“Life is what happens when you are making other plans,” said John Lennon. I really believe that. Those who are stuck in a rigid schedule frustrate when things go awry. Many times, if we are open to change, we may find that it is not so bad. It may not have been part of our plans, but it may be better than what we had set out to do.

Writing for me has just happened. Me, who took her examination to receive her master’s degree orally because I lacked confidence in my writing skills. My adviser told me he would not give me an oral exam. I told him I knew I was entitled to one. He told me to find my own committee.

That is the point in my life when I sat up and took notice. I was a grown woman — a college graduate with years of teaching under my belt. How could I let a weakness define my life?

I enrolled in a correspondence course to improve my writing. I was back in school again. I had assignments to complete. It really was good for my children to see their mother studying. I worked hard, but still some of my assignments were returned to me not with glowing praise, but with a note to do something over.

That experience gave me renewed empathy for my students. I took my worst work to school to share with my students. The kids needed to see that things did not always come out the best for me. They needed to see that I, too, made many errors. They needed to know that I did not quit. They needed to know that I redid that whole miserable assignment.

This column is titled “blessings.” That experience for me was a blessing. That teacher made me work. She made me do the best that I could do. When I completed the course, I felt good. I was proud of my efforts.

Too many times we are so busy feeling sad or sorry for ourselves to appreciate an opportunity that literally drops in our lap or to realize that what happened, was for the best. If it is not what we counted on, we get angry.

I distinctly recall one Christmas Eve. Why do I remember this one you ask? I remember it because it was not what I was expecting to do. We were to celebrate Christmas with my family. When we were ready to leave, the car’s battery was dead. That morning the children and I had delivered cookies to shut-ins. I forget to shut off the car lights. Hence, the dead battery. My husband got the car going. The night was slippery and snowy. On our way to my home we nearly missed having a bad accident. Maybe that dead battery was signal that we missed.

We were so determined not to change our plans that we were nearly wiped out. That was the last time we took the family home on Christmas Eve.

Another time I got pneumonia at the beginning of the school year. My life had been so hectic. I took care of my obligations, but neglected myself. The bout with pneumonia fixed that. I had to rest. I was too weak to do anything else.

“Life is a journey, not a destination,” anonymous. Life has many unexpected blessings for all of us. It has twists and turns as well as detours. No one ever said life would be easy. No one said the road would be smooth. How can we appreciate life’s joys if we do not experience life’s hardships? We need to be able to see life’s blessings within life’s hardships. Most things have a good side if we look for it.

Look at the positive side of your life. Count your blessings instead of your problems. When you are really feeling depressed, sit down, and make a list of positives and negatives in your life. You may just find that there are more positives than negatives. You may even see some of the negatives in a different light when they are listed beside the assets.

I remember learning in physics — do not ask me why I remember, but I do — for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. Some of life’s disappointments are our overreaction.

Ann Swanson writes from her home in Russell, Pa. Contact at hickoryheights1@verizon.net.