Bloom Where You're Planted

When life gives you lemons and you don't like lemonade, add your own flair then love what you've made.

~ Stacy Coles

For years I tested my green thumb only to find that it's not very green. I've tried planting tomatoes, peppers, carrots and beans. Vegetables haven't succeeded in my garden, but weeds seem to have become my specialty. I blame the soil.

After spending more money than I care to admit on tomato starters and nutrient-filled soil, and spending countless hours weeding and watering, our family discovered a community garden where vegetables seem to grow happily. So, for a small fee, (and no weeding or watering on my part) we loaded a box full of all the veggies we wanted to pick. I was able to make and can salsa to my heart's content.

We are now looking to convert our little garden into a water fall with a pond. Fish are debatable ~ I'm not sure I'll be able to keep those alive, either.

I wanted my garden to succeed. I wanted to reap the benefits of harvesting ripe, delicious vegetables after a summer of nurturing those delicate plants. Nature had other plans. I found myself disappointed year after year when there wasn't much to show for all my hard work. This was my lemon, and I'm not one for lemonade. When we found the community garden, I was overjoyed at how many veggies we were able to get and how much salsa it made. This became our added flair. We didn't quit or give up. We simply found a different approach that made everyone happy.
 
There will be times we find ourselves in a position or location that we wouldn't have chosen. It might be something big like a job that takes us into an unknown territory, or an illness that puts future plans on hold. It might be something smaller like a church calling that makes us question our abilities, or finding we aren't great at gardening.

Making the most of whatever situation or circumstance we find ourselves in is the key to happiness. If we choose to wallow in self-pity because things don't turn out as we expect, we're going to be miserable. If we accept life's challenges and make the most of what we've been given, we'll thrive no matter where we are and no matter what we're doing. Life is what we make of it. So find a way to make it great.

It's easy to let the sour situations in life get us down. But, when things don't turn out as planned, adjust the plan. Do your best regardless of your situation. Face your ups and downs with a positive attitude and turn life's lemons into something you will be proud of ... like salsa!

Life's Lemons