Monday, June 16, 2008

weathering the storm


as i was walking this evening i was thinking about how i have (or have not) handled the curve balls life has thrown at me over the years. all the years that i was a single mother raising my two kids by myself i had a fantastic outlook on life. i found humor in everything and laughter was my best defense against stress and hard times. i used to joke that i wanted the inscription on my grave stone to read "regardless of what life threw at her, she laughed!"as i've aged, i feel like my sense of humor has waned a bit. i tend to take things a bit more seriously and worry more than i used to. i'm sure that part of this is just a natural part of aging. after all, with age comes failing bodies, loss of memory, worries about retirement and the battle to keep up with the 30 year olds at work. so today i vowed to play the humor card more often and surround myself with people and situations that make me laugh. i'm going to say "let it roll" when things are out of my control and "lighten up" when i get a bit too serious. as my daughter likes to say, "life isn't about weathering the storm, it's about learning to dance in the rain". it looks like rain again tonight so maybe i'll get a chance to practice.

the above storm blew in out of nowhere last night and was really quite a spectacle to see. i was out taking photos of it when a family of four people and 3 dogs came hustling up the street trying to outrun it on their way home. bill immediately said jump in the car and i'll run you home. no, we didn't know them but it was the neighborly thing to do. i love living in a place where you can still do that. when bill came home it had just started to lightning and he snapped this photo. he won the prize for best hero and best photo (and my heart all over again)!!

10 comments:

Auburn Kat said...

That was very sweet of him and it's hard to find neighborhoods like that anymore!

What keeps me going is that I simply can't control things...I still struggle with it but it has definitely helped me!

Strider said...

Sound wisdom!

steviewren said...

Julie, your comments are encouraging to me. I think I have lost my sense of humor also. I must remember to dance in the rain.

Great shot of the storm.

Tess Kincaid said...

Spectacular photo, Julie!!

Keep dancing in the rain! :)

painted fish studio said...

wonderful photo. you have such a great outlook on life, i am learning a lot from you! :)

Susan said...

I seem to worry much more than I ever did also ... I worry too much. I think it's much like a bad habit, one that you can break but it takes diligence and practice and of course "the remembering" to apply both those things.
xo, S.

Cindy said...

i really love this - "life isn't about weathering the storm, it's about learning to dance in the rain". i'm a chronic worrier, so that quote is a keeper.

bill sounds like a keeper, too! and, i love his photo.

Shana said...

Your husband is one sweet guy. And the storm photo is amazing. :-)

XUE said...

the most part of my life was sad & when I die, I hope my kids will want it inscribed "a fun Mama" as I try very hard to make their childhood "not sad".

XUE said...

4 people, 3 dogs, bill & you, all in 1 car!!!....that would also have been a great shot!