So Will came in this morning and said, "I have some bad news?"
"Oh no..." I thought, "the bathroom flooded again..." But that was not it.
"Unless something else happened that I'm unaware of, like someone moving it or something or... I don't know..." :::WAY LONG PAUSE::: "Someone stole your cooler."
Okay. Not the end of the world. Sure, it was a gift from my parents. Yeah, we use it for camping. And it was full of cans and bottles that still had to be returned for money. But, it's not that big of a deal. It's an object! A cooler!
So why did I start crying?
I think it's because it's not about the cooler. I mean... it sucks having my cooler stolen, but maybe whoever stole it really needed it. It WAS dirty and full of cans, so maybe they thought we didn't want it and they just really, really needed it. (That's what I would like to keep thinking.)
But if the crying didn't come from the fact that a material object of mine was gone, where did the tears come from?
Well, when he was done telling me what had happened, I said to Will: "It's okay. We can always get a new cooler," and suddenly my heart hurt, because all my financial worries flooded over me like a wave crashing against the shore, and I knew that it wasn't entirely true. I mean yes, maybe someday I will be able to buy a new cooler, but not now. Not soon. Who knows when really? So I just kind of felt like... well, like someone was kicking me when I was down! And that is not a good feeling. And so the tears came.
But here I am, a few hours later. The tears are gone, and I am only a little hurt still by my loss, but I have to remember that it IS just a cooler after all though. Even if I can't buy another one anytime soon, I have other options for hauling around food, so I just need to take advantage of those and not complain. I mean... a cooler is a luxury anyway, right?
So instead of lamenting the loss of my big, plastic, insulated box with wheels... I am going to be grateful that they only stole my cooler. They could have broken into my car. They didn't. They could have stolen Tum's bike. They didn't. They could have broken into the house. They didn't. All they did was take a cooler (that maybe they really needed.) So I am grateful.
And as I am grateful, I want to send some positivity out in the world to give back a little. So first of all, I have a great site to share with you: New Age Journey. This is a great site, full of positivity and helpfulness. Click on ABOUT to read about Greta, and allow her and her positive outlook, her great sense of self, and her dedication to influencing the future in a good way, inspire you too. She inspired me. While I was down about my cooler, I read this:
"So then I finally realized through my experiences that I can not change the past but only influence the future. Whatever life throws at you it’s how you handle it that counts. I am grateful for each day and every day is a new day." -Greta, New Age Journey
I think sometimes it helps just to be reminded...
So since I can't change the fact that my cooler has been stolen, I can at least change my reaction to it. No more tears, no more fears (Fear IS the mind killer), and no more feeling sorry for myself. I mean, how can I feel sorry for myself when there are people in this country and around the world who have never even SEEN something like a cooler, let alone had one to be stolen. So, instead of feeling sorry for me, I decided to be grateful, and try to offer some hope to them.
So I made the rounds to all my free donation sites that I love so much ( by the way, if you want to donate as well, the banners are at the top of the blog) and I sat down to write my blog, with the hopes that I can somehow inspire you all to be grateful and go out and do some good in the world... even if you too are feeling "kicked when you're down."
Have Hope. Be Strong. Be Grateful. And know that you are not alone.
Peace and Love,
Meagan
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