When Life Doesn't Turn Out to Be the "Hallmark Movie" You Hoped For

​We've all seen those movies.  Those feel good movies that inevitably end in "happily ever after."  The story line being generally the same for every new movie.  Guy meets girl during some romantic season of the year (which can basically be any time), guy and girl never see the inevitable in the beginning, but always end up falling madly in love in the end.  Or perhaps they're childhood sweethearts that are completely blind to the romance "blooming" between them.  Or maybe it's a simple story of Santa sending a "boyfriend for Christmas." (How convenient would that be?!)  In the end the plot is generally interchangeable with any other Hallmark movie under the sun.  It always ends in remarkable love for family, success in life, and the one and only "true love's kiss."

I personally grew up on these movies and for some reason, in the mind of a young teenage girl, I always thought that my life would eventually end similar to these fictional character’s lives.  Ever since I can remember my goal in life was to find true love, settle down, have a family, and live “happily ever after.”  There comes a time in life where you have to be realistic.  All too quickly my “remarkable love for family” turned into a disease that seemed to rip me from my family ties.  My “success in life” developed into immense effort to get well so I can live a “normal” life.  And my “true love's kiss” shifted to 20+ pill intake, three times a day, in order to control pain, symptoms, and bacteria levels.  So much for my “happily ever after.”

People have always stated the mantra, “When life gives you lemons, make lemonade!”  I suppose you could look at life that way, but the realistic view of things has to take into account that if life doesn’t give you sugar and water as well, your lemonade is going to taste awful.  To make matters worse, if you're lucky enough for life to give you sugar, chances are that the sugar will probably give you Cancer, or Lyme disease, or some other terminal illness.

I suppose you could call me a pessimist, but that's not exactly my point.  It’s not really a matter of pessimism or optimism.  It’s a matter of ignoring the lemons that life throws at you, and trying to see the blessings and opportunities that have come from hardships.  I can be as positive as any well known optimist if I wanted to be, but that doesn’t change the fact that I suffer from chronic pain, I’m discouraged from life, I’ve been abandoned by people because of my illness, I’m lonely, and I’m exhausted!  When you’re suffering tremendously it’s okay to be real!  You don’t have to sugarcoat things for other’s convenience and comfort.  My life didn’t turn out like the Hallmark movie I hoped for, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be an incredible story.

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​Sometimes life doesn’t become the story you hoped for, but it’s not so much the circumstances you’re in that determine success, happiness, or worth.  Sometimes the happiest people are the people that simply choose to be happy.  Don’t wait for the “true loves kiss.”  Don’t stand idly by waiting for life success.  I can’t waste my time waiting for Prince Charming when I have things I need to do in the meantime.

​I believe that the secret is to look for everyday miracles.  In Hallmark movies the miracles are obvious.  The miraculous business decision that saves the company.  The rain fall that saves a year’s worth of crops.  True love coming together against all odds.  Sometimes life’s miracles are not as obvious to the human eye.  In reality, the secret is to see with your heart.  The miracles that take place in my life are my own source of “Hallmark” moments.  Those moments are a gift from God, and with such a miserable disease that seems to steal my life at times, it’s so vital that my heart be opened to every beautiful mercy that God blesses me with.

I know in the depths of my heart and soul that no matter what we go through in life, we can find pure joy in the moments.  My life didn’t turn out to be the “Hallmark” story that I had hoped for, but it turned out to be so much more.  I have been blessed with a certain depth to life that is only found through suffering and difficult life lessons.  I have had moments that are so incredible at times they have brought me to tears.  The older you get the easier it is to be brought to tears because you know the darkest and scariest corners of life, and with that comes the blessing of knowing how the Lord blesses us in so many aspects.  All we have to do is open our eyes and hearts to His will, and what glorious blessings will come of such simple obedience!

​I hope we all have those “Hallmark” moments that add a bit of spark to life.  Granted if life is only handing you lemons at times, try and find the sweet spots that are hidden among the sour moments.  I promise it will be worth your while.