I can bring tears to your eyes; resurrect the dead, make you smile, and reverse time. I form in an instant but I last a life time. What am I? A memory.

Memories are a fickle thing. They can ignite all sorts of emotions whether you want them to surface or not. Some are happy. Some are sad. Some make us angry and some make us laugh. But isn’t it weird how 2 people can be present for the exact same memory but when it’s retold again, it doesn’t seem like the same event? Like it was 2 separate events that only the one person was present for? It’s because who we are as people often effects our memories. Who we are at our core often impacts how we perceive the world around us. How we remember memories will put us in two categories. Glass half full group vs glass half empty group. Let me explain.

We all know at least one “Negative Nancy”. A “Debbie Downer” if you must. Glass half empty kind of people. These people always remember the not so perfect parts of a moment. Like the fact that their was a two hour wait at their usual restaurant or that the store was out of their size of pants. They fail to mention that because of the wait they ended up trying that new little restaurant down the street and ended up running into a couple of friends they haven’t seen in years and got to have supper with them and catch up. That even though the store was out of their size of pants that they were originally looking for, they found the cutest dress instead that they’ve received 10 compliments on just today. They always feel like they had to settle instead of feeling like they got the best out of the situation. When in fact, they got more than what they originally bargained for. Their fun night they had planned turned into an awesome night with friends. The nice pants they planned on buying turned into a gorgeous dress that everyone is envious of. The “Negative Nancy’s” miss out on the greatness of a memory because of a few minor details that they look at as bad when in fact, they are actually what made a good memory, great.

Then you have the “Happy Helen’s”. They are the ones that roll with the punches. The glass half full kind of people. They are the ones that make you wish that you got caught in that rain storm with them even though they got drenched and a cold out of it because in the middle of it all they got to make a few friends that were also running for cover and got to eat a few s’mores while warming up by the fire. They know that making the best out of every situation makes for the best memories. They know that complaining about something doesn’t make what happened any better. That all that does is make a not so ideal situation, worse. Being a “Happy Helen” can be contagious and that’s something no one would mind catching this holiday season.

I think that’s what helped me get through some of the messy moments of my life. I chose to be a “Happy Helen”. I chose to remember the good in my tough situations. That though I lost a limb, I got to see how quickly my community pulled together for me and how supportive everyone was. I got to see my husbands best friend drop everything to be there for him. Instead of allowing my soul to be crushed by the things I could no longer do, I let it be happy with the friends I made, moments I witnessed and the support I felt. I allowed my confidence to grow in relearning to do the little things again instead of it being crumbled by having to ask for help sometimes. I didn’t let my happiness about being a new mom again be dimmed because I had hemorrhaged and didn’t get to be there with my newborn on her first night at home. Instead I got to be thankful I have family that love to visit us and I got watch the bond grow between my kids and their grandparents grow. Choosing to see the light in dark situations helped me heal and gave me some of the best stories and memories of my life. And someday, when I’m gone, I hope people will be able to tell many more stories about me that they smile and laugh through than roll their eyes and frown through. That people remember me as a “dance in the rain” kind of person.

So instead of being mad that your mom burnt the turkey again this year at the thanksgiving party and by the time a new meat was ready the rest of the food was cold, remember the look on her face when she opened that smoke filled oven. Try to make her laugh about the situation instead of making her feel even worse. Realize that the “not so ideal” happens sometimes. Do your best to have more laughs and smiles with the ones you love than anger and tears while you still can. Surround yourself with “Happy Helen’s” and you will surely become one yourself. That when you are 1 of the two people there for a moment, make the memory as happy as you can. Because, like what was said in the beginning, memories last a lifetime. And don’t we want a lifetime of happiness?

#TheOneLeggedMommy #GlassHalfFull #SaturdayVibes #PositiveVibes #BeHappy #Memories #AmpStrong #NecrotizingFasciitis #Friendships #Smiles #HappyHelen #DebbieDowner