Oh yes, there are disadvantages to being an optimist. Of course they aren't disadvantages to the one filled with hope, but to those that surround them. LOL
This thought occurred to me this morning while my eyes slightly opened and I rolled over, and looked out my window, to see gray skies instead of a sun on the horizon. My eyes saw the blah looking day but my brain thought, oh good, God is watering my gardens today.
It is all about perspective. I have a car sitting in our driveway that has been there for quite a few months now. Every couple of weeks someone will knock on the door and ask if it is for sale and I will say no and turn them away. I am sure that my neighbors look at it and think, "when is she going to get rid of that thing?" I look at it and think, "one of these days I am going to fix that and drive it again." Of course, with every day that passes that possibility gets dimmer and dimmer but do you think that stops me from thinking of the possibilities? Of course it doesn't. To me, that car is a symbol of hope and my eternal optimism. (It isn't an old broken down wreck btw, it is an older Acura that needs a few things.) So next time you see an unused car sitting in a driveway remember that it may not be a sad sack living there. It could very well be the sign of an optimist.
Early last Winter I went to put my garbage out and saw a geranium in my neighbor's garbage. They are a few doors down from me. There was still some life left in it so I bought it inside, pruned it, watered it, and gave it some Miracle Gro. Well, just look at this beauty now. With a little luck, perseverance and a lot of care this will probably be 3 plants after it is pruned and repotted over this Winter.
I happened to mention it to my next door neighbor when we were both out in our respective backyards one day this past Summer. She was amazed at how beautiful the plant had become. I must say I was a bit shocked when a few weeks ago the neighbor, who I swiped the plant from, said, "oh Marianne! I have something for you." He bought out a half dead geranium and said, "see what you can do with this." I said to him, "aha, so you heard about the one I took from your garbage last year?" Sheepishly he answered, "yeaaaaah." Of course, this glass-is-half-full kind of gal saw the potential in this geranium, as well, and I gladly accepted it. Again, I pruned it, watered it, fed it and I put it in my container garden and guess what? You got it; it is in full bloom and has had one new flower after another for two of the three weeks that I've had it. Oh! and the dead part of the plant? That has grown back nicely and has teeny tiny white flowers on it as well. As they say, "one person's trash, is another person's treasure."
Who is at the disadvantage in all of this, you ask? It is poor Tom. He is the one that is at a disadvantage in this entire scenario. When things get rough I'm the one that says, "The Lord will provide." He just gives me the look. Tom isn't a hope and miracle kind of guy. He is a show me the proof kind of guy. He does have a bit of the optimist in him. I guess some of it has rubbed off from living with me all of these years but most of the time he lives up to his name of doubting Thomas. God must have been snickering when he decided to put us two together as a family. It certainly hasn't been dull around here. I do have to say that Tom does have the patience of a saint. It isn't always easy to live with an optimist. With that being said, I would much rather live my life with hope and optimism and a healthy trust in the Lord that all will be accomplished and done well. It is much better than living without hope.
Peace,
Mare
P.S. I was telling Tom about this post last night and he looked at me like I had three heads. He said, and I quote, "you are not an optimist." LOL I can't win.
This thought occurred to me this morning while my eyes slightly opened and I rolled over, and looked out my window, to see gray skies instead of a sun on the horizon. My eyes saw the blah looking day but my brain thought, oh good, God is watering my gardens today.
It is all about perspective. I have a car sitting in our driveway that has been there for quite a few months now. Every couple of weeks someone will knock on the door and ask if it is for sale and I will say no and turn them away. I am sure that my neighbors look at it and think, "when is she going to get rid of that thing?" I look at it and think, "one of these days I am going to fix that and drive it again." Of course, with every day that passes that possibility gets dimmer and dimmer but do you think that stops me from thinking of the possibilities? Of course it doesn't. To me, that car is a symbol of hope and my eternal optimism. (It isn't an old broken down wreck btw, it is an older Acura that needs a few things.) So next time you see an unused car sitting in a driveway remember that it may not be a sad sack living there. It could very well be the sign of an optimist.
Early last Winter I went to put my garbage out and saw a geranium in my neighbor's garbage. They are a few doors down from me. There was still some life left in it so I bought it inside, pruned it, watered it, and gave it some Miracle Gro. Well, just look at this beauty now. With a little luck, perseverance and a lot of care this will probably be 3 plants after it is pruned and repotted over this Winter.
I happened to mention it to my next door neighbor when we were both out in our respective backyards one day this past Summer. She was amazed at how beautiful the plant had become. I must say I was a bit shocked when a few weeks ago the neighbor, who I swiped the plant from, said, "oh Marianne! I have something for you." He bought out a half dead geranium and said, "see what you can do with this." I said to him, "aha, so you heard about the one I took from your garbage last year?" Sheepishly he answered, "yeaaaaah." Of course, this glass-is-half-full kind of gal saw the potential in this geranium, as well, and I gladly accepted it. Again, I pruned it, watered it, fed it and I put it in my container garden and guess what? You got it; it is in full bloom and has had one new flower after another for two of the three weeks that I've had it. Oh! and the dead part of the plant? That has grown back nicely and has teeny tiny white flowers on it as well. As they say, "one person's trash, is another person's treasure."
Who is at the disadvantage in all of this, you ask? It is poor Tom. He is the one that is at a disadvantage in this entire scenario. When things get rough I'm the one that says, "The Lord will provide." He just gives me the look. Tom isn't a hope and miracle kind of guy. He is a show me the proof kind of guy. He does have a bit of the optimist in him. I guess some of it has rubbed off from living with me all of these years but most of the time he lives up to his name of doubting Thomas. God must have been snickering when he decided to put us two together as a family. It certainly hasn't been dull around here. I do have to say that Tom does have the patience of a saint. It isn't always easy to live with an optimist. With that being said, I would much rather live my life with hope and optimism and a healthy trust in the Lord that all will be accomplished and done well. It is much better than living without hope.
Peace,
Mare
P.S. I was telling Tom about this post last night and he looked at me like I had three heads. He said, and I quote, "you are not an optimist." LOL I can't win.
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