Just gotta do it

Sometimes life is difficult but when you put most of our lives in the world perspective, we have it pretty good. When things in your life are difficult and being a parent is difficult much of the time, try to remember this. Once when I complained to my mother about how much I hated to go to the grocery and put things away, she said to me with a very straight face, "Be glad that you can buy groceries". There was a time when she couldn't. I remember once as an adult, recalling a little girl who broke the leg of my favorite doll and how I would never forget how sad I was. My mother told me that she had kept the child for the week and at the end of the week, she had enough money to buy some chicken. We had eaten potato soup all week...but she always made great potato soup.
Sometimes you think that life isn't fair but sometimes, you just have to buck up and do the right thing. Being up at night with a child can be the most trying. I remember having to get up early with my youngest child and just rocking her and telling myself how lucky I was to have that quiet time with my child and how quickly those times would be gone...she was my fourth. Try to see the brighter side of any situation.
Right now I am dealing with an elderly and ill person. But, thank goodness for the help that is available. Recalling about a year ago and the discussion about Depends, my Person was resisting but I told him about another friend who responded with, "Isn't it wonderful that these things are available". He got the message. Also, when I go to the nursing home, I think about how small my corner of the universe is and how you don't have to be very high above the earth to not see people. It is my job to do what I can in my little place of the earth and not to worry about much else, just do my job. It isn't always easy but I think that there has to be a lot of talking to oneself in these situations to survive it all without damage to ourselves.

Raising children is one of the great joys of life but also difficult at many times. Most parents are tired. I don't think that I could have worked and raised a family like so many women do today. Maybe there are some words of encouragement that could be offered from some of you at this point.

This post is rambling, but the message that I want to share is also a message to myself today, life is best approached with a positive attitude. Look for the bright side of everything. Winston Churchill said, "I'm an optimist, I figure that I might as well be".