Nell MohneyDuring a recent hospital stay, a woman from Knoxville came to visit me. She had been my neighbor many years ago. It was great to see that the years had not diminished her sense of humor and caring spirit. In fact, all the good things about her made her glow from the inside. She looked as if she had swallowed a light bulb.
“Life must have been good to you,” I said.
“Well,” she replied, “most people have problems and I’m no exception.”
She had been married to a schizophrenic whose behavior had damaged her children and made her own life miserable. In the midst of such unbearable situations, I asked, “How have you emerged so happy and whole?”
“At first,” she replied, “I allowed myself to descend into depression and anxiety. Then our pastor preached a sermon on ‘What happens to you in life is not nearly as important as how you react to it.’ He gave us a four-step formula for dealing with difficulties. As I listened to the formula, I realized that, if I learned it earlier, it would have kept me from some bad reactions.”