Brighter Days

I was talking to my sister on iGoogle's version of Google Talk the other day. When she asked how I was doing, I responded with my usual, "I'm good." Her response made me think... "You're always good." And ya know what? I am. I really can't complain. I have been very blessed. Life has its ups and downs, I certainly won't deny that, but for the most part it's pretty even kilt. I'm certainly one to complain when things aren't good but the majority of the time, I can't complain too much because things are... well... good.

I am a genuinely happy person. A glass-half-full type of girl... And for the most part, (sometimes to a fault), I'm a "water-off-a-duck's back" type of person. "Smile-at-you-as-we-pass-in-the-hallway", I'll hold the door for you, thank you for holding the door for me, help you pick up your fallen papers. I guess I've just heard the verse, "Do unto others as you would have them do to you.", and applied it to my life. Life just seems easier when it's served with a side of sunshine.

Those of you who know me, know that I have my bad days and my bad attitudes. I have those times where people make me mad and I fuss and fume and yell. But honestly? What's the point? Does yelling make it different? Does being upset to the point of tears change the situation?

I learned another lesson Tuesday night. As I've mentioned before, I've been going through our city's Citizen's Police Academy on Tuesdays. Well, this week, as I'm one of the last few to leave, I noticed that the older gentleman parked beside me was having problems with his car. As we're calling AAA and trying to solve this problem, he turns to me and says, "I'm not even upset. It just doesn't matter. I could stomp my feet and fuss but it wouldn't change anything. Maybe when I was younger I would've but I've learned as I've grown up." This 80-some-odd year old man spoke the truth. Fussing and carrying on and getting worked up wouldn't change the fact that his battery needed to be replaced.

So what's the point? What am I trying to say? What point am I trying to prove? Well, I guess nothing. I know about my ability to respond poorly to tense or difficult situations. I also know that while I cannot control what is happening, I can make a difference in the outcome with my attitude. I can help make the situation more bearable, or I can make it worse. As a Christian, I'm called to live my life in such a way to shine Christ's light. One way I can do that is to serve everything up with a side of sunshine.