When my son was small, our car broke down on the freeway. He and I walked a mile in scorching heat, up the exit ramp, to a grocery store to find a pay phone. There he discovered the triangular bike rack. He didn’t care about the hot day or the broken car. He crawled into the hollow of that bike rack like he was claiming a new pup tent.
He grinned up at me and said, “This is nice! We could live here!”
Yet again he was my teacher.
Ups and downs, the roller coaster of life.
Go with it, mom. Find the happy in this dip.
When you’re at the bottom, there’s nowhere to go but up.
After I hit bottom, I tend to move sideways.
First the crash. Then the wallow. Sunken. Like, yup, that thing didn’t work out. Gloom saturates the air.
But something off to the side catches my eye. Well, at least there’s this. I’m grateful for it. A sideline thing, but it’s pleasant.
The only reason it’s sidelined is because of my strong focus on the wrecked thing.
So I start appreciating the sidelines, the perks of my life.
Here’s another one. That’s cool. I like this one.
I’m sitting in the dip.
But it’s guacamole, you know? The guacamole of life. Onions, peppers, tomatoes, garlic, cayenne, chunks of avocado. There’s always something to appreciate.
Peripheral blessings pull my narrow focus into a broad focus. Into broad view.
Heck, 99% of my life is fine. I just forgot.
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Joystream Health 
This is such a great reminder. Thanks, Diane!
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Your son’s affinity for the shape of the bike rack against the wall reveals his affinity for discovery – and this will be good to recall if/when you experience an earthquake…Look for such a space in a quake. Because the triangle is science and nature’s strongest shape.
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