A Little Sugar

We all know the saying,

“When life gives you lemons,make lemonade.”

Right?

And I find it interestingthat it doesn’t say,when life gives you lemons,throw them away.

Or sit therecomplaining about how sour they are.

No.

It says,make lemonade.

Take those lemons,squeeze them,add a little water,a little sugar,stir it all together,and suddenly,what once made your mouth twist in bitternessbecomes somethingyou can actually enjoy.

And I thinkthere’s something beautiful about that.

Because life,well, life has a funny wayof handing us thingswe never asked for.

Sometimes it’s heartbreak,sometimes it’s disappointment,sometimes it’s the kind of painthat leaves a bitter taste in your mouthlong after the moment has passed.

And unfortunately,we don’t always get to choosewhat life places in our hands.

But sometimes,we do get to choosewhat we make of it.

You can let painbecome the titleof every chapter of your life,

or let it be a paragraphin a storythat is still being written.

You can let heartbreakconvince youthat love is nothing morethan a beautiful lie,

or let it teach youthat not everyonewho knows how to say “I love you”knows what it means to love.

You can let the things you lostbecome the reasonyou never dare to reach again,

or let your empty handsremind youthat you still have roomto hold something beautiful.

And I know.

I know it’s easier said than done.

Because sometimes,life doesn’t just hand you one lemon.

Sometimes,it brings you an entire orchardof things you never wanted,and expects youto somehow find the sweetnessin all that sorrow.

And some days,you won’t have the sugar.

Some days,you won’t have the strengthto squeeze another lemon.

Some days,the bitterness will bethe only thing you can taste.

And that’s okay.

You don’t have to pretendthat something sweetcame out of everythingthat hurt you.

You don’t have to callwhat broke your hearta blessingjust because you’ve learnedhow to live with the pieces.

But please,

don’t let the bitternessof what happened yesterdaybecome the only flavoryou allow yourselfto taste tomorrow.

Because what a tragedy it would beto spend your entire lifewith your lips pressed against a lemon,complaining about how sour life is,while refusing to put it down.

What a tragedyto let one bitter seasonconvince youthat sweetnessno longer exists.

And perhapsthat’s what the sayinghas been trying to teach usall along.

Not that life will always be sweet.

Not that every heartbreakwill somehow turn into happiness.

But that you don’t have to spendthe rest of your lifeswallowing the bitternessof everythingthat has ever happened to you.

So the next timelife hands you lemons,

take them.

Add a little sugar.A little water.A little hope,if you still have some left.

And make yourselfa glass of lemonade.

But if you can’t,

if the pain is still too fresh,if your hands are still trembling,if you haven’t yet figured outhow to make something beautifulout of what hurt you,

then please,

at least put it down.

Because just because lifeplaced something bitter in your handsdoesn’t meanyou have to spend foreverholding on to it.