"In the middle of every difficulty lies opportunity." -Albert EinsteinWhen we are in the THICK of a Life Challenge it often doesn't dawn on us the Life Lessons we Gain during the Tough Stuff!
I thought about this after Andie and I saw Erin and Lori Beveridge out running and we mentioned what a Terrible Summer it must have been with Stevie's Ruptured Appendix (complete with Lots of Complications). But, Lori (aren't Moms the brightest!) realized the Silver Lining in the Dark Cloud. Stevie's Frightening Emergency Surgeries and lengthy Hospital Stay brought them together as a Family, unified in Pulling for Stevie! The difficulty of Stevie's health scare brought an opportunity for family unity!
During Adversity we do tend to RALLY TOGETHER with LOVED ONES which becomes a blessing brought about from a trial.
Like the Beveridges , I learned a few things the summer Webb burned his arm back in 1989 (wow - it was 20 years ago!). The lessons have stuck with me too! One gift/opportunity from the tragedy/difficulty was realizing how many people cared about us and about Webb. Aunt Lisa flew down to help, family was checking in daily, friends and ward members offered help of every kind (food, babysitting the girls, rides to the hospital, priesthood blessings, etc.). We felt VERY LOVED! Sometimes it takes an "Event" to see what TERRIFIC people you are SURROUNDED BY in your life. Just the memory of it all gets me a little teary.
I also learned something about myself. After Webb's Burn a lot of people wanted to know if we were going to SUE the YMCA for Liability. While there are appropriate times to "sue" it felt Ridiculous to me to attempt to Profit from a Mishap that was Simply an ACCIDENT. I was grateful to see that when presented with an opportunity to sue, the whole concept just went against my nature. I'm not trying to sound pompous, I'm just glad that we didn't feel inclined to focus on fault but just move on. The burned arm experience has been a good reminder to me that sometimes things are just accidents, no one is at fault, and no good comes from pointing fingers or placing blame!
Overall, it's just good to Remember that Difficult Things can teach us the Best Lessons in Life! Who learns much when everything is smooth sailing? Definitely not me!
