Sometimes life gives you lemons, and we all know that we just have to make lemonade with them… but damn it’s hard sometimes!

Last week was a really crappy one for me, and even just writing that I find myself in tears. I can’t share much at the moment, but suffice to say I felt like I’d been served a few buckets of lemons.

And that’s the thing with expat life. Crap happens. To all of us. It’s how we deal with it that really matters.

I will admit I didn’t handle it well initially and that I took some of my fears out on the girls. By that I mean that I was short with them. That I mentally just didn’t have space for them. But there came a point last week where I just had to stop myself, take a really deep breath and move forward.

So how did I move forward? I messaged my dear friend and arranged a walk. She took me literally to the top of the mountain and back while I unloaded, and cried, and eventually started to feel better.

I focused on what I could do. And I made sure I didn’t drop the ball on any of my clients, because as much as I support them, I get so much reward from seeing the change in them that I gain too. 

My crappy week culminated in Madam S turning 8 on Sunday. I couldn’t cancel, as for her this was socially so important. And thankfully I didn’t because by Friday, the birthday felt like a light at the end of the tunnel. It’s so true, that when crap happens, it really is the simple things in life that cheer us up.

I planned a morning tea picnic in the park for her classmates on Sunday morning. And my girls are with Julia Childs on this one, a party without a cake is just a meeting. So Madam S and I decorated her cake together (which she absolutely loved doing!) And the kids played simple games of limbo, musical statues, pass the parcel and so on. 

Hubby and I discussed when we were moving to Auckland, that we really do need to make the most of the lifestyle that Auckland can offer us. And I feel that this party picnic was testament to that. A sunny day, lovely little friends, good food of cut fruit and sandwiches… everyone was happy! Many of the parents also stayed to enjoy watching the kids having fun together. 

So when life gives you lemons, you can make lemonade. You can do it by gaining perspective and just moving forward one step at a time. 

What’s your tips for making lemonade? Please do share in the comments I would love to hear from you.