On Mothers’ Day our local church congregation gives the women a gift, such as a flower, potted plant, or chocolates.
One year the gift was a shiny gold-foil-wrapped chocolate truffle. I was thrilled! Chocolate truffles are my favorite!
Every Mothers’ Day my dear mother-in-law would also give gifts to her daughters and daughters-in-law. Her gift that same year was a shiny, gold, foil-wrapped bar, just like the chocolate truffle I received at church.
I was in heaven!
Since I had already devoured two chocolate truffles, I decided to hide this one away for a future time when I might need the comforting powers of chocolate.
That truffle was in the back of my drawer for quite some time as I enjoyed the quiet anticipation of the future event.
The Time Came
The time finally came for that much-needed boost, and I opened my drawer and took out that shiny gold-foil-wrapped bar.
Upon opening the wrapping, I was taken aback to see an orange bar inside. I momentarily wondered if there was such a thing as orange chocolate.
I suddenly got a whiff of a most decidedly non-chocolate smell, and my question was answered.
The treat that I had been long looking forward to was not chocolate at all.
It was a bar of soap!
Grateful I had discovered my mistake before taking a bite, I was nevertheless very disappointed!
It was a bar of quality soap, which under other circumstances I would have been happy to receive. But because my expectation was so different, I was very disappointed.
I can laugh now, but I’ll admit, I did not laugh then.
Disappointment
That experience opened my eyes to the power of expectation and how we handle disappointment.
We all face times when the events we’d hoped for, longed for, expected to happen do not come about in the way we planned.
We struggle with disappointment.
In that moment we have a choice.
We can continue to feel bad, cheated or that life is unfair.
The Choice
Or, we can consciously choose to look for the good.
-Is there some benefit that could be discovered?
-Might we come to realize a hidden blessing or acquire some knowledge or understanding?
-Perhaps, as in my case, it will provide laughter at some future date.
And what a blessing the humor can be!
Though a chocolate bar turning out to be a bar of soap is not a big deal, my experience can remind us to look for the good or the humor in our disappointments.
Much love,
