It’s strange how life works. One day things are going “business as usual,” and then the next, something can happened out of the blue that causes everything to change. Life is unpredictable.

It usually happens when we least expect it.

We’ve all experienced this before. When it’s a good circumstance, we say “it was just meant to be,” or “the stars must have been aligned for that to happen.”

When it’s bad, well, we feel like we’ve been slapped in the face, lost our breath and can’t get enough air.

This is how I felt when I learned I had breast cancer. One day I was fine, and the next, I wasn’t. Everything was going well and then my life was completely turned upside down. All the plans I had were put on hold. Everything changed in an instant.

It really did happen that way.

I was talking with a friend recently who has gone through her own personal cancer battle. She was sharing her story with me, reflecting on what she’d been through and as she was talking, she paused.
“I really don’t remember much about that time,” she said, “I was in shock and just trying to get through it.”

I understood exactly what she was talking about. Sometimes we’re working so hard to get through whatever we must face, we can’t begin to process what is happening around us. We don’t have time to pause and think. We move forward, taking one day at a time. We just try to get through it.

Life is unpredictable.

We don’t think about all of the things that can happen to us, good or bad, in a given day. If we did, we wouldn’t leave our homes. We wouldn’t let our kids out of our sight.

And, we can’t live that way.

We have to enjoy our present moment, the gift of today and not worry about all the things that “could” happen.

When something unexpected does occur in your life, good or bad, it’s OK if it throws you off your game. If it’s favorable, bask in the excitement and joy this unexpected event brought you. We have to enjoy the good things that happen and give them the time they deserve. Don’t just brush them away, celebrate them.

When bad things happen, do the best you can with the hand you’ve been dealt. Face whatever challenge has rocked your world with strength and courage. You are strong. You are brave. You can handle whatever situation you find yourself in.

My parents used to tell me, “this shall pass.” And, it’s true. Usually, this was said to me when there was something I didn’t want to do and they were trying to tell me that I would get through it. Remember, just as the unpleasant things pass, so do the good things.

Whatever you’re facing, it this moment, believe you will get through it. Understand that life is unpredictable and you can’t plan for everything. Enjoy the happy times and don’t take them for granted.

Find meaning each day,

Dara

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Here’s a recent Huffington Post article I wrote, featured on the Huffington Post Parenting Section, Saying Goodbye to a Pet is Hard