The Hand You Have Been Dealt

A life happens, you have to play the hand you have been dealt and play it to the best of your ability. A life lesson learned very early in life. I had a dear uncle who would patiently play the game of “Old Maid” with me. Now you young women probably have no idea what that is. It was a card game with a deck of matching cards. The object of the game was to obtain the most matching cards. One player would deal a certain number of cards and leave the rest in the stack. Each player could draw a card from the remaining deck or draw from another player’s hand. I used to love to play the game, especially with my uncle because he was a very good card player. I recall an occasion where I did not like the hand I had been dealt. I asked my uncle if he could deal the cards again or if I could select different cards. The answer was “no, you have to play the hand you have been dealt because life is not going to deal you another hand to play.” We all have had experiences in our lives where we did not like the hand we were dealt. In some instances we did all we could to avoid it. However, more often than not, we eventually had to deal with that uncomfortable situation. You may be in the midst of one now, divorce,  death of a loved one, an illness, or job loss. Whatever it may be, you face the challenge of dealing with the situation. Your journey may not have been an easy one but if you are reading this, it means you have made it thus far but have you avoided some situations that you did not want to deal with? Going back to resolve them is not an easy task but it is a necessary one in order to move forward into the fullness of your true self. Going through situations makes us stronger, wiser, and more focused. Now it may not feel that way at the time, I know! However, as you journey through the trials of life you learn some valuable lessons. As you journey through the trials of life you gain a different perspective on life. There may be situations you thought you would never make it through but low and behold, you did! [Tweet “There may be situations you thought you would never make it through but low and behold, you did!”]   As women we can carry so many burdens yet we persevere, we keep moving forward. We may stumble but we get up. Life will continue to deal some good and bad hands. How you play them may determine the course the rest of your life may take. You may be surprised at how you got through those circumstances. There are times when we are in the midst of chaos and then one day the chaos is over and peace prevails. It is those moments you look back and say “how did I get through that.” The answer to that question is easy, you simply played the hand that you were dealt.