Coping with disappointment....

I'm currently on vacation, in Orlando Florida, and I'm sad.

Well, actually I'm disappointed because the vacation I had planned in my head, and the vacation that's unfolding in front of us, are very, very different.

To begin with, the weather, it is NOT warm and sunny, but rather it's cold and grey and rainy. Not what we expected or were looking forward to.

And then my little sister gets sick, and this is her first vacation, EVER, and I had big expectations to show her Florida and give her a really great time, and not only is she not having a good time, but she's so sick she needs to leave. She's going home only two days after arriving.

And she's taking my mom with her.

Disappointed.

To top that all off, we were just driving my mom and sister to the airport, and my mom is suddenly struck with the urge to make sure she had her car keys, for her car that's parked in the Buffalo air port, and she doesn't! So we had to trek back to the vacation house to find the keys, failed to do so and had to arrange someone to meet them in Buffalo with a spare key. Thank God that we were able to do so, but I feel so horrible for my mom and sister.

This was supposed to be a good time away.

Fun.

Sun.

Family.

Relaxation.

My mom was really excited to go to the beach again. I was looking forward to showing Kerry the glass bottom boats at Silver Springs.

Instead we got illness,

Stress,

Frustration,

Guilt,

Sadness,

and then disappointment.

I wanted this trip to be so different, I wanted for it to be a real bright spot in an otherwise dull and somewhat stressful winter, and I'm sad that I wasn't able to make that happen.

So, my mom and sister are on route to the airport, and hopefully all will go well from there, and I already miss them and am sort of mourning the plans I had for us all, but since we're here for four more full days, I need to try and make the most of this trip for myself, and Elvis and our kids, and my other sister Courtney and my nephew Xavier. There's fun to be had, I hope, if I can just shake off this disappointment. All things happen for reason, and God works everything in our lives for good if we believe. So I'm looking forward to some good, and praying hard that we've seen the last of the stressful and difficult.

Everyone needs a little reprieve from worry, this is after all, a vacation.

I need some serenity. Which is my segway into the Serenity Prayer......

God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference.
Living one day at a time;
Enjoying one moment at a time;
Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace;
Taking, as He did, this sinful world as it is, not as I would have it;
Trusting that He will make all things right if I surrender to His Will;
That I may be reasonably happy in this life and supremely happy with Him;
Forever in the next.
Amen.

I can't make Kerry feel any better.

I can't un-lose my mom's car keys.

I can't make the sun shine, or make it warmer.

I'm not in control of most things.

Just me. Just how I process the things that happen to me, and how I react to those circumstances. I have to choose to be reasonably happy with what life gives me, and supremely happy with God who works all things for my ultimate good.

There's still the beach to look forward to, sand and sea, very exciting!

And then there's Disney, always a pleasure for everyone (and I get a new Christmas ornament which I love!).

And there's Silver Springs, glass bottom boats, gators, and fun safari rides!

Lots to do, lots of fun to be had, and lots of reasons to be happy and feel blessed, even in the midst of this aparent mess!

Katie