"I try to take one day at a time, but sometimes several days attack me at once."

Asheleigh Brilliant

Some days are easier than others. Why is that? They may start out alright, but soon things go south. While it is my personal theory computer malfunctions are a significant contributor, I will admit there are many other things that can derail us. Individually many are like little spitballs...they irritate, but they don't have the power to put a monkey wrench in the progress of the day. There are others, that are like a dodge ball straight to the stomach--WHAM! Remember that kid in grade school who was so good at doing that when the teacher wasn't looking? Those are the times we are pulled asunder and simply have to fold our tents.

I have a close friend whose grandson figured out a way to deal with just such a day very early in his life. He received along with his sister at Christmas, a wonderful candy cane that with the aid of a brown pipe cleaner for antlers and roly-poly stick -on eyes, was transformed into a reindeer. He was completely captivated. Rather than dismantle it for the delight of the peppermint candy, he elected to save it for when he really needed it.

Isn't this something? Can you imagine most little boys--especially ones that do not get very many sweets to begin with, thinking ahead to when the solace of a peppermint candy cane would be much more appreciated?

I wonder when things don't go as we planned, that is a lesson in the limits of control as well as the grace provided in taking care of our feelings. Humans are planners, some of which is vital. Making all those plans however, tends to factor out the possibility other plans or events might alter them. We get used to life going as we expect it to. We don't dwell too much on the chance that it won't. We begin to believe we won't ever have any need for a peppermint reindeer. As a result it's easy to become less flexible and more narrow in our thinking and approach to life. Remember that pithy little saying: "variety is the spice of life"? Shaw has a great one too: "There are two great disappointments in life. Not getting what you want and getting it".

About six months or so after Christmas this little boy had a very bad day. I don't remember now what happened that made it qualify for the reindeer, but it did. He arrived at his grandmother's house and announced that this had been the day and he was going to go and get his reindeer and eat it. His big sister was stricken. "Are you sure?" she implored. "You've saved it all this time, are you sure you need to eat it today?"

"Yes!" was his positive and self assured answer and off he went to his reward leaving his grandmother and sister to wonder in his wake.

Now I'm thinking that candy cane is now at least six months old, but I'm a bit more amazed this little boy still knew where it was safely tucked away. Kids are so fabulous. The best part of course, and the little poignant homily here, is that he knew what he could do for himself to ease whatever there was about the day's events that was simply too much. He knew what he could do to restore himself.

Plans do help life run more smoothly and some days will inevitably run amuck. While it is not essential to have a peppermint reindeer stashed away, perhaps it is essential to allow ourselves to fall back and regroup. If we can be tender and caring towards ourselves when the going gets rough, give ourselves time to lick our wounds and reflect over what has happened and why, perhaps we can come away wiser and more open to what comes next--planned or not.