Learning from Dog Poop

Visiting this lady

Lisa Hale (aka: Angel on Earth)

last weekend reminded me that the name of my blog insinuates I believe there is good and bad in life. Happy and sad. Incredible, fabulous, fantastic experiences, and things we wouldn't wish on our worst enemies. I also realized I have almost exclusively written about the positive lately. Time to talk about the negative...but not necessarily in a negative way.

This woman?

She either volunteered or was volunteered by her husband (the story is different depending on who you ask :)) to watch my brother and I (ages 2 1/2 & 8) when my mother died suddenly in 1994. Heaven knows my dad-who was left with two young children, a full-time job, and a bucket-load of grief-needed the help. She and her husband honestly saved the lives of a little family whose world had been turned upside-down. Subconsciously, I was learning for the first time that positive things can come from crap (for lack of a better term).

When my dad's brother died my freshman year of college, I learned again, more poignantly this time, the same lesson. My uncle the science teacher, happy and always full of life, who would answer the phone with something like: "Hey sweet girl! Did you know an elephant can fit on the tongue of a blue whale?!" had died. Amidst wrapping my mind around the concept of mortality, I flew to Texas the next summer to help my aunt and cousins make the drive to New Hampshire for our family reunion they had always made with their dad. IT WAS FABULOUS. I had an incredible time with their family and met my aunt for the first time. She had always been in my uncle's shadow (at least from my perspective). I talked to her SO MUCH-her personality came to life for me and I gained a great friend.

In summary, when terrible, almost impossibly difficult things like this happen,

I have always learned more than I would have had God allowed my life to be perfect or simply easy or entirely peaches and roses. ALWAYS! I am so thankful for each experience I have had in life. I learn something from every single one.

Lessons Learned in 2011

"I'm just happy it's over." Literally heard those words come out of someone's mouth re 2011 and it seems to be the general sentiment in regards to last year. Amen! I totally understand. Twenty-eleven was a rough and tough one for a lot of us in a lot of ways. But...if we really want 2012 to be better like y'all are posting on Facebook, we should look back and genuinely try to learn from last year before slamming the door and yelling "good riddance!" -yeah, I was tempted... (don't worry, the happy parts of 2011 post is coming in a couple hours). So, in the hope that someone will be inspired by my attempt, here is some of what I learned (Before you think me stupid or incredibly shallow, consider that I probably actually knew these things before. This year simply provided me with uniquely personally-tailored experiences to learn them better - experiences which will remain anonymous, for the most part, unless you ask. Then I'm happy to share. I love to talk!):

• Just 'cause it seems like a good thing doesn't mean it is (or that it's the right thing for you to be doing).

• Despite drowning in an assortment of good and even GREAT advice from people who really care about you and opinions from those that really just want you to make the decision the way they think is right, the making of the decision is eventually all up to you (with God's help). No one can make it for you (pretty dang happy about learning that one a lot better this year!).

• Everyone has talents! Maybe you should take time out of centering your life around yourself and figure out what Mr. Iseethatguyaroundbutdon'tknowhimtoowell's are. Maybe it will be a good experience. Maybe you'll learn something new and make another friend.

• That thing you can see would be a nice, good, considerate thing for someone to do given the situation and the circumstances but no one seems to be doing it?!! It's cause you're supposed to do it.

• People can still care about each other and have a decent relationship despite having BIG differences.

• It takes a really long time to mow the lawn around our house and roommates can have really great ideas about how to make it less of a nightmare-like working together and halfsies-ing it, brilliant!

• It's possible to be nice and not let people walk all over you simultaneously.

• You really can learn something from everyone!

• Cooking is really fun.

• Your financial status does not define you.

• Your employment status and career field do not define you.

• The way you carry yourself through difficult times and the way you treat others does define you.

• Little brothers can say very profound things.

• You can spearhead a project, and you can achieve your goals.

• Family (and time spent with them) is so ridiculously precious (pictures added on this last one because this really is the crux of it all folks, for serious).

Hmm...

Not quite

That's it!

Let's make 2012 better because we learn from 2011!