THANKFUL FOR FRUSTRATIONS

Life gives us TONS of frustrations, right?  We start learning about frustrations at an early age with things like: homework, flat tire on a bike, rained out baseball game, snow day that should have been, spilled milk, you know the stressful list.  Then we get a little older and those frustrations become a bit bigger:  broke down car, sick kid, washing machine on the fritz, etc.  Oh, just writing these things down makes my stomach upset!!

So what do we do about these frustrations?  We work through them.  We deal with them.  We wish they wouldn’t ever happen again.  But here’s the thing…they teach us.  We become better for them.  Frustrations make us appreciate when things go good.  If not for frustrations, everything would be hunky-dory all the time and we’d never really appreciate how wonderful life is!!

I know personally, being the wife of a septic pumper this means calls when I don’t want to be called or a working husband when I don’t want him to be working…like on Christmas.  However, there are so many times when he doesn’t get called out and it makes me so appreciate those days.  All this inconvenience teaches me and my kids.  They see a dad who is willing to work even when it isn’t convenient or when it changes our plans.  They see how life isn’t perfect but can still be good.  Ultimately, despite frustrations we have so much to be thankful for every day.

I know my knee jerk reaction to many things in life is to try to avoid bad things or keep my kids from experiencing certain bad things too.  However the older I get, the more I realize when I avoid irritating or bad situations, I’m being robbed an experience I need to grow and mature…and my kids are robbed too.

So this year instead of being frustrated or mad when things that don’t go my way, I’m going to try to look at what the moment is teaching me or what I’m thankful  for.  There is ALWAYS a reason to give thanks.    No matter what is going on in my life:

-          I am thankful for my family – my crazy kids, loving husband and extended family who is always there no matter what
-          I am thankful for my home – warm and cozy
-          I am thankful for my country where I have so many freedoms and security I take for granted
-          I am thankful for my friends who love and help me no matter when
-          I am thankful for my ridiculous pets who never leave my side no matter what I’m doing
-          I am thankful for frustrations that make me appreciate all these thing even more!
-           

What are you thankful for?  

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