Overeard at... Starbucks

“Mo-o-m, why can’t I get a cookie too? It’s not fair.”

No… it’s not fair; a lesson that I struggle to learn even as I try to teach my daughter. Being an only child, this is a particularly difficult concept for her to understand. We have worked hard to expose her, from an early age, to as many social sharing situations as we can. But still…when she walks into her playroom she picks the toy she plays
with.

Life isn’t fair! How often have we heard our own parents tell us this? In a general way we can relate to it, but when faced with the supreme unfairness of life it is hard to swallow… existential even.

My world has recently been shaken by a number of unfair situations imposed on those I care about. A sister-in-law with breast cancer and two friends fighting other forms of cancer. Another friend who unexpectedly lost her husband probably threw me for the biggest loop. 
 
And this doesn’t even consider the multitudes of people still struggling to find shelter after Hurricane Sandy.

In the midst of so much chaotic unfairness, it is easy for me to lose true North. It is only when I see the amazing courage on my friend’s face at the funeral, or read the daily log of gratitude my sister-in-law posts to Facebook, that I am reminded that while life isn’t fair and frequently isn’t fun, it can still be beautiful.