I had a moment recently,

in traffic, when I managed to drive an entire block in the wrong lane.

(I blame my lack of caffeine intake.)
Astonishingly enough, I killed no one and wasn’t ticketed by a police officer.
I was however, laughed at and waved to by someone who was trying to legally turn into my lane.

So, instead of having stress inducing hormones racing through my veins
while I corrected my embarrassing traffic blunder,
I had a good laugh.

That understanding, sedan-driving soul had no idea,
but their reaction to my obvious unfamiliarity with the area
literally made my day.

I was happy as a clam for the next hour,
and all because this person maintained their sense of humor.

The older I get (and age–she’s coming on fast),
I realize that each obstacle that we face isn’t unique;
there are plenty of people with countless challenges to face each and every day.
Indeed, life is weighted 90 percent on how we react to things and 10 percent to what actually happens to us.

The differences in how these items play into the rest of our lives is what seems to separate us from one another.

As painful as it is for me to admit, my newly formed adulthood is
my deadline for deciding how I want to handle stress, setbacks, and heartache.

And really, what makes stress different from responsibility?
Aren’t setbacks really just fate showing us our pathway?
And, I’ve never had heartache that didn’t make me stronger.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .