Christmas morning mulling...
I love to plan things. Whenever we are going on a holiday, I'm the one with the comprehensive excel sheet. I have everything written down at all times - who owes who money, books, the movies I need to watch, the restaurants I have to visit, the places we need to holiday at. I have lists for everything. I also have plans and mini and mega project timelines. I calculate EVERYTHING. I have 3-4 scenarios for every plan in life. I may not get points for execution, but planning I ace.
I just got thrown a major curveball in life and somehow I was on bed rest - alone - over the holidays. And surprisingly, my first instinct was to dig out Marley and Me. I found it on Amazon Prime and curled up in my 'binky' to watch it. And yes, I cried for the 945th time as I watched it. This movie has all the elements that turn me into mush - a beautiful, smart, naughty lab, a lovely family that includes beautiful people like Jen Aniston and Owen Wilson, and most importantly, life - as real and raw as it is. One thing I say to myself and V every time I watch this movie is "We have to get a dog. NOW". But I also learn something more - Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans.
Time and again I see this. We keep making our big fat plans. We keep taking things for granted - time, health, family. And life can sometimes pull the carpet from under our feet.
And then it hits me why I suddenly craved watching this movie. To tell myself that it's okay. It's okay to dodge a curveball. Or take it head on. It's okay to cry. Okay to feel bad. But what's key is to accept it - life - as it comes to you. Embrace it. And move on. And if it takes some chocolate and a favorite movie to ease the process, so be it.
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