I can’t say that I’m graceful under pressure.  I can’t say that I’m grateful for any stress, be it illness or tension or unexpected difficulties.  I have to talk myself through them, as in, “Elissa, okay, yes, this awful thing is happening to you right now, but you know what?  Maybe it’s not so bad.  Take it one step at a time.  Baby steps.  Hang in there.  What’s one good thing that could come out of this?”  Now that you are certain I’m psychotic, I’m going to say that I’m learning something grand from our little munchkin.

See that mega-cast on her?  Yep, she’s had it almost a week, and I’ve only once heard her refer to it as her “cast” and that it’s “big.”  It’s almost as though she thinks this is a normal part of life; she has no other reference point, so she’s taken it in stride, and re-learned how to maneuver.

I’d like to be this way–assume that life is full of ups and downs, and rather than treat a horrible day like an anomaly, treat it as what it is–something that will make my life better somehow, even though I don’t know the answer as the awful day is occurring.

And certainly, awful might be only my perception.  For someone else, it might be heaven.  It’s good to keep it all in perspective once in a while.