I love the perspective of the saying "When life gives you lemons, make lemonade." It helps me remember to look at each and every situation with the intent of finding the positive. That's a great start. But that is not where it ends for me. I have to take it a step further.
I have had a lot of challenges in my life. Let's start with having a baby at age 19. Add marriage at age 20. Then came baby number 2 at age 21. Then I moved 1700 miles away from home to live in Wyoming while my husband was in the U.S. Air Force. Add to that going to college at night and taking care of 2 small children with a deployed husband. Then I was faced with cancer at age 29. Finally, I continued my education well into my 30's while being a wife, mother and full-time employee.
Sounds like a lot, right? Yet, I am still here...stronger and more determined than ever. Why? Because rather than turning those lemons (challenges) into lemonade, I let them stay lemons. I am reminded of my grandmother who often made apple pie. She always added a little lemon juice to her apples to keep them from turning brown just before she tossed them in brown sugar and butter. She didn't first transform the lemons into lemonade and then add them to the apples. She took the raw, sour lemon juice realizing that in its purest form it would do the trick. The same holds true for my life. All of those lemons or challenges mentioned before did just the trick as is and helped me grow and develop into the person I am today. I often reflect on those lemons because they make every bite of my "apple pie" more enjoyable and more meaningful.
So I ask you, when life gives you lemons, what do you do? Do you make lemonade or do you make apple pie?