dirty Santa.   

For those of you who haven’t heard of Dirty Santa here are the rules:  Everyone gets a number and then in turn walks up to the gift table.  Number one opens a gift.  Number Two then gets a choice, take the gift from Number One, or open a new gift from the table.  If Number Two picks a gift from the table, then Number Three gets a choice, open a gift from the table or take one of the already opened gifts.  If Number Three takes Number One’s gift, then Number One can take the gift from Number Two, or go back to the table and open a new gift.  The stolen gift can only be stolen three times, after that the gift can no longer be stolen and has a home.  As you can imagine some gifts are more popular than others.

I didn’t steal a gift, I opened a gift.  Someone took pity on me and stole my gift, as it wasn’t a fit for me.  So I took a tool.  Later my tool gift was stolen.  Someone else told my wife which gift I should open next, so I did. 

It was a lump of coal Christmas decoration that said “Naughty” on it.  Well, I am a good sport and thought, it will make a great conversation piece hanging on the tree.  However, one coworker loves to play gags and such.  I knew this and trust my coworker, but everyone was laughing and having fun, and I guess I did show disappointment on my face.  I tried not to, like I said, I try to be a good sport about things.

Needless to say, my gift was never stolen again, but when it was done, my coworker came up to me and said, here, this is the real present.  It was a bucket full of DVD’s candy, and pop corn, with nifty plastic theater type popcorn containers; enough for the whole family to fill with popcorn when we decide to watch movies at home.  It was the perfect gift for me, and for me to share with my family.

Last night’s party illustrated something I’ve thought about over the years.  Things are not what they appear to be.  A lump of coal turned into a tradition of fun nights with family and friends with home theater accessories.  Life is full of things that at first look like disasters, but as time goes on turn out to be blessings in disguise. 

I wrecked my car several years ago.  Bad deal.  But I now have a better car, one I really enjoy driving, and more fitting my needs than the car that I wrecked.  Good Deal.

Our friends had their home burn down while they were out of town for Christmas many years ago.  Bad Deal.  However, no one was home, no one was killed, no one was injured.  They lost everything.  They now have a beautiful new home, filled with new furnishings, new wardrobes, new everything, a fresh start.  Good Deal.  Family and friends had photos and were able to restore a lot of the things lost, true some things can never be recovered, but the important things, were not lost.

I have a hole in my roof.  Bad deal.  Water came in and damaged a few things.  Bad Deal.  But now I have to clean things up, and when I am done, I will have thrown away a lot of junk I’ve been hording over the years and the place will be cleaner.  Good Deal.

There is a positive and a negative side to most everything.  Happiness depends on how you look at things.  If you try and look for the positive, you may just find a window into happiness in your own life.

Have a Merry Christmas, and enjoy the holidays.  May you find time to spend with family and friends, and find that silver lining in those storm clouds. 

 

After the Storm

There is a line in The Princes Bride that I just love, well many actually, but this one comes to mind for this post. Let me set it up: The Man in Black and Indigo are having an epic sword fight on the top of the Cliffs of Insanity. Back and forth they battle, and Indigo realizes his skills have been bettered asks, "Who are you?"

"No one of consequence," the man in black answers.

"I must know."

"Get used to disappointment."

And that is the line I love, "Get used to disappointment."

It is so true, life is too full of disappointments, and on a larger scale tragedies. I am not making light of tragedies and life's storms. I've seen devastation first hand.

I've dug out from huge snow storms. I was on site after the Oklahoma City Tornado ripped through a section of the city. I saw 2x4's imbedded in trees, where all the grass was sucked out of the ground. Where the only thing left of someone's home was the foundation. I was in New Orleans after Katrina. I was one of the first into a home after the flood waters receded. The odor of the mold was so bad... But we managed to salvage some photos and some keepsakes that had stayed above the flood waters. I helped to haul debris from the homes and tear out the molded sheet rock and prep houses to begin rebuilding. I helped to cut downed trees from homes and schools in Baton Rouge after Gustav came through. I've seen devastation first hand, and lent a hand in rebuilding.

Each of my children, and my dear wife have had traumatic events in their lives. Cut tendons, torn mouths, traumatic amputations, depression, and yes, even death. I share this to make a point.

The sun always comes back up. The storm passes. Life goes on.

We are then left with a choice. Do we let the disappointment, the tragedy, the set back defeat us, throw up our collective hands and say, "I'm done?" or do we dig in, reach deep down inside us and find that inner strength and move on?

I remember all the devastation Katrina left behind. There wasn't a place untouched by ruin. Trees were cut up and stacked along the road, trees and trees and trees! There wasn't a business sign that wasn't blown out. Bent polls, blue tarps on homes, and general mayhem and disruption the storm left behind.

However everyone rolled up their collective sleeves and dug in. Little by little things got better. Six years later things look better than before. True there are scars, but overall things are better.

I've recovered from my set backs. Others have too. The thing I've learned is this: The sun always comes out after the fury of the storm has passed. Hope comes with the sunrise. After a spring shower, the air feels fresh and smells clean. True, I've dug out after the snow storm, but things feel new. It is so peaceful outside in the cold air with the snow shovel. It is peaceful, time to think, and when I'm done the walkway and driveway look great. The sun dries out the cleared area, and things are "as they should be."

A friend's home burned to the ground. They rebuilt and have a better home than the one they lost. I lost a job, but the new jobs have taken me to places and done things I wouldn't have done if I had kept the job I had.

I read a book several years ago, The Greatest Salesman in the World. There was a section in it that said, "This too shall pass."

Great thought. No matter how bad things are, they will pass. Enjoy the good while it is with you as it too will pass. Life is full of ups and downs. Enjoy the good, and remind yourself the sun will rise after the storm passes.