My partner and I were in Florida this year for the holidays visiting his parents and family. We were supposed to fly back to New York on Sunday, but instead returned on Tuesday. We spent two days trying to get on a flight. The Christmas blizzard of 2010 caught us in its snowy web.
Being in Florida instead of New York during one of the worst snow storms in recent years doesn’t sound so bad. And it wasn’t. I had a nice time visiting, but I no longer was where I wanted to be. For me, nothing compares to sleeping in my own bed.

The Serenity Prayer kept popping into my head during those two days:

God, grant me the serenity
To accept the things I cannot change;
Courage to change the things I can;
And wisdom to know the difference.
And, being the Seinfeld fan that I am, so did the “Serenity Now” episode:



I admit to screaming “serenity now” in my head more than a few times during the trials and tribulations of trying to get on a flight back to New York.

Finding humor even in the worst of situations has always been a useful coping mechanism for me. Making the best of a situation is what I strive for.

A little adversity every now and then keeps us agile and helps us appreciate the good things in our lives. I don’t want adversity, but it serves a purpose.

Whether its life-changing challenges like HIV or more mundane matters like travel troubles, I try to approach all of these adversities with the same spirit.

May we all strive for more serenity, courage and wisdom in 2011.