When life gives you lemons, make lemonade.
What’s wrong with a lemon being a lemon, I wonder, and lemonade standing alone? Each is perfect as it is, with its own time and purpose. The refrain points out again just how much we value one thing over another: choosing the sweet over the sour, concocting a so-called positive out of the perceived negative, manufacturing candy to camouflage life’s authentic and irreplaceable flavor. Candy only gets you so far, and so does conventional wisdom like this.
When life gives you lemons, let the lemons be. Sour has a sweetness all its own, and a season, like all seasons, that doesn’t last.
Best post I've read all week.
Comment by Kristin H. — July 3, 2009 @ 12:33 am
Aviva had a tea party today at camp. They drank lemonade. She told me is was tart, but not quite tart enough to make her make that lemon face.
"Candy to camouglage" – this phrase sticks with me.
Comment by jena strong — July 3, 2009 @ 12:55 am
Perfect analogy! There will always be an equal measure of sorrow with the joy. Without having known the sorrow you might of never discovered the joy. (Hugs)Indigo
Comment by Indigo — July 3, 2009 @ 1:21 am
i adore lemons, karen. always have. lemonade is not so bad, either. but lemons. . .i still can't believe i live in a place where they grow on trees in backyards. i love this sweet/sour little post. thank you.
Comment by Holly — July 3, 2009 @ 1:51 am
Just yesterday, I was pondering a similar topic but not as brightly colored as a lemon . . . wondering about our use of language and the attributes we attach to the unknowable. What is "good," what is "evil?" What if evil is also a good in the infinite scheme of things?
Comment by Beryl Singleton Bissell — July 3, 2009 @ 2:11 am
Couldn't even have lemonade if we didn't have lemons.
Comment by mapelba — July 3, 2009 @ 2:18 am
Perfect. 🙂
I often say, "When life gives you lemons … well, then you have lemons!" 🙂
I've found that most of the sour in life is only "bad" if I'm dwelling on the fact that it's not the sweet. When I can avoid those expectations, I usually find that he sour is not so "bad" after all.
Thanks for the reminder. 🙂
Comment by ZenMom — July 3, 2009 @ 2:24 am
such amazing beauty in so few words. i adore this.
Comment by latisha — July 3, 2009 @ 3:59 am
Lovely post.
Scrape that lemon a bit, too, and zest will come forth!
Comment by Lana — July 3, 2009 @ 4:25 am
I'm trying to savor the moment as the latest sourpuss client walks out the door. For what it's worth I'm happy he's leaving …
Comment by Shalet — July 3, 2009 @ 5:27 am
My one-year-old loves to suck on lemon slices. He makes an absolutely hilarious "sour face", then keeps on sucking. This piece is a great reminder for me to let him be the one to decide the value of the lemons that come his way in life.
Comment by delicateflower — July 3, 2009 @ 3:51 pm
OMG. I just had the exact same thought today. I LOVE lemons!
Comment by Kathleen Botsford — July 3, 2009 @ 8:36 pm
lovely. thank you.
Comment by Meg Casey — July 4, 2009 @ 1:29 pm
Thank you 🙂
Comment by Jasmine — July 4, 2009 @ 6:29 pm
a new phrase for my home.
when life gives you lemons…pucker up!
Comment by jessamyn — July 4, 2009 @ 9:51 pm
I love it.
There are so many sayings I've questioned or turned around but I hadn't been squirted in the eye by this one yet.
Yes, lemons. I have some.
Comment by Stacy (Mama-Om) — July 4, 2009 @ 11:11 pm
oh my.
this is exactly what i've experienced this week. wading through some tough, tough shit… but realizing just how lucky i am to be walking this difficult pathway right now. loving the lemons.
xoox
Comment by jenica — July 6, 2009 @ 1:14 am
yes.
Comment by denise — July 7, 2009 @ 5:37 pm
☺
Comment by DQ's Windmill — July 8, 2009 @ 10:39 pm
So very good. Let the lemons be. Perfect.
Copying this one into my journal.
Much needed reminder herein.
I like the comments here too.
Comment by GailNHB — July 9, 2009 @ 1:41 pm