The Power of Positivity

Moving requires equal parts patience, positivity, and ice cream in order to go well. I firmly believe all three are key. This move from Texas to Virginia has been the most stressful yet, so it's been all about perspective to get through it. To sum it up, I had to coordinate the packers by myself since Parker was away at the time, our packers and loaders were unprofessional and careless with our things, our move manager would not respond to calls, our things got temporarily misplaced, they were delivered 2 weeks later than they were supposed to, and we have a page and a half long list of damaged items. Not the best move we have ever had.

With each new item the unloaders wheeled into our new house, Parker and I cringed and held our breath to see what would be wrong with it. The coffee table Parker built when we got married is in pieces and ruined, the new dining room table my parents bought us for Christmas is banged up on the ends, my favorite pair of boots are scuffed, our dresser is chipped at the corners, wine glasses, a vase, and my cake stand were shattered, the washing machine is dented... I could keep going, but you get the idea. Moving day was supposed to be so exciting, but it quickly got pretty depressing. 

The movers had to bring our things in two trips. When they left to go get the second truck, I turned to Parker and told him that I felt so defeated. I didn't really want to see the rest of our things because I knew that list of damaged goods would just get longer. His response makes me smile and shake my head as I replay the situation in my brain. He said "It's okay! You know I have been wanting to build a new coffee table anyway. It's just stuff". I don't know why this surprised me since Parker is easily one of the most positive people you will ever meet, but it still took me by surprise. Instantly, my perspective changed. He was right.

The two most important things to me, and the only two things that mattered out of everything we transported, didn't get damaged in the move. Parker is in one piece, and so is Jenny. Stuff is nice, but it's meaningless. It doesn't bring me true happiness. Parker and Jenny make my world go around, and they both got to Virginia unscratched.

We had a choice to make as they brought in all of our things. We could be mad/sad/depressed/annoyed, or we could choose to see the positives. We can file damage claims, so we will be somehow compensated for all of the things that were broken. It may be a little banged up, but we have a table to eat at again. No more dinners in lawn chairs! It may have a small hole in it, but we can sit on the couch as a family again. It may be a little dented, but the washing machine still works, and I can finally do some much needed laundry. It may not all be in one piece, but we have stuff. 

Had Parker not been so sunshine and rainbows about the whole thing, I probably would have been pretty bummed out. His positive outlook forced me to see the forest for the trees, and in turn, I felt blessed instead of angry. Being negative is contagious, but so is being positive. That little dose of optimism is all I needed from Parker. I want to be that little dose of optimism for someone each day. You can be that too! Like I said, a positive attitude is contagious and just plain fun to be around. We can't always plan for life's bumps and bruises, but we can choose how we react to them. I always say you have to play the hand you're dealt. Sometimes, you get dealt a really crappy hand. I imagine you get all the twos and threes of the deck while everyone else seems to have the kings and aces. We don't always have control over what happens to us, but we can always control how we perceive it. There is so much power in positivity. The choice is yours, friends.

Sleepy eyes and big smiles... it must be moving day!