10 Complaints into 10 Positive Thoughts

First of all, thanks for all the well-wishes for both Craig and my grandpa.  Although Craig's surgery lasted longer than expected (something about a shredded tendon), his doctor assures us it was a success.  It's going to be a long recovery and this past weekend was nothing short of exhausting (me taking care of three boys, instead of two), hopefully the worst is behind us.  My grandpa was also released from the hospital on Friday afternoon, one day shy of his birthday, so that was great news!

Anyway, with a husband reliant upon me for nearly everything and the brunt of the household/kid responsibilities on me, I've been feeling a little sorry for myself.  Until I take a step back and realize that I have a lot to be thankful for.  So without further ado, here is my list of 10 current complaints....followed by 10 positive thoughts about each.



1 | Taking care of a husband who just had knee surgery is for the birds...but this was an elected surgery.  Something that was planned ahead of time.  He wasn't in a car accident, he doesn't have cancer, and the purpose of the surgery is for an improved quality of life for Craig, which I know will make him happier in the long run.

2 | Waiting hand and foot on a grown adult can be frustrating...but I know it's probably more frustrating to Craig himself.

3 | Surgery isn't cheap...but we have great insurance that allows Craig to have the surgery at minimal cost to us.

4 | It sucks not having family around to help us in situations like this...but I'm so appreciative of the neighbors who have stepped up and acted as our family.

5 | I hate having to make the 40-mile round trip to and from daycare twice per day...but we're lucky to have a daycare provider who takes Brantley to and from preschool and loves our kids like her own, despite the 20-mile difference!

6 | I'm tired of getting dressed for work in the mornings...but I'm grateful to have a job where I'm required to do just that.

7 | I'm also tired of the daily grind that is school and I'm beyond ready for summer...did I mention I'm lucky to have a job that allows me my summers off?

8 | It's a daunting task to come home each evening (after driving 40-miles round trip) only to prepare, serve, and clean up after dinner...but we have an abundance of food in both our pantry and our belly.

9 |  It sucks that this is Mother's Day week, yet I'm left to care for our kids nearly 100% on my own...but I know a lot of women who long to be in my position and never do I want to come across as taking this gift of a job for granted.

10 | After putting the kids to bed, cleaning up our house, prepping for the next morning, and feeling the need to head to bed early (because of the earlier than normal alarm), I haven't had as much time (or energy) as I'd like to do the things I enjoy (blog)...but it's a short-term problem and I know life will return to normal soon.


Linking up with Karli @ September Farm

17 comments:

  1. Great post! Can be hard to stay positive all the time but you have a great balance here and good things to reflect on :) Good lucky with the 3 boys this mothers day! ;)

    ReplyDelete
  2. I LOVE this post. It's so easy to look at all the negative things in our lives and dwell on those. Such a great, positive outlook you have!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Oh girl I feel you. Dave had his ACL repaired when Sadie was about 3-4 months old. I wanted to kill him. Obviously I wanted him to get it taken care of but he tore it in like January and waited until August to get it taken care of. He could have done it before she was born. Ugh.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Such a great post, Sarah. It can be overwhelming being consumed by negativity & changes, but it sounds like you have the right attitude! Aaaaand we are one day closer to Friday. ;)

    ReplyDelete
  5. I love how you've turned negative situations or thoughts into a positive mindset. I wish others did this as much as they should.

    ReplyDelete
  6. This is great! I definitely find myself complaining far too much. It's a great reminder that so many people would be happy to be in our situations.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Great idea for a post. I had seen a similar idea once that was more simplified - like I hate waking up in the morning - but thankfully I get to do so!

    ReplyDelete
  8. I love this post. There is always a silver lining to every situation. Sometimes, it's hard to find but it's there. :)

    ReplyDelete
  9. I love that you changed negative to positive!! Great attitude. Hang in there friend. Thank goodness the surgery went well and Craig is home and doing well. :)

    ReplyDelete
  10. A thankful attitude seriously puts things in perspective, I call this constructive complaining :) Hoping Craig's recovery is quick!

    ReplyDelete
  11. I love this post and I really hope that your husband heals quickly! I am glad that you are finding positives in trying situations!
    I also blogged about 10 things this Tuesday if you want to head on over to my blog and show some love! Happy Tuesday!
    https://sheridanjohnson.com/2016/05/03/10-things-i-dislike/

    ReplyDelete
  12. This is such a great outlook! Way to take the downs and make them ups.
    Scott left yesterday for two weeks - and I'm here with the kids, celebrating Mother's Day, kind of alone. But, Scott is at a training that will hopefully get us home sooner. So, I'll take one Mother's Day doing all the things for all the people if it means we might be back in the Midwest sooner rather than later!

    ReplyDelete
  13. I LOVE this post! Seriously a positive attitude is such an amazing thing. I love that you turned complaints (hey I'm right there with you) into positive things. Great post!
    So glad that your Grandpa is doing better and Craig is on the road to recovery!

    ReplyDelete
  14. Love this post too- been thinking about you a lot and so happy Craig's surgery went ok AND your Grandpa is doing better. Hang in there as summer is right around the corner and then you won't have to make that drive and enjoy some time with your boys!!!! Glad you have an amazing village surrounding you too- so important always but especially times like this ❤️

    ReplyDelete
  15. Great post! We all have those mundane and daunting tasks, but it's so good to find the positive in it all. My car broken down this week and at first I was so upset about it. Then I was like you know what? I am thankful that it's a fairly easy fix (my husband might not agree) and I am thankful that it didn't break down while I was out and about it it. It was in our driveway when it wouldn't start! And I am thankful for a mechanic that lives next door, too!

    ReplyDelete
  16. What a positive outlook; I love it! And it is so trying to not have family close by at times like these; but yay for amazing neighbors.

    ReplyDelete