Its better than the alternative...

Life is short.

Life is too short.

Do you ever truly think about it? We are only on this planet a limited amount of time, then one day... its over.

Why do we complain so much? We only get one life. Once chance to make your mark on the world. One chance to experience joy, pain, sadness, anger, excitement. One chance to work, to experience the hot of summer and the cold of winter.  Just one. Why would we take any of that for granted? Why do we hate the cold, then hate the heat. Why do we not want to go to work then complain about being broke? Why do we complain at all?

I'm pretty sure what ever it is we are complaining about, its better than the alternative. If you have nothing to complain about, well... then you are dead. Don't get me wrong. I have been through my share of situations that I didn't want to be in. I have a story that could fill a few chapters of situations I complained about. But thinking back its all relative. 

When I was little my dad did home renovating as a side job on nights and weekends. Most weekends my sister and I would work with him. At that time we HATED IT! Except for the money he paid us, and McDonalds breakfast, there was nothing good about working with dad on the weekends. We had to get up at the crack of dawn (usually before the sun even rose), wear nasty work clothes, load/unload the truck, clean up after dad all day, do the nastiest jobs, get yelled at for slacking off, then load/unload the truck again and go home. We probably complained the whole time.

The things and situations that I have been through have made me who I am today.  The kind of woman who can install a sump pump all by myself (yup, that happened today), make someone feel beautiful, be the hair cutting baby whisperer, work hard, love harder, and survive any situation God puts in my life.

My husband lost a dear friend today. He battled cancer for years, lived his life as normally as possible, and today he lost his fight. He fought a good one though. No one would say any different.

This whole thing has me thinking. I want to be able to give thanks for every situation that I have. Even if not at that moment, but looking back at it. I want to be the person who grabs life by the horns and says give me all you got! No regrets, no complaints, no worries. Because when it truly comes down to it, we never know whats around the next corner...and we have no way of controlling it.

May we all strive to quit complaining and enjoy whatever is thrown at us. One day it will all be taken away, and complaining won't make it any easier.

Rest in peace Chris Peppers. May you dance hard, skate harder, be without pain, and enjoy a Gunter or two with God.