Finding a New Normal

How do you move on after something terrible happens?  It's a question I've been asking a lot lately.   Many people have told me to have faith...but in what? God?  The justice system?  George Michael?  I wish people would be more specific.  The truth is that I never lost my faith.  I'm just a little disappointed in it.  

 

As I've had time to reflect, I've come to the realization that the only way to move on is to take one day at a time, making baby steps in the right direction.  Will this help things return to normal?  No.  The old normal is gone and now we need to find the new normal.  I'm realizing that the new normal doesn't have to be that different from the old normal.  

One of the baby steps that I've decided to make is to focus on the all the positives in life instead of the negatives. Positive things can be easy to acknowledge if you open your eyes and see what's around you.  I'll start with what I'm thankful for...

...in no particular order....

• My kids.  I love them unconditionally and they make me smile thousands of times a day!  Sure there are some things I've had to give up....like being able to use the bathroom without an audience...or a straight 8 hours of sleep...but I wouldn't trade them for the world!
• My husband.  I'm not sure how I got so lucky, but I'm so glad I did!  He's very handsome, very funny, works his fingers to the bone, and loves us unconditionally...and he cooks and cleans too!  I'm 95% convinced that he's not an alien or some sort of time traveling robot, since I long believed that men who held the above mentioned attributes didn't exist.  
• My other family members...parents, brother, nieces, nephews, uncles, aunts, cousins, and in-laws.  They are an interesting group of people...and I love them all.  The past few weeks would have been terrible without you.
• My friends.  My friends get bonus points because they choose to love me, instead of my family who pretty much have to love me.  And why wouldn't they?  I am awesome after all!
• Caffeine.  Coffee...soda...tea...you come in so many different varieties. And they are all delicious!
• Chocolate.  This applies to all forms of chocolate....well, except dark chocolate.  I will never like dark chocolate.  Nothing good starts with the word "dark" anyway...for example, the dark ages...Darth Vader (ok, I'm taking some poetic license here).  Wait!  Dark brown sugar!  Ok, there's one thing good that starts with the word "dark".
• Baking.  I love to bake!  Especially since it usually involves chocolate (see above).  The thing about baking is that usually whatever it is that you're baking will make someone happy.  No one ever frowns at cheesecake or cupcakes or muffins or pastries. 
• Tummythighsuckerinnerwithers.  Also known as Spanx or girdles.  Perfect for those who just had a baby 7 months ago (or 6 1/2 years ago....) and need just a little bit more time to get rid of those few extra pounds of baby weight.

I will add more as I think of them.  I just took some banana bars out of the oven and their heavenly smell is distracting me....yum!