happiness

"Happiness is a perfume you cannot pour on others without getting a few drops on yourself." 

-Ralph Waldo Emerson

Okay, this isn't scripture but it is something that's been banging around in my head the past few days. It makes me realize how much my attitude ends up affecting me in the end. I'm not sure if I'm a happy person. I know I am a joyful person. Not sure that's the same. 

I've had a tough couple of years. Somehow my fear of becoming bitter forces me to keep life in perspective. It makes me dig into my Bible and cling to God like I never would if my life had been easy. It has made my faith more real to me than I had ever thought it could be. I am a changed person because of the last four years. I think for the better. Yes, I still have LOTS of issues (ask anyone close to me and they could start a loooong list), but I continue to be refined. 

On another note, Josh just finished drivers rehab. He has officially learned how to drive. He takes his driving test with the state of Michigan on Monday. Have you ever seen a quadriplegic try to parallel park? Pretty funny stuff. I can say that. I'm married to one and he knows I'm crazy about him! :-) He had a meeting with Michigan Rehab (a government funded program that helps people with disabilities get back to work and back to paying tax dollars) hoping that part of the cost of fixing the van for him to drive would be covered. It will cost between 35 and 40 thousand dollars. Shocker huh? (For those negative thinkers out there I am NOT asking for any money! I just thought the cost puts things in perspective.) Anyway, it was a no-go. I was pretty frustrated but Josh wasn't. That was the grace of God pouring on him. He and his rehab worker started putting together a plan of how he can get to school and then back to work. The poor guy would go crazy if he never went back to work.  Anyway, he left feeling pretty excited about going back to school in the fall. It will probably take a while for us to get the van outfitted for him to drive, but it WILL happen. He is excited to take the kids places, run errands, meet friends. Normal things that I take for granted. 

I'm going to cut this short. My sister just walked in the door. Notice, this is the second post this week. Be impressed. Be very impressed. It doesn't happen often! :-)