Today I am thankful for lemonade. Lemonade is a cool and refreshing beverage that offers the perfect balance of sweetness and tartness. It’s easy to make and is widely popular. Tart lemons provide a pleasant punch, a little simple syrup gently dances with that tartness, equalizing it’s effect, and water brings it all together.
And, sure, that is more than enough reason for me to appreciate lemonade. But, as always, there is more. Like lemonade, life, too, can present it’s tart beginnings, which can at times be cumbersome and challenging to navigate. That tartness, at times, can be so potent that it gives the appearance of being too much to bear. Many of us, unfortunately, stop at the tartness because we cannot imagine that it could be anything other than what it is at that moment.
Yet, as is the case with lemons, when we mix in a little sweetness and water, what was once so arresting and overwhelming becomes surprisingly pleasant and palatable. But the only way that we can ever come to know that pleasantness is by taking what we have and injecting sweetness into it.
Of course when we are waist deep in the tartness of life it can be a challenge to recognize the sweetness that naturally exists in our lives. But if we take a moment to notice the blessings that we have – the love of family and friends, positive opportunities, unexpected and unmerited miracles – then we realize that we have all of the sweetness that we need.
So, when life shows up with those lemons, smile, throw your head back, and make some lemonade that is so phenomenal that life even lifts one eyebrow as it smirks in disbelief. #lovebythedrop
love by the drop 