Surprise!
This is your life.
Does anyone else feel like they're just a little bit surprised by where they are right now? The chair you're in? The freeway you're on, the doctor's office you're sitting in? The park swing you're pushing? Hey, catch that kid before he.....oops.
I've mentioned this a few times before, but considering the gravity of this fact, it bears mention again; I'm controlling. I'd like to think it's come on with parenting, aging and having a child with autism, but I'm pretty sure my parents and anyone who knew me from my days in knee socks might say it was always a part of my lovely personality. Being controlling can have some beautiful and well organized outcomes. It can also make the people around you crazy and keep you from having fun. My love of fun is greater than my love of controlling, so I realize, it's important to make some changes.
If we think about it from a rational point of view, we can expect the following to be true in life:
Good Surprises = Occur often
Bad (or Unwanted) Surprises = Occur often
Absence of Surprises = Never
The last time you had a laugh until you cry moment, did you know exactly when it was going to happen? Did you meet the love of your life exactly when you thought you might? Was your favorite part of the day yesterday exactly when you thought it would be? Are your best friends just who you planned to have? Are you living exactly where you thought you'd be living right now? Are you working a job you always knew you had? Or, is there a bit of surprise involved in every answer to these questions?
Knowing this, I realize, it's important for me to ride the whale of life (or roller coaster, or wave, or whatever). I prefer whale, because I feel like life right now is going a a speed that is fast, and often feel like I have water up my nose, but I digress. I need to be ok with rolling, and embracing the surprise. To learn to delight in the boom of confetti cannons and honking horns of life. To truly give over to loving the surprises rather than choosing frustration at the "out of the plan" occurrence. I've grown entrenched in the day to day that I'd like to think I'm lord of my universe and can anticipate what is around the corner. But surprises are everywhere. And if I can learn to enjoy them, smile at them and get some confetti in my hair, then won't I be just a bit better at life? Hopefully = YES.
