If you consider a difficult situation and the impact it had on you, can you identify an aspect of the situation (or impact) that you can feel grateful about?

Absolutely! I had a job that I loved that ended abruptly decades ago, but it helped to land me in a new location and new career that might not ever have happened without getting let go way back when.

A decade after that and twenty-seven years ago while working with teens in our local high school, a brutal murder took place. It was that tragedy, and the weeks and months of work that followed helping young people to recover and move on with their lives, that taught me that I was pretty good at crisis work. With additional training I served on a local crisis response team for a period of time dealing with sudden death and loss. Nobody signs up for this work as a career choice. The work finds you. It was immensely challenging, but rewarding too. I have always felt grateful that the twists and turns of life helped me to discover that I could do this work and help others in their greatest time of need.