"Debbie Downer?"

It was brought to my attention the other day from a few members of my family that I am like the Saturday Night Live character Debbie Downer. I have always known that I'm not the "scattering sunshine everywhere I go" kind of person but I didn't realize how much of a downer I have become. I just feel like I need to keep my family informed of what is going on in the world and that means sharing some "not so good" things. Anyway, I hope to be able to try and be more of a positive person in the future. They can get their bad news from someone else.

These past couple of weeks I have been in so much pain I didn't leave my house except to go to church and over to see the fireworks. I have prayed for inspiration as to what doctor to see or who could best treat the pain. On Tues. I received a call from someone who I think may be able to help me. I have also spent a few hours in my pool trying to exercise my hip to try and relieve some of the swelling and pain. I am a little bit better, but not well by any means. It's hard getting old. My 80 year-old Mom thinks I'm so young but I guess it is all relative.

I finished my book this morning. The author, who while serving as a mission president had a nervous breakdown, talks about how hard of a trial it was, but how much he grew and learned while serving. We all will have that "thorn in the flesh" while living on this earth. Whether it is physical, emotional, spiritual or a combination of all of them it can be a heavy burden to bear. I know that our trials make us kinder, less selfish, more humble and many other attributes that we need to have to be more like the Savior. There was a little poem in his book called "Smile, Darned You, Smile." It is

If you can smile when things go wrong,

And say it doesn't matter,

If you can laugh off cares and woe,

And troubles make you fatter,

If you can keep a cheerful face

When all around are blue,

Then have your head examined, bud,

There's something wrong with you.

For one thing I've arrived at:

There are no ands and buts,

A guy that's grinning all the time

Must be completely nuts.