The splinter

The last couple of days, our household has been trying to cure a swollen, sore finger belonging to my husband. You never really realize just how much you use your fingers until one fails to function as it should. Last Thursday, hubby got a tiny metal splinter in his finger. He has been pretty busy, so he ignored it, rather than finding the tweezers and removing it. It apparently moved deeper into his finger and became infected. The reason I mention this is not to gross anyone out. It just got me thinking – it’s kind of like bad attitudes in our lives. If we ignore them when they first creep in, they can easily grow until they’re a big problem and very difficult to get rid of. If we note them when they first appear and make a point to get rid of them, it’s so much easier. Our lives have been pretty stressful lately, and I've found it easy to let bad attitudes and grumpiness sneak in, and soon they take over. This was a great reminder to me to recognize when that starts happening and nip it in the bud. One way I do that is to try to notice the positives in the situation, then point them out verbally. Whether it's telling my husband what things I appreciate or pointing out the way the water reflects off a leaf to my toddler, it seems to help refocus me and keep my attitudes in check. Good music and prayer also go a long way to keeping my focus positive.