The bowl cracked in 2 with a loud crash. Watermelon balls rolled across the floor, as Josiah hurled Chandler’s breakfast to the ground just moments ago. None of us reacted.  Not even Chandler, who now was not going to get to enjoy the watermelon she had been so excited to eat this morning.

“Thanks for reminding me I need to mop the kitchen floor Josiah”, I said. Without skipping a beat, Rick added, “Now you have a floorgasboard for breakfast, Chandler.”  We both smiled as Rick helped Josiah with the last steps of his morning routine.  I scooped up the watermelon balls, tossing them in the trash, before using the Swiffer Wet Jet to remove the sticky residue off the floor.

I love the smell of the liquid cleaner in the Wet Jet.  It gave our kitchen a fresh, clean scent this morning. What could have been a frustrating, exasperating moment, wasn’t. It’s all a matter of perspective.  It’s a choice.

Getting annoyed or angry about an unexpected event doesn’t do any good.  Far better to respond than react. Taking it one step further, far better to find the joy in it. There is good in everything. I was thinking about that the other day as I lay on the makeshift hospital bed, next to Breanne, who had just had unexpected surgery.

She called Monday morning to ask if I thought she should keep her appointment to see the Dr. at her college campus later that day.I encouraged her to do so, but had a fleeting thought the Dr. might just laugh at her. Breanne could only explain her ‘condition’ this way.  I used to have an inny and now I have an outty, in reference to her belly button.

“It’s best to see what the Dr. has to say”, I assured her.

At 2:30 that afternoon, Breanne called and said, I have to get to the hospital right away.  I’m going to need surgery. It saddened me to know my daughter had to take a Taxi to the E.R. and I wasn’t there for her while she waited in Triage for tests to be run.

As I laid there the other morning, thinking about all of the unexpected events that occur, not only in our lives but in the lives of everyone I know, I thought, there is good in everything. We just need to look for it.

Then, I tried to imagine the worst thing that could possibly happen, which to me would be the death of someone I love. Nope.  There’s good, in that too.  Heaven is a phenomenally, fantastic place.  I can hardly wait to get there myself.  What joy to know my loved one would be so well taken care of in Paradise.

Next I thought about Breanne’s situation.  There were many moments to be thankful in that as well.  How great the Dr. on her college campus recognized the seriousness of Breanne’s belly button condition.  How wonderful she arranged for a Taxi to quickly escort Breanne to the hospital and get her admitted to the ER.

How fabulous Rick was able to hustle out of work to pick up Josiah and be here for the other kids when they got home from school.  How awesome I was able to make the 3 hour drive to the hospital in record time, to be with my daughter, before she was transferred to her room on the 3rd floor.

See how it works.

The tendency for many of us in frustrating situations is to simply react, often times in not very positive ways.  But, if we only stop to really think about it, we CAN find good things in most every circumstance.

If you are not used to it, it might seem strange at first. It may take diligent effort.  But with consistent practice, it will become a habit. Then, just think of the difference it will make in your day; in your life; in the lives of those around you.

I encourage you to try it.  Even, just for today. As you go through the next 24 hours, focus on the good you can find in each and every situation. It’s there, just waiting for you to discover it. Life is too short to stress over things we have no control over.  Find the good.

That being said, this family has had more than our fair share of opportunities to learn to respond and not react. I think we’ve mastered it. At least, I have. Time to move on, past frustrating, unexpected situations. Time to learn the next lesson.

I’m thinking maybe the one about living a life of pampered pleasure in the Caribbean would be a good lesson to learn. Bring it on. I am a slow learner however.

It may just take a few years to fully grasp the concept.