Well, at least you haven't done a face-plant in a urinal!

Think you're having a bad day?

Want to complain about it to anyone who will listen?

Because that's how I usually handle bad days.

But isn't that what family and friends are for? To be there for you, in the good times, the bad times, and all the other ones in-between?

My friend Grace* is one of those people I turn to whenever I need to vent about something. Vent, emotionally vomit, squeal with joy -- you name it, Grace has been there with me all the way. We especially like to lament to each other about stupid things that we honestly don't have any control over, but still like to complain about, just to feel like we aren't alone in the world.

One day a few weeks ago, I was writing an e-mail expressing my current discomfort in how busy I was, or something or other. Doesn't really matter, I guess. Point is, I was complaining about something honestly not that bad, but still felt that my voice needed to be heard. The response I got back from Grace was one I don't think I'll ever forget: her mom is a substitute teacher out in Boston. The day before, she was helping one of her students on to the bus, when all of a sudden, apparently he needed to....use the facilities. Being an elementry school, you can't just let students wander off on their own, especially after school hours. So Grace's disgrunted Mom (who just wanted to go home like the rest of us would, I'm sure) helped this little boy back to the restroom. Somehow, in the 3 minutes it would take to use the facilities, Grace's mom hears a wailing noise in the bathroom, and rushes in to investigate. Because how much harm can honestly come to a child in an elementry-school bathroom? When she enters the bathroom, she finds the little boy on the floor, with blood covering his face. It seems that somehow, whether he tripped or just wasn't paying attention (maybe a shiny object?), he managed to hit his face on the urinal. No details as to where his face landed on the urinal (I shudder at the thought), but that shiny piece of porcelin nonetheless. Which teaches me a very valuable perspective on life:

No matter what happens, at least you didn't do a face-plant in a urinal!




*Name has been changed to protect the innocent. Or just because I didn't ask if she would mind if I used her real name. Better safe than sorry, I always say