Day by Day

Each night as I lay my head on my pillow I have a plan for the next day. A schedule in mind and a to-do list that is longer than my arm. Most days of my life that schedule is followed pretty closely and the to-do list gets at least a few items marked off. I feel blessed to type that sentence. There have been days in my life that my schedule quickly went down the drain. A sick child, a flat tire, or broken appliance throws a kink into the day. Ten years ago, those days sent my into a tail spin. I would be upset and cranky all day. Then I learned that these little hiccups, are just hiccups, and my life wasn't deeply affected by such little hiccups. This lesson was a hard lesson learned for me.

I am pretty sure I didn't schedule into my day a dinner with my parents where they announced they were moving more than 200 miles away. I definitely didn't schedule my first husband announcing he wanted a divorce. These were all events that were bigger than a hiccup. These events were like highway exits. I exited from my current known life and started on a new highway that led a little different direction. The nights after these announcements I am pretty sure I didn't make a to-do list or plan, I was doing good just to sleep and get out of bed the next morning. In the past 10 years, I have learned that I can live through these exits and even find happiness and success on these new highways. These new highways were often bumpy at first and seemed to be full of potholes, days where I really thought I just wasn't going to make it until bedtime. But, I am here as living proof that this new highway eventually smooths out and many times this highway turns out to be a better highway to better destinations.

These days, after such life exits, I have learned to smile through the hiccups. I can even some days laugh at the hiccups. I still get a little cranky, but I try to put it all in perspective and smile. I can smile because I know that tomorrow brings a new day's plans and lists on this life highway. And if by some unfortunate event I must exit my current life highway, I know that I can merge onto a new highway and eventually that highway will smooth out and once again I will be on a better highway to new & maybe even better destinations.