The Gift of Rejection

Today, I received a very polite email letting me know that I had not won a literary contest I had submitted a story to. For some reason (call it human nature if you will) rejection brings me to a funny place. I hear every negative comment that has ever been called to my attention. Those thoughts fill my mind and I fight them off saying 'Crystal, not everyone can win. Toughen up. Where's that lemonade attitude you talk about?' and then I start second guessing myself. 'Who are you to tell other people to be positive when you're sinking into the muck and mire of negativity?' on and on....

And then - I am reminded to breathe. Life comes with it's very own phone-a-friend option when you don't have all the answers. I grabbed my phone and called a friend. Sent an email to my husband. Wrote in my journal. I started to hear positive encouragement. I saw the love in my children's eyes. I remembered that Dr. Suess was rejected numerous times before becoming the amazing author we now know him as.

Today's journey was humbling. It reminded me that no one is expecting perfection and that friends should be cherished because without them - life isn't filled with sunshine or sugar...just lemons...

So now - at the close of the day...with my husband at my side, I sit at my desk and let my thoughts flow to my fingers and here for the world to see, I can say "it's okay to fail - it's okay to be a professional picker upper-er of pieces - it's okay to be imperfect and real - it's okay to try again - and it's okay to not be the 'it girl' for everyone"

This contest didn't choose me - but someone somewhere will (someday) and until then, with pen in hand - I say:

May your paths be abundantly filled with lemons, sugar, sunshine, and all the friends that you need to get through the darkest of days.
~Crystal