Disappointment

Today is Saturday, June 29, 2013.

“You can't keep the birds of sadness from flying over your head, but you can keep them from nesting in your hair.”

― Sharon Creech, Walk Two Moons 

 Right now I'm feeling a little disappointed about the way some things are going, not that I want to talk about the actual situation online.  

Sharon Creech's book for young people, Walk Two Moons, is a wonderful story on many levels.  The quote above about the birds of sadness is one that I think about every time I get into a funk like this.  I know the situation will pass, and that it's how I handle the disappointment that counts.  Still, it's no fun when the birds of sadness are passing overhead.  

The girl in the Creech's story learns what all young people must learn: that life is sometimes sad, and that it's OK to be sad.  But life goes on, and it's not OK to be sad for the rest of your life.  Your attitude colors everything.  

When an event happens, our minds and bodies respond to the event with various chemical reactions and electrical impulses, but once these initial reactions are over, our attitude is how we choose to feel.  We can keep churning out feelings of sadness, or we can acknowledge the sadness, but move on into the future with a sense that all is ultimately well.  

We ask ourselves, "What was this experience about?  What can I learn from it?"