Some "Awesome" Perspective

It seems that sometimes life just isn't fair. Through no fault of our own, we get a bad break. We just have to take whatever we've been dished, and get through it. We can wallow, or we can deal.

When DH and I first got here to our new assignment, we were invited to go to a 'newcomers briefing'. Okay, I was invited; he was ordered. Whatever. This briefing promised to provide a wealth of information, to help ease our transition to a new place and a new way of living life in a very different place. While it was all of those things, it was also long. I mean, looong. Like, eight hours.

A dear friend of mine once said, "The brain can only take in what the butt can stand." Boy, was she right. You could see people zoning out after the first few hours. Even with breaks to get up and stretch the legs, it was long. Really long.

There was a young man at this briefing who was trying to finally get some correct information about something. I can't remember if records had been lost (been there) or if he'd had conflicting information from some friendly government offices (there, again), or what his problem was, but he was getting more runaround from the kind folks at this little meeting. His attitude when he found out that he was up a creek yet again? "Awesome!" was the phrase he enthusiastically used. The room dissolved into chuckles, and the tension lifted.

I learned a lot that day, but you know what stayed with me longer than medical clinic phone numbers, email addresses for this office or that one, or how exactly to get our rather large vehicle picked up and ready for this country's roads? The word 'awesome' and the attitude that accompanied it.

The last couple of weeks have been tough. We've had one child that ended up in the emergency room with a baaaad ear infection, another that was at the doctor's office today with a mystery rash, one with bronchitis which triggered some lovely asthma, and another with a runny nose and a beauty of a cough. But last night, as I was settling into bed with my wonderful husband, I said the unthinkable. "At least no one's throwing up," I said. What an idiot.

Yes, I got a call today. "Please come get me. I threw up all over myself." yuck. Luckily, I was able to get a phone call through to DH so he could go and pick up said child from school, thereby keeping me from having to load the three sick children I already had home with me into the car to go and pick up yet another sicky. Good times.

After two weeks of dealing with sick children, I was about to lose it. I seriously wanted to run away from home. Then my mind went back to that young man and his enthusiastic "Awesome!" I could do that! I could change the day.

"Bring It!", I thought to myself. I even said it out loud. "BRING IT!" It felt good, freeing, and even invigorating--giving myself over to the mayhem and chaos felt right. Instead of stressing and fighting it, just accept that this is the hand you've been dealt today, and meet it head on. Clinic won't schedule an appointment for the mystery rash? Awesome! Ear infection causing your ear to drain for the third day in a row? Awesome! Baby spikes a fever after dinner? Awesome! Got vomit all over your clothes? Awesome! Mom feels a sore throat coming on? AWESOME!

That one little word can work wonders. You see, I don't know what tomorrow will bring, but I'm sure it's going to be awesome!