It is very cold and snowy outside of my window today; but, I am safe and warm inside. Like many weather events, snow is both a blessing and a curse. My heart goes out to all those people in Texas and in the south who experienced the worst of winter: snow, ice, and freezing temperatures. Not requested nor wanted. Yet, where I live, snow in the Rocky Mountains is warmly received! A “powder day” is a gift, and all the skiers head to the mountains to enjoy the fresh, new snow that makes a blanket of fluff for incredible skiing.
Not only that, but the snow Colorado receives in the winter provides water for the front-range (Denver) in the summer. If the snow-fall is adequate, then we will have adequate water all summer. Occasionally this does not happen, and a drought can be severe, especially for the farmers in the other parts of the state who pray for snow!
So, there you go. A positive and a negative. Life is like that – full of positives and negatives. I confess that it has always been hard for me to be around negative people, and that means that the last year has been difficult. I have been accused of being a “Pollyanna” person, or one who always sees the glass half-full instead of half-empty. Guilty as charged. I know the world is bad enough without people trying to remind me over and over again how horrible it is. On a daily basis, most of the news media “talking heads” present terrible, biased, misleading journalism, accusing, convicting and just being crabby all the time. Bad news sells. Who can be the first reporter to break the worst story? Who can tell the first half-truth, just to get ahead in his/her career? Facebook posts just cloud the issues as well, because they, too, are suppositions, hearsay, opinions without facts, and are overtly one-sided (to the negative).
Thus, I have some thoughts almost a year from the dawn of the Covid 19 epidemic:
Like a tumor, a negative attitude grows worse and worse as people focus only on the bad.
Learn from a crisis; grow, reflect, and focus on gratitude.
Run, walk, exercise, get outdoors; breathe. Be alive (even if parts don’t move like they used to).
Reach out. Show mercy: take care of those people around you who are struggling.
Be creative; try something new that may replace something that was lost. I can talk to family and friends across the country by “Zoom,” as I never could before.
Life is too short to live in the realm of “what ifs.” If we always live in fear of what could, potentially, happen in the future, we will miss the joy and blessings of the present.
Do not take offense at little things. People are saying and doing terrible things to each other, but let it go…..maybe they are having a worse day than you are….
Do not retaliate; do not speculate or spread negative gossip. Negative seeds sprout quickly and spread swiftly. Don’t water them.
Sometimes life is hard; it is painful. Relieve pain and stress through the right channels. Help is out there, and people do care.
Sometimes we have to go through the hard times to appreciate so many good things in life.
Smile. It makes people wonder what you are up to. Oh, wait. We are wearing masks. So, laugh outloud!
Sometimes we must go through the darkness to see the Light (read John 8:12). May the Light so shine in your life, now and always, that others may see the true Light of Life in the darkness of this world. Be positive; it’s fun.
Dr. Judy Diehl's Blog 
Just loved your February blog. This is my first experience with a blog and what a way to start! Sooooo positive which is what we need so much. So many great ideas to stay positive. My Grandmother and my Mother, too, always said that there is always some good in everything that happens. I always try to stick with that idea. Thank you, Judy, for your wonderful thoughts and suggestions. Looking forward to more.
Blessings,
Donna Tyburski
Thanks, Donna!! I do appreciate your response. It’s nice to know someone out there is reading it!!