Advice: Trees that don’t bend break

BY MARIA LUISA SALCINES

You don’t always end up with what you want. Sometimes, however, things have a way of working themselves out.

Learning to recognize your blessings is the first step to a happy life.

I will never forget Hurricane Beulah and the devastation it left behind in 1967. I remember standing at the window watching the palm trees across the street sway from side to side as if they were made of rubber.

The palm trees that survived the hurricane were the ones that were able to bend without breaking.

You can plan all you want, but sometimes the Man upstairs has other plans for you. Life is about learning how to bend so it won’t break in the face of adversity. You will go through struggles in life. A part of being happy is managing your way through the difficult times.

Joy, sadness, laughter and tears are all a part of life. Allow yourself to deal with pain during the low moments.

Survivors are those who cry, need hugs and sometimes crawl into bed for a week to get through a difficult time.

Feeling the pain, talking about it and recognizing your hurt is a way that will keep you from breaking.

Difficult moments can happen at any time. These trying times may change you or teach you a lesson you were not expecting.

To find happiness, you have to be willing to allow the storms of life to shake you up, but not make you miserable. You have to learn to make the most of what you’ve got and to learn how to handle life’s struggles with compassion and courage.

Illnesses, or the loss of a loved one or storms such as the ones that passed through the Rio Grande Valley last week are things we are not prepared for.

Dealing with issues bravely and with faith will keep you from resentment, allowing you to bring more peace to your life.

If you spend your life paddling against the current, you will eventually drown. Learn to float down this river called life. It won’t always be fun, but it is worth the ride.

Maria Luisa Salcines is a freelance writer and certified parent educator with The International Network for Children and Families in Redirecting Children’s Behavior and Redirecting for a Cooperative Classroom. Follow her on Twitter @PowerOfFamily or on Instagram @mlsalcines. FamilyLifeandFindingHappy.com.