When Life Breaks Your Yolks, Make Scrambled Eggs

“Start with sunny side up, end with scrambled!” That statement sums up our life – how about yours? Each morning I make my husband Joe and I an egg. The goal is to make our eggs “sunny side up” but if (when) the yolk breaks, plan B is in effect: scrambled is served! And plan B happens most of the time! Similarly, every day caring for one with special needs is like that. Everyday we set out for “sunny side up”, hoping we’ve all awakened on the right side of the bed, but even if we did, life has so many:

• Twists and turns
• Lefts and rights
• Ups and downs
• And ins and outs…

…that we wind up with something very different from that which we started. Some days we have all we can do to talk Joey (35 with special needs) into dressing for work. It’s not as easy as setting out his clothes and finding a willing participant to just cooperate. Monday is like pulling teeth, and already the day’s scrabbled, but Friday is generally cooperative and pleasant. And that’s just dressing. We still have to serve and eat breakfast, get on shoes and a coat, get out the door, etc. But so seldom do things go as planned. On a good day, it might be smooth, but on most days, life is stressful, hard to deal with, and a challenge. So what do we learn/glean from this with our special needs situation?

• Life is never predictable – so stop trying to make a square peg fit into a circle spot
• The “plan” is never the plan – so make your daily, weekly, monthly and yearly goals in pencil and give God the eraser
• Being too planned will lead to frustration – so those of us who are like “oaks”….we need to learn to bend like the willows – being flexible and willing to move with the wind!
• Surrender now- surrender to a good attitude; a willing spirit to serve; and know you’re pleasing God, your person with special needs, and others around you.

Once we employ those thoughts, we’ll love the scrambled just as much as the sunny-side up!