Lemonade

A common saying in life is "when life gives you lemons, make lemonade."

That reminds me of some very very bad lemonade I drank today, [lemon lemonade, for all of you Home Improvement fans out there] but there were two considerations as I choked down the entire cup of it: 1) it was Crystal Light. 2) It was made by a resident and I am in full support of his independence in preparing this lemonade, and I was NOT going to be the one to tell him it was horrible.

And I had this concept of making lemonade out of lemons earlier this week (apparently it was just yesterday, but it feels like it was ages ago) when I decided that I am going to continue listening to Christmas music until it stops snowing and starts acting like Spring outside. And I feel like during Lent it doesn't really hurt to listen to Christmas music sparingly anyways, especially to emphasize the importance of what I consider the "Polar Opposite of Christmas."  I figure Birth and Death are polar opposites, so Christ's birth and death would be the polar opposite holidays. Not to mention they are book ends to Christianity as we know it. And we can't celebrate one without recognizing the other in the process. I have been focused a lot lately on the tune "Oh Come, Oh Come Emmanuel."  I feel like it is in some ways a transitional song between Christmas and Easter. I wonder how thought provoking, emotional, and fitting it might be during an Easter Drama during the scene of putting Jesus on the cross if the music was "Oh Come, Oh Come, Emmanuel. And Ransom Captive Israel. That mourns in lowly exile here. Until the Son of God appear.  Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel. Shall Come to thee oh, Israel!"   Or, maybe that's why I stay away from Stage Productions? I don't know.  It seems awesome in my head.  But case in point, I'm not ashamed to be ringing in Easter with Christmas carols. Or Memorial Day. Or the Fourth of July.  Or Labor Day. Or Columbus Day, and so forth.

Today I woke up with the concept of "making lemons out of lemonade."

How often do you suppose we do that?  Or am I the only one who's going to admit to that.  Not all lemonade is GOOD lemonade, but you don't know if it's good or bad unless you try it. And how many bad lemonades have we ripped apart, back into lemons, analyzing every aspect. How could I have made this better, how could I have done this differently, why did such and such happen or so and so do this? We can't just enjoy even the sweetest things at times.  We always want to know why _____?

I don't know, it's just something on my mind today.  No matter what "making lemons out of lemonade" means to us, it's still something to grapple with, I think.  It could be repressing something that you just can't address or let go of.  But we know what will happen. Those lemons will just rot and fester, and I can't imagine anything more sour than a rotted lemon. It doesn't make it any easier to let go though.