Hurdles

A friend and I were talking about life. She was complaining about all the trials and tribulations she was facing. She asked me "How do you manage to survive?"

My answer was simple. I had been thinking about that very topic for years. Having lived for 71 years, I have developed a few ideas about survival. I told her – "Just keep jumping."

To me, life is like a foot race. But, the race is not just a simple run – it's a hurdle race. Now and then, hurdles are thrown up in front of us and we must navigate them safely without tripping, falling, injuring someone else or ourselves, or giving up the race.

When we're young, the hurdles seem insurmountable. However, when we're young, we're more able to jump high and get over them. Little children learn daily lessons about how to overcome certain hurdles. Our youngest grandson is a risk-taker who loves to climb. If something gets in his way, he will attempt to annihilate it so his progress is not stopped.

The fact that you don't get invited to your Junior Prom is a BIG hurdle for a teenager. But, no one said that a date is necessary. So, jump that hurdle and go to the prom with a few friends. In the scheme of things, "no date" is no big deal.

In school, schedules and organization are the keys to a good outcome. If your English professor assigns a ton of work over the holidays, use self-discipline and get a little done every day instead of waiting until the end of vacation to do the whole thing. Making a stri