Singin' in the Rain

With all the goopy air and lack of sunshine this time of year, I sometimes have to remember to find the joy despite my circumstances. I remind myself that I do not have to deal with abuse or the horrors of war in my country like Corrie ten Boom or Victor Frankel. I do not have to live in a hut or walk miles to get my water. I do not have to heat my water to bathe or boil it before it is drinkable. I did not have to deal with a tornado this weekend or an earthquake last week. My car runs and I love my job. Even when I have a difficult day, I have a thousand reasons to dredge up some happiness. I remind myself that, “The happiest people I know are not those who find their golden ticket; they are those who, while in the pursuit of worthy goals, discover and treasure the beauty and sweetness of the everyday moments.” (D. F. Uchtdorf) We had the grand opportunity of experiencing Europa Park in southern Germany over the Christmas holiday. We went from Berlin on a 7-hour train trip (not without some diversions and challenges) with our son, daughter-in-law, and five young grandchildren. Europa Park is quite an experience—larger than Disneyland with trains and monorails, circuses, ice capades, and hundreds of pseudo-Disney rides. The theme is the countries of Europe. The first night we were there, after our harrowing journey through Germany, we jumped right into the fun, despite the cold and rainy weather. After a few hours we bought an umbrella in “Iceland,” determined to enjoy the price of the tickets. We were only ready to give up for the night when we were all soaking wet and cold to the bone. Jim and I each held three-year-old Isabella by the hand between us and headed back to the hotel. We would have been miserable except for one little thing: Bella’s feet hardly touched the ground as she skipped through the puddles and freezing rain, singing happily along with the Christmas music blaring through the park. Jim and I just looked at each other and laughed! It was one of those everyday moments that brought us joy despite the misery. Find the joy this week! It is found in doing hard things. I'm going to try to do a little singing in the rain. . .mmm. . .snow...mmm. . .

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