You Take It As It Comes

Nearly every morning when I wake up, I look out the back window to see what the day will bring. Will it be sunny and warm or gloomy and rainy? It's easy to let the view I see out my window affect my mood all day, especially when this is what I see on my day off. I like to plan outdoor adventures when I'm not working and rainy days and outdoor adventures don't mix well.

The view out my window last week was much more to my liking. My husband took a day off and we went to the beach after work the day before my day off. As I woke up before the sunrise, this was the view out my window.

What makes a perfect day? Does seeing the best sunrise of the year at the beach make the day any more perfect than seeing a gloomy sky and rain? My Mom always said, "You take it as it comes."

Most of us are guilty at times of letting the cloudy days in life affect the way we feel. When you take it as it comes, you appreciate where you are right now in life, whether it's a sunny day spent at the beach or a rainy day spent at home.

Kids have a natural joy for life that is beautiful to watch. Kids laugh, run and play no matter what the weather brings. Whether they are at the beach playing in the waves or in the middle of a downpour, kids understand that you take it as it comes.

As adults, we often lose that sense of wonder and joy. Sometimes we have to see how difficult life is for someone else to truly appreciate what we have. Take it as it comes.

You take it as it comes when you find beauty in the small and insignificant things in life. A butterfly on a flower is a beautiful sight to see if you take the time to enjoy the view.

A view of the mountains from an overlook on a hazy day is a beautiful sight when you appreciate the view you have instead of wishing for a different view. Just take it as it comes.

The sky at sunset is a beautiful view if you appreciate where you are right now in life instead of wishing you were somewhere else. Just take it as it comes.

Find the beauty in life, whether you're walking beside a bed of flowers or sitting in your favorite chair. When you take it as it comes, you look for the little things that make life beautiful.

The wonder of a new baby is a feeling you can't save until later. You have to take it as it comes and feel the joy and wonder of the moment.

Mom went with us on a couple of beach trips about 20 years ago. Although she wasn't a beach kind of person, Mom was delighted to visit the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse at the Outer Banks. Mom was so proud of herself for walking up all 268 stairs to the top of the lighthouse. When you take it as it comes, you don't need someone else to tell you that you did a good job. You don't look to others for validation.

The recipe for happiness in life is to take it as it comes. Find joy in the simple and seemingly insignificant moments in life. Sitting on the front porch watching life go by was one of Mom's favorite joys in her later years. Her world shrank more and more each year, but she didn't complain about what she couldn't do anymore. She let the words, "You take it as it comes" be her motto for life.

Mom and Dad aren't here on earth anymore, but they are with me every day from the rising of the sun until the setting of the sun. The lessons they taught all of us and the love they shared with us mean that we're never alone. They are always watching over us as we go through life.

As I wake up each morning and look out the window to see what the day will bring, I can almost hear Mom's voice in the whisper of the wind saying, "You take it as it comes."

Blogging Grandma Sandy, signing out for now.