Living in the Silver Linings

The worst in life creates contrast for the best in life.

It’s the darkness of my past experiences that allows me to appreciate the light, even if it’s dim.

I wish I could adequately describe in words the shift that has come about since that horrible, awful, no good, very bad day.

There are silver linings that permeate my life experience now; equal and opposite positives to the negatives.

It is in those fine lines, not the string of bright sunny days, that I experience so much gratitude that I can’t believe how lucky I am.

Which is logical and counterintuitive at the same time. White appears so much more brilliant when it’s set against black.

I choose how I look at the dark, angry, sad experiences.

I can stare into the abyss and let it wash over me like a great flash flood, and sometimes that’s what I need to do.

But, then I can look for the sunlight highlighting the silhouette of those angry clouds, those tell-tell silver linings, and look forward to the flowers that are going to bloom simply because it poured.

My diabetes diagnosis led to an insatiable fascination with the science of my body and a new diet and lifestyle that actually give me more energy and strength than I ever had before.

The random razor blade in my rapidly flattening tire led to learning to change that tire on my own, and then helping my best friend change her tire just two weeks later.

The bathroom remodeling accident that left a big ugly scar on my leg after my first set of stitches taught me quite viscerally that physical pain is temporary and nothing to be afraid of.

And this one is a hard one to admit…Having breaks from my children because of divorce led me to be a calmer, more patient mother who appreciates every moment with them.

I am human and emotional and still find myself getting wound up over unfair situations that find their way under my skin.

But, nowadays, the peace that comes from living in the silver linings is so reinforcing that it’s harder and harder to remember that the darkness is even there at all.

I’m grateful that it is there, because it makes all of my experiences so much brighter.