“Realize that life changes – there’s nothing you can do about it. Learn to accept  changes – even the ones you don’t like. Sometimes there are tragedies in life, but you have to get past them. I hope that never happens to you – but if it does, give yourself time to grieve, then get on about the business of living – and learn to be thankful for the blessings you still have.”

This year has infamously robbed us of fulfillment in many areas of our life. Whether it’s being isolated from friends and family’s love and laughter, not being able to see new places or take a vacation, or even having job struggles, we have all found ways to work with what we have. We can choose to recognize that there are courses of action that can be taken in our daily lives to bring us bountiful joy. When we choose to stay home in order to keep those we love safe, it doesn’t mean that we can’t talk to them. We have Skype and FaceTime and Zoom calls to catch up with family members and friends. 

This year has also made us sit down and think about what we have at home, rather than what the outside world has to offer. for We get to spend more quality time with our kids, spouses, and pets. While in a pitch-black room, you can light a candle, per se. 

Sometimes, a seemingly negative situation has a better end. Sometimes we are directed onto a path that is better suited for us and end up fostering our own inner growth. How many times have you, for example, not gotten the job you wanted, only for another position to show up that offers you more than you initially were aiming for? Or thinking back to high school, when you believed that your boyfriend or girlfriend breaking up with you was the end of the world and that you could never possibly find love like that again—aren’t you grateful that another door opened to bring someone else into your life?

We may be faced with challenges that we thought could never happen to us or would happen much later, like the loss of a loved one, a natural disaster, car wreck or the loss of a job. If we let them, these tragedies can be gifts in the long run. When any type of loss occurs, we often gain a deeper appreciation for life, find out which people are truly a part of our support system, and reveal our vulnerabilities, which makes us strong, in turn.

So, with all of this in mind, try to seek out lessons in life’s trials, the sparks of joy in periods of despair, and the upside to every downside in this upside-down world of ours. Even when life changes, cherish all that you have and have once had, because that’s what Mom believes is best!