Life isn't Fair

 "If you find a path with no obstacles, it probably doesn't lead anywhere."

Over the years, I've heard kids exclaim that life isn't fair dealing with the wide range of activities from whose turn it is to get the milk out of the fridge for dinner (once again, happening 15 minutes ago in our family) to more serious issues dealing with life-threatening illnesses or even death.

And on numerous occasions we've all heard the exclamation, "Life sucks!"

Well, what's new with that? Life's experiences can be pretty lonely and cruel at time.

Of course, many (most) things in life don't go the way we plan, and if we go running around complaining about this fact---that life isn't all bliss---we certainly will feel robbed. Of course, we must recognize the reality of the pain that comes along with life's challenges, for that is real, and trying to dismiss those feelings doesn't foster understanding either.

Many years ago while our young family was living in Japan, we elated at the future birth of next child. My wife was in the very early stages of pregnancy, and everything seemed to be proceeding as normal until serious medical circumstances arose in which the doctor (who didn't speak English) stated that the baby wouldn't survive. Separated from family for thousands of miles, with few friends, and with a very VERY limited ability to communicate in Japanese, I felt like ominous clouds were drawing around us. For five months, my wife remained in bed with a great deal of uncertainty as to how things would turn out. The waiting game---the gnawing uncertainty---was one of the hardest things to endure for me because we didn't really know what the next day would bring. Life, death? I'm sure many people have suffered similar and even more tragedy than we were going through.

People often ponder of the fact that bad things happen to good people, and yet, for all that we are enduring or have endured, I wouldn't trade any of these experiences because adversity has been a good teacher. Of course, I didn't feel that way in the midst of the specific trail, but having passed through it, I have a clearer and better perspective of things.