Remember to Enjoy the Ride

Remember to Enjoy the Ride

I remember watching the movie, Father of the Bride, in which, Steve Martin, who played the father was in a tizzy because his child’s play was falling apart in front of the audience’s eyes. The children forgot or said the wrong line, they were in the wrong spot and the set was falling down. He couldn’t handle the chaos.

On the other hand his wife sitting next to him was smiling and laughing along with all the other parents. They were enjoying the children being who they were - kids, kids who make mistakes and do silly things.

What a difference in perception! One person is visibly upset while the other is having the time of her life. A lot of things are like that. How we react to them is a matter of our own perception.

As a parent I can get very frustrated, stressed out and exhausted from raising a child but at the same time I wouldn’t change a thing.  There are just too many positives from watching her grow up, the funny questions and remarks make me laugh. Actually just watching her be herself makes me smile inside. Her ups and downs have brought excited jumping to crying on my shoulder.  It’s been a rollercoaster ride of emotions. And let’s not forget the heart-felt hugs that have melted my heart. It’s been quite a ride so far. I hope I can hold on although I do have a fondness for roller coasters. I think this has been the best and longest ride yet.

I’m enjoying the ride.

How about you? Do you have ups and downs in your life too? Sure you do.  The thing to remember is that you always get through them, don’t you? Each one has given you a new experience to put under your belt. A slap on the back is in order because you made it. It’s taught you something and hopefully made you wiser.

What I find interesting is that most people who’ve been through a lot of what I’d call down times say they wouldn’t change a thing about their past because it’s made them who they are today. They wouldn’t have met the people they did or learned a lesson from the experiences they had if it had been different.

What message does that send? To me it tells us to enjoy the ride.

Weeeee……..