Life isn't fair, but it is good

Some time back, Bob forwarded to me a list of life lessons that a columnist, Regina Brett, of the Cleveland Plain Dealer had written. It is a list of the lessons taught her by life. Some are better than others, or more pertinent to one time of life than another, but all are worth being reminded about. I thought I might use some of these life lessons as jumping off places to write about. I almost don’t know where to begin, because the wisdom contained in each short sentence is so important to take in and use. Right now, when I am beginning to be—or at least look like—who I use to be, it is useful to be reminded of the simple truths that make life easier and more worthwhile. We might as well start at the top, so here goes: #1. Life isn’t fair, but it’s still good. Do you find that to be true? I look around myself and see how my life has changed in the last six months and I want to cry out “it isn’t fair”, the phrase I remember hearing so often from the children I had dealings with over the years as a parent, a scout leader, and a teacher. That phrase used to make me grit my teeth. What is fair? The last few years of my life have been extraordinarily difficult and filled with loss. Some days I feel such sadness, but on balance, even if we would not choose precisely the same path, or make exactly the same choices, can you say that life is good? I can. I am sure that in the fairness department, I have ended up on the plus side. I am a great believer in appreciative living, and research has shown that gratitude is vital to well-being. I wish that I could say that I kept up my gratitude journal while I was in the midst of diagnosis and treatment for cancer, that I found the time and the heart to appreciate that something could be and was being done for me, to preserve my health and my life, and to give me years to look forward to. But I am only now coming out of the dark tunnel where I found myself. Making a decision to be positive, to think appreciatively, and to feel gratitude can take you into a new state of being. I am often curious about the people who walk in the park when I do, hurrying through their exercise regimen and never noticing the smell of the newly cut grass. With their headphones fit snugly into their ears, they cannot hear the songs of birds. I suppose that they can appreciate the music they listen to, or the newscast or commentary they are hearing, but I wonder about all they are missing. For me, the things that G-d, or Nature, or the Universe (take your pick) has provided are things for which I am unendingly grateful. And in addition, it is open to all to appreciate and to allow to enhance our lives if only we will take advantage of it. So while life may not be fair, it is good. It helps to remember that.