You might have heard the saying, when life gives you lemons, make lemonade - it means that when life throws challenges at you, try to make the most of it. I've had the opportunity to put this into practice a lot recently. I was enjoying a great holiday with my daughter when I tripped over and gave myself a concussion. I had some cuts and grazes, some nice yellow bruises, quite a headache and a lot of nausea. I ended up in ED with a migraine and vomiting. It took me about ten days to be well enough to go out. Then three days later, on Christmas morning, I woke up with Covid. 

I have to admit, I didn't deal with it like a champion all the time - there were some tears. But I figured I would have to make the most of it. I made lemonade out of the lemons life had given me. I listened to an audio book (I wasn't allowed to watch TV or read after the concussion), I enjoyed long baths, I did facials at home, I listened to music... Instead of the big family Christmas we normally enjoy, we had a quiet Christmas with the four of us - playing board games, building Lego, opening gifts and watching Christmas movies.

You don't have to wait until life is good to have some fun, you can do things that make you happy, even when things are tough.

These two photos were taken in the same place at the same time but facing different directions. We are surrounded by things that threaten to overwhelm us - global pandemics, heavy study loads, family tension, friend issues, serious illness, cancel culture, bullying, hate... It's important to remember that the storms don't last forever and the blue sky is hiding behind the clouds. We are also surrounded by good things - nature, friends, music, love, kindness, the sun, art... Turn around and focus on the good stuff.

My daughter is in her fourth year at university and has been overwhelmed by the workload recently, staying up till the early hours to finish her assessments. She is exhausted physically and emotionally, but she said something profound, "I will always have my degree, but I won't always have to study." Your perspective matters.