Swimming in a Sea of Lemonade

All the gloom, doom and dire predictions can really put a damper on our days. Head to the beach? Go to the gym? Attend your granddaughter’s recital? “Don’t even think about it!” we are told!

By now you have heard just about all the advice you want to hear, so I am not about to dispense any. However, I am going to ask you to do one little thing. I am asking you to jump into the Sea of Lemonade with me for just a few moments….

Sea of Lemonade? Where is that? I don’t know if that is even a ‘real’ place. Won’t I get sticky? Trust me, it is real and it can be yours IF you only believe in yourself and you don’t even have to wriggle into last year’s swimsuit to jump in.

We all have faced adversity as ‘queenagers.’ Loss of a job, a dear friend, a parent or sibling or beloved pet, divorce, sickness are all adversities that few of us get through life without experiencing. We feel overwhelmed, sad, anxious, suspicious.

Some of us ‘self-medicate’ with alcohol, prescriptions or chocolate and French fries (or all of the above). Some of us go underground and don’t talk to anyone including our very valuable BFFs or significant others.

Do any of the above do anything to make us feel better? I doubt it.

“So, what do I do?” you ask? I say take a deep breath and start squeezing the lemons piled in front of you!

Lemon Law #1

Decide what is important to you. Now that you are probably stuck at home for the next few weeks there is plenty of time to hold that #1 Lemon in your hand, examine it, roll it around and decide just what it means to you.

Do you get an early jump on spring cleaning?

Finally decide to try that new way of Japanese organization and rid yourself of things that no longer bring you joy?

Skype with an old friend to laugh about some long ago antics you pulled together?

Walk Fido another twenty minutes?

Try out a new recipe?

Break down and order an Audible subscription and listen while you get into a new exercise routine? (yes, I am serious about that).

Write thank you notes that you have been putting off because of lack of time?

Organize your photos whether on your phone or in an album?

I could go on, but you—hopefully—are getting the message by now. (Sorry I know I said I wasn’t going to dispense any advice, but there you have it!)

Lemon Law #2

I am not being a Pollyanna–I know that what we are all experiencing is tough and very real and it is scary! After all, if you are a Queenager, and you probably are if you’re reading this, you are most likely lumped into that high-risk category–the most likely to suffer the most from this disease!

But elderly ? Hah! I say BS! I may be on Medicare, but secretly I really can’t be old enough to be high risk…..right? Damn straight!

You see, yes, there are plenty of lemons piled in front of us all.

Yes, the news is scary and confusing and uncertain; but you don’t have to succumb to any of it. Follow the rules, the CDC guidelines and turn the new found time into a resource! Share here what YOU did with it and help others struggling with fear, uncertainty, anxiety–you name it!

You, after all, are a grown-up, well-seasoned, reasonable, resourceful, intelligent QUEENAGER! You own YOU and you own your crown!

You can make your own Sea of Lemonade with all that you are facing.

Heck, you could probably become an “executive lemon squeezer” with just a little effort.

The point is NOW there really IS some time to decide just what or who or when something is important to you.

You are in control. You are confident. You can swim.