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Sometimes life throws us curve balls.  We often hear,“When life throws you lemons, make lemonade.”  Or, “Everything happens for a reason.”

Sound familiar?  We all have heard these various pithy statements at times of stress or difficulty. Sometimes they're comforting, sometimes not. And, sometimes we feel that there’s really nothing anyone can say to ease feelings of anxiety, grief, sadness, or depression. I realized this weekend that, in my times of difficulty, there is a reason for believing in these statements.  

A friend of mine unexpectedly passed away last week. She was a mother, a daughter, and a ray of sunshine to so many.  As I struggled to understand why this happened, I went through a range of emotions and thoughts.  I remembered all of the wonderful times we spent together, and how she touched so many lives.  And I was sad.  She was too young. 

Then a wonderful thing happened this morning:  I woke up. I took a few really deep breaths, I watched the sun rise over the ocean (all those brilliant colors), and I was filled with gratitude. My friend was an artist - among other things - and I imagined her painting that brilliant sunrise, and I felt grateful.  Grateful to have had her in my life, for however long. Grateful to be able to be awake today to remember her, to speak about her.

Everything happens for a reason.

Dr. Elizabeth Ricanati is the mother of three children and founding medical director of The Cleveland Clinic's LifeStyle 180 program.  She is a regular columnist for ShareWIK.com 

More Dr. Elizabeth Ricanati articles, click here. 

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