Smiling between disasters is a good start in finding splashes of joy, but surviving in the cesspool - and eventually climbing out - takes the ability to deal with pain and grief. Nothing comes into our lives by accident; and no matter how bad it makes you feel, remember: It didn't come to stay - it came to pass!

The hard part is dealing with being alive while waiting for whatever to pass. When pain and grief capsize your life, it sometimes seems that all you can do is sink. The letters I get from heartbroken parents help me understand why I went through my own cesspools of pain.

Those terrible times helped me earn the credentials that now enable me to help others deal with pain. And the help I offer them becomes a boomerang blessing of hope for me, too!

Things NOT to do when you're feeling blue:

*Don't weigh yourself!
*Don't get your hair cut!
*Don't open a box of chocolates!
* Don't go swimsuit shopping!

from Barbara Johnson's book: Daily Splashes of JOY!