Anybody a fan of Polyanna? I always have been. She had a game called the glad game, no matter how hard something was or difficult, one could always find something to be glad about. I guess over the years I've developed my own "glad game." When I was much younger I found myself being unhappy and discontent about "things." After going to visit family members in their beautiful homes I would come back to my home and be very unhappy. Their homes "matched," their furniture "matched," their decor "matched". I would look around my home and imagine how I could make my home "match." It would always end the same way - I wasn't in a position to afford to make my home "match." My basement remained unfinished and would for many years, my furniture did not match - and still does not for the most part. I made myself miserable. One day as I was wallowing in my woes, I came to the realization that I could spend my entire life being miserable for what I did not have and what I could not do. Did I really want to do that? Would I wake up one day resenting those people that I loved the most because I did not have or could not do the things they did? I took stock of what I had. I had a husband who loved me dearly, he worked hard and was very good at his job. I was a stay at home mom who was blessed to "be there" for my seven children. My home was comfortable and provided for what we really needed. I had food on the table and my children did not go hungry. Most importantly I had my membership in the church and the gospel of Jesus Christ. How could I pine for "things" I did not have. And so came about my glad game - if I could not have something or if I could not do something - I certainly could be glad for those who did. It was an amazing turning point in my life. Oddly enough, the glad game has brought me immeasurable joy. I would never have believed that being glad for the accomplishments, the activities, the possessions of others could make me so happy and so content. I have been eternally grateful for the day that I made the conscious decision to be "glad" for others.
