Last week, we endured a series of unfortunate events. First, our dog was directly sprayed by a skunk Wednesday night. Somehow, I had been lucky enough to avoid any skunk encounters in my life all these years until now. The odor was so bad it felt like it was burning my eyes and nose. Of course, we did not know he was “skunked” until after he came running into the house. After lots of vinegar and baking soda, I think the odor is mostly gone.
To add insult to injury, our dryer stopped working on Thursday, and I badly smashed my finger Friday. As I explained over text to a friend, "It was A WEEK!" I kept telling myself amidst all the scrubbing, dryer troubleshooting, and icing my finger that, "This will soon be funny." To be clear, it was not funny then. But now that we are past it, I can laugh at my own misfortune.
There is so much in life that is simply out of our control. When we are in the thick of it, getting through frustrating situations can seem daunting. Extra, unexpected work and inconveniences on top of our already-overflowing responsibilities can be such a gut punch! I guess that's why there are so many memes poking fun at others in bad circumstances. We can laugh having been through something similar while being comforted in the fact that we aren't alone, or our situation is not as bad.
It happens. And while it may stink (sometimes literally) at the moment, once it’s in the rearview, we can typically have a good laugh at the absurdity. Just remember: This will soon be funny.
The author grew up on a Florida dairy farm, obtained a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from the University of South Florida and has spent her career in dairy processing. She now serves as business development manager for North America with Bunge. Erin and her husband live in St. Louis, Mo., with their three children. Her personal mantra is “Be Bold.”