When my grandchildren were small, they all loved having books read to them. The same is true of my great grandchildren. Little Aly, not quite two, has learned to be quite adamant about her requests. For example, she picks out a book, returns with it, says, “sit” and then “read”. Her demand makes us smile and we comply because it is a chance to ‘snuggle’ and to share a mutual pleasure…that of reading.

I suppose the fact that in the past I have read so many Dr. Seuss books that when I found a page of various quotes entitled ‘simple inspirations’ my eye was caught by the one from Dr. Seuss.

The quote is “Don’t cry because it’s over. Smile because it happened.”

At first glance, it seems a very simple request. As a child, you might have been playing with friends when it was time to go home. Often whining and crying and even begging follows the request to “Let’s go”.

Now I’ll readily admit that for a child, logic doesn’t rule and emotions win out. But if we are honest, we often behave the same way.

We are forced by circumstances to change our way of life or perhaps even relocate our place of living.

Jobs change and sometimes that necessitates moving to a new location and that can mean leaving family and friends. And it can be very painful.

If we were to follow the advice offered by Dr. Suess, we would focus on the joy and satisfaction we had derived from our present position, instead of bemoaning the fact that change is coming.

I’d be the first to admit that such a suggestion could be very hard. I like stability and am a little fearful of drastic change.

I recall when my husband had his first heart attack and was told to curb his activities. As a farmer who loved his profession, this meant he had to make some changes. Something had to go and so he elected to keep crop farming but give up raising livestock. He wasn’t a happy man, but as time passed, he began to focus on how fortunate he was that he could do ‘most’ of what brought him such satisfaction and pleasure. He was able to smile in spite of the changes he had to make.

Having lived most of my life on a farm, when it became apparent that as his health deteriorated further change was imminent, I will admit I was fearful. Fearful of losing him and also fearful of just what the future held.

It was quite awhile before I could ‘smile’ because I was able to see that while life wasn’t what it had been, it was still good and what had ‘happened’ in the past would always be a part of our lives.

I have a granddaughter who is very focused on looking on the ‘bright side’ and she often shares her insights with me.

About a year ago a friend of hers was in a bad accident. This young person had to be cut from the automobile and everyone feared for a long and devastating hospitalization and worried what her future might be.

However, she was home in a bit over a week, and while she had a long healing process ahead of her, she kept dwelling on how bad things were.

One of Katie’s calls was to raise the question of why this whole episode couldn’t be looked at in a positive manner. She wondered why everyone wasn’t giving God thanks that while the car was a total wreck, the young individual was going to be fine. Now I realize no one is going to ‘smile’ because the accident happened, but I could understand what my granddaughter was saying.

In fact, I shared some feelings I had regarding the loss of my husband and her grandpa. Those last few days he was hospitalized in the ICU unit and we knew things were critical, all I could pray is that God would heal him so he could come home and we could resume our lives even though some things would be curtailed drastically.

Well what we planned wasn’t what was in God’s plan and “Yes, we cried because it was over.”

Now as I look back on these days and I look at photographs of Bill those last months, I see just how painful his life must have been and how he kept going because of us.

God’s plan wasn’t the plan of our family. We wanted him home, healthy, and sharing the future with us.

But it wasn’t to be. And you know that while his death will always leave a tremendous hole in my life, I am certainly able to ‘smile’ at all the joy I had in this long adventure called ‘marriage’.

Whether it is a delightful, fun-filled day, a lifetime shared, an illness never anticipated, or any ‘change of plans’ that can cause pain, we really do have a choice.

As Dr. Seuss suggests we can “Cry or we can smile because it happened.’

Smiling in the face of adversity is hard. Sometimes it takes a time of healing before we can smile again.

But our attitude does affect how we live and also how we interact with others.

There is the saying “I didn’t promise you a rose garden.” I’ve heard that said many times in my long life. And as we move through all the stages of life, we find, as we look back, that there are times of trial and pain and also times of rejoicing and joy.

I personally believe we do ourselves and others with whom we associate a great disservice when we spend all our times bemoaning our troubles and relating them over and over again to all who will listen. Yes, we have suffered. There is no denying the pain that comes with life.

But often the very thing that brought us so much joy in times past is what causes the pain. So will we spend our time reliving the pain and sorrow or will we ‘pick up the pieces’ and smile at all that has blessed us in the past? I agree with Dr. Seuss. I don’t want to spend my time crying because something is over, but rather smiling because it was part of my joy in life.

Seems odd to me that I am finding something Dr. Seuss said agreeing with what my journey in faith has taught me. But it seems so. Life may not always be easy but it can be ‘good’

And remember there is one promise that we can always rely upon. As Jesus commissioned the disciples he made this promise. “Lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age.”

In spite of what life may bring us, that pledge that we are never alone should bring a smile…maybe a weak one…but definitely a smile.