The ironies of life

11.22.11

One of my favorite things about this world we live in is the little ironies thrown our way. Sometimes they are funny – like how ironic it is that I, who gain 5 pounds simply looking at a piece of chocolate cake, have a daughter who never seems to gain weight. It's one of the "perks" of her medical condition- she will simply always be petite. I'm quite certain she will appreciate it later in life.

Or how I came to this company, over nine years ago, as a part-time, temporary employee. Longest tenured temp ever!

Sometimes the irony is sad and makes us weep – like the irony that my father worked the late shift in a hot factory, 6 to 7 nights a week, to provide for our family. And in the end, cancer from the asbestos in that factory is what took him from us. A hard irony to accept.

Sometimes they are ironies in timing ... like this week. Gathering together with friends and family to count our blessings and give thanks for all that we have – after a week that kicked us down so harshly and swiftly.

It would be easy to let disappointments in life make us bitter. Angry. Less trusting. But to me, that's the beauty of living in a world of free will. I can choose to find the positive in every ironic twist of life thrown my way:

My daughter – for all the challenges thrown her way at such a young age – seems to delight in proving the medical world wrong. She has shown us countless times that if you are fearless – nothing can stop you. What a wonderful lesson.

Losing my dad was one of the hardest experiences of my life. But while struggling with his loss, I saw a side of my husband I had never seen before. We'd always been a "good" couple. But when the time came where I truly needed someone to lift me up and keep me up – he never let go. The only way to sum it up is to say I lost my dad but I found my husband. That's not a trade-off I would have asked for ... but in the same breath, I thank God for it. Ironic.

Last week we lost a leader. Nothing we could have foreseen and the aftershocks of the quake have left us all a tad rattled. There are a lot of questions and very few answers. But take a deeper look, and already the positives are starting to emerge. Employees are stepping up – without being asked – to take on more and cover the gaps. Coworkers are consoling each other for the loss while still building each other up over the potential the future holds. Familiar faces are coming out of the shadows and stepping into the spotlight and proudly proclaiming "I'm back. Let's do this."

I can't tell you yet what the positive will be from this experience, but I know it will be great.

Happy Thanksgiving, Reindeer Team.