“The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, the education, the money, than circumstances, than failure, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skill. It will make or break a company... a church... a home. The remarkable thing is we have a choice everyday regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past... we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude. I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% of how I react to it. And so it is with you... we are in charge of our Attitudes.” ~Charles Swindoll.

So, as I sit at work, clearly not earning my paycheck today, I started thinking about my attitude towards the upcoming changes in our lives. Mostly I'm sad and worried about how I am going to fair out in Colorado without Ryan. Then I start to feel guilty because I'm not the one who is going to "have it rough." Quite the opposite. I'll live a cushy life for the next year or more, going to work each day in a car with heated seats, eat at any restaurant I feel inclined to frequent, and go home each night to lovable puppy kisses and a big, warm bed. All the while, Ryan and his soldiers will be sleeping in cold, uninviting dormitories or tents, eating "chow" (nothing about that word is desirable), and ultimately putting their precious lives on the line every day. So, the point of all this is that I need to work on my attitude. I need to get rid of the "poor, pitiful me" feelings and think about what is really important: Sending positive vibes over with Ryan so he can focus on coming home safe. I will not complain. I will not cry (a lot). It's all about attitude. Fake it until you make it (or at least until he's on the plane). Happy Thursday! Back to work!