keep your sunny side up!

Dearest Danda,

I have a story for you. Not so long ago mum sent me a metal sign-it was made to look like an old rusty sign from the 40's or 50's and it read "Keep your sunny side up." There are four sections of this sign that are held together by some metal chain. Mum sent it to me when I was having a rough time at work. I hung it in my closet over a stack of clothes and would read it in the morning before dressing. It was a great reminder of how to live my life.

Well, then I moved in with Jeff and had to find a new home for my little sign. With wall space at a premium we decided to hang our most prized paintings in lieu of rusty reminders of how to live life. I couldn't very well throw it in a box so I hung it on the edge of a shelving unit in our basement. I can't say that I was very strategic about the placement of said sign, but I thought it got the job done. It was up and visible!

Now space is tight with all our gear scattered about and five bicycles to navigate by in the basement hall...five?! really, you would think we were Tour de France champions! (I will tackle that obsession in the new year)! With narrow hall ways it seem inevitable that this sign hanging by a chain on the edge of shelving unit was bound to be knocked off. And sure enough it was...by Jeff....frequently. The first couple of times it happened I would hear a crash downstairs and not a peep would come from Jeff who was learning to live within my web of collected "things."

After some time I would be able to bear witness to the falling of the sign where upon Jeff would mutter expletives and pick the sign up in a bit of a fury and say why, why does this stupid sign have to be here. I would say in jest, "keep your sunny side up." There just wasn't room for the sign anywhere else so that was its home.

One day I found a hook on our deck where I thought it would be the perfect new home for my "sunny side" sign. I happily grabbed the sign and hung it up to show Jeff. I think we was as excited as I was that the sign would now be a peaceful reminder in our lives to "keep our sunny side up."

A few nights after hanging the sign up I heard a raucous and thought perhaps someone was breaking into our apartment or our neighbor was moving boxes out of her house in the middle of the night. I cautiously jumped up from bed to investigate (Jeff all the while sound asleep). I walked out to the living room--nothing. I got back into bed. The sounds came again....and again What could it be? Finally it dawned on me. It was a pretty windy night and our beloved reminder to keep our sunny side up was flapping around in the wind and scraping against the side of the house making all the noise. Exasperated (mom, that's for you) I took the sign down and lay it on the ground. I laughed out loud thinking this must be how Jeff felt every time that sign came crashing down.

Sometimes when things don't go your way you have to remember to "keep your sunny side up," despite the interruptions to life.

I love you and your sunny side!

Lex