Finding the Perfect in the “Not so Perfect”

“How was your summer?  Did you take any trips?”

As the summer winds down and the kids go back to school, I have found that people keep asking  how my summer and vacation went. When I think back over the summer, some of the first things that come to mind are the things that were not so perfect – in fact, a bit of a disappointment.  This is how my wah-wah list goes:

• It was miserably hot and humid (but typical for Florida in the summer).
• Even my pool was 90 degrees -I usually complain about how cold it feels and found myself complaining because it was too hot.
• Our week at the beach with 7-year-old grandkids did not live up to my expectations.  Why?  When we arrived, we discovered that the usually pristine clear blue-green gulf water was full of June grass – a slimy cross between seaweed and algae.  I did not want to swim in it.  On top of that, the one small pool was incredibly crowded.
• When on a snorkeling trip, I didn’t see many tropical fish or any dolphins and I only found one hermit crab when shelling.  Plus my grandson had a meltdown and I felt helpless.
• When strolling through Destin Harborwalk Village, the live band was too loud, throwing my grandson into distress.
• And finally, on our last day, my granddaughter locked me out of her room when we were watching a movie.  Then would not apologize.

That’s pretty sad, right?  Why couldn’t I remember all the great things that happened during the summer?  I think too often we remember the negative and forget to be grateful for the positive.

So I decided to try remembering all the wonderful things that happened this summer.  And you know what?  That list was much longer..Here is some of my “most grateful” list for the summer:

• My grand children spent more time at my house with swim lessons and both learned to overcome their fears and now swim like little fishes.  Plus it was all bonus time for Nana.
• Making gluten-free cookies and brownies with my granddaughter.
• Having bonus time with my elderly cat who is dying of kidney failure.
• Finding gluten and dairy-free ice pops at the Harborwalk Village.
• After the “locked out of the room” episode at the beach, my husband, granddaughter and I  went down to the beach that night and saw ghost crabs for first time and the lights from Chinese wish lanterns being let go over the ocean.
• Paying board games with the family that included lots of shouting and laughing.
• Watching thunderstorms over the ocean.  Incredibly stunning!
• Getting up before dawn (with some grumbling) to watch the sunrise from the end of the pier.  Amazing!
• Having a day of shopping alone with my daughter.  Precious.
• Finally seeing tons of dolphins right from the window and balcony of our condo.
• And finally, just having so much time with family overall.  I am cherishing the moments…and I am thankful to God for all my blessings.

So now I have a couple of questions for you –  “How was your summer?  Did you take any trips?”  See how you respond and see if you can contemplate your “most grateful” moments of the summer.  Time on this earth is too precious to focus on the “least grateful.”  Doing this changed my whole perspective.  Maybe it will change yours…