a healthy dose of self pity

Life has a way of backing up on me.  Things can be swimming along very nicely (thank you very much!) and suddenly there's a nasty rip that feels like it's going to suck me under.

I've had a few weeks of rough weather at sea now.  A friend called in last night and in the course of the conversation told me of her own bad few weeks.  I remarked that I felt I couldn't take a single thing more - the stress levels are high enough thanks, and one more little thing might just be my undoing.

Of course the reality is one more little thing won't make much difference at all.  The things that I'm struggling with right now are no different to those of a million others out there - job insecurity, financial uncertainty, growing children and the ensuing parenting issues, an aging body.  I moan too much about ''doing it alone'' when in reality I'm not.  I've got good kids. I'm in a great community, I have a great partner and I co-parent pretty effectively with the father of my children.  What right do I have to complain, really?

Well, here's the rub.  Perception actually is reality.  So on the days when I feel like I'm doing it alone, I actually am doing it alone.  On the days when lifes challenges feel insurmountable they probably are.

The lesson for me - be kind to myself, be kind to others.  Back to my old mantra - offer grace and be be gracious in return.  Remember that life is always going to give me a few lemons.  It really is up to me to get stuck in and make the lemonade.