Lemonade

"When life gives you lemons, make lemonade."

There's a familiar saying that is pulled from our psyche whenever Murphy's Law is in full-force. This axiom intended to motivate the "victim" is so cliche it has lost its flavor. I'm left wondering, "What does it really mean? Is lemonade the only thing we can make from lemons? Why have lemons got such bad PR that we use the metaphor to describe a series of catastrophes?"

Here's a few thoughts generated from this truism:

1. I like lemons. They are a beautiful golden yellow and so aromatic that industrial manufacturers world-wide add the scent to household cleaning products.
   
2. To the best of my knowledge, "Life" does not offer any other product to us that we can convert into a beverage. Therefore, without "Life" giving us this tropical fruit, wouldn't we dehydrate?
3. And finally, my mind always goes to the idea of a brain-game. How can I make an acronym that would add substance to this mild mannered maxim? What if we could offer someone more than a passing dismissal? What if we could design a road-map to move us from the pitiful to the powerful? What if we reject passive acceptance? What if we :
   

L - Laughed...it's the best medicine
E - Embraced others and surrounded ourselves with those who want us to win the victory
M -Moved forward with a fixed focus to make a tangible difference one day at a time
O - Opened our minds and our hearts
N - Noticed all the things in our lives to be thankful for
A- Adjusted our attitude and expectations
D- Decide to challenge our circumstances and do unto others as we would have done unto us
E- Evaluated our actions instead of blaming others and remaining in "victim" mode

What if we chose to live our lives making a difference?

Officer Polston lived his life in a noble and honorable way, one day at a time. He had a basket full of lemons. He decided to do more than make lemonade; he used his life to bring glory to God and to show each one of us what it truly means to face life's greatest struggles with dignity, compassion, and an overwhelming love for others. OP laughed, embraced, moved forward, opened his and our hearts and minds, noticed the beauty around him, adjusted, decided to go the distance, and evaluated his walk with God daily - he surely was ushered into the presence of his Heavenly Father with the salutation, "Welcome, good and faithful servant."

Sgt. Terry Polston - you will be missed.