The Unavoidable, Unexpected Parts of Life

What happens when you open your mind to embrace the unexpected things that come in life?

Extraordinary things.

Beautiful things.

Intriguing things.

And yes, sometimes hard things.

Because reality has a soft, gentle side that's glorious

and a sharp side that's wounding.

The wonderful things remind us to have hope and dreams, to love and adore freely.

And the sharp things remind us to have courage and faith, to grow and be strengthened.

But it's all there, all wrapped into our days.

I'm good at getting frustrated about unexpected things, but then I am forced to ask myself...

If I always got to choose what I wanted instead of have the unexpected happen, where would I be right now?

I know for sure I wouldn't be where I am right this second. I'm sure I'd be okay, but wow, I'd sure be missing out on a lot of great things.

There's a song called "Awful, Beautiful Life" by Darryl Worley that I just love, but the part that catches me is in the last verse:

I laid in bed that night and thought about the day

And how my life is like a roller coaster ride,

The ups and downs and crazy turns along the way,

It'll throw you off if you don't hold on tight.

You can't really smile until you've shed some tears.

I could die today or I might live on for years.

I love this crazy, tragic,

Sometimes almost magic,

Awful, beautiful life.

I think Darryl gets me.