Lemonade or Acid?

What’s your outlook on life? Do you make lemonade from lemons?

I think, in general, I try to make lemonade. I try not to bemoan “Why Me?” but looks for ways to make something good out of something bad.

Camille is like this to an extreme. Something happens, and she manages to find the silver lining. She’s very skilled at doing it (not that tons of bad things have happened to her, but still….). Sometimes it takes her a little while, but usually she gets to it fast. My idea to move away from the house that she had lived in since she was one took her a while, but she decided that it was a GOOD THING in the end. Sometimes, I worry that she might be TOO good at it. (I hope she doesn’t make lemonade out of staying involved in an unhealthy relationship, etc.)

Now, Chloe is generally the opposite. She can make acid. Something small happens, good or bad, and she can find the problem with it. Camille and I try to joke her out of a bad mood, but then she thinks we are teasing her and she hates to be teased. I don’t want to condemn her to a life of unhappiness, so we try to talk about how we look for good things and try not to say “luck” very much. She commented that a neighbor was lucky because her yard was so nice, and I reminded her that it was hard work, not luck, that could create a beautiful yard. Next time we saw a nice yard, she commented that the people must have worked hard.

I think she’s catching on, slowly but surely. Is it wrong for me to try to brainwash her into making lemonade? I hope not. Am I taking away from who she is? Or am I helping her develop into a more self-sufficient person who gets more joy out of life?

I’ll close with quoting some lyrics to a favorite song:

Happy lemons for happy days
Happy people with smiling faces
Happiness is a glass of lemonade

Lemonade, in the shade
Everyone loves lemonade

Happy Lemons
written by Ralph Covert & Fiona Schenkelberg,
©2002 Waterdog Music (ASCAP)