The saying goes “When life gives you lemons, make lemonade.” I always found that kind of funny considering I never really had much of a taste for lemonade. There are so many other things that you can make with lemons. Parfaits, cupcakes, pies, cakes, milkshakes, etc. So… Why settle for just lemonade?
I think in life, we settle a lot. It seems to be human nature. Given a problem or situation, you take what is readily available and don’t take the time to explore other options. Our lives are constantly moving. Everyone around us is talking and planning their next move when they haven’t finished the first task they were given. I’m no exception. I daydream more about what I need to do and how I’m going to do it more than actually carrying it out. When you sit down and breathe for a moment… You can really take in what’s going on around you. Have you ever sat down on a bench in the mall and just watched the people? Talking, yelling, running, searching. Amidst all the noise, you can see the guy at the nearby store entrance gazing at a beautiful blonde browsing the racks. A mom is trying to console her crying baby, and if you look closely, you can see how tired her eyes are. The way they dart about to see if anyone is taking notice. There’s a young middle schooler texting on her phone, constantly glancing at a table of boys to see if they notice that she’s got new makeup and hair color. When you sit down and look around, you can really see the emotions that pass over every one of us. And deep down, there’s a part that is just like the guy desperate for a chance at love, the mom just wanting to make someone smile, and the young girl who’d give anything to just be noticed. And there’s a part of me that is the same in you.

Slow down.

Take a breath.

Listen…