What a week! Ups, downs, twists, turns and a few times where I thought I was going to have to stop the ride and be sick!
When I was little, I used to love roller coasters. One of my most cherished childhood memories is of the time my dad surprised me and my brother with a trip to Great America.
And I'll never forget the year that my best friend and I went and rode the new Batman ride over and over again. You know, the one where your legs dangle in mid-air?
The thrill and anticipation of the intense, high-speed ride down the tracks and back up again used to be something I couldn't wait to experience.
And then something shifted.
I think it was about the time I had kids that I stopped enjoying roller coasters. Maybe it was my motherly instincts that kicked in and made them seem that much scarier and dangerous.
Or it could be the fact that the real roller coaster ride of life is so much more intense than anything you could dream up at a theme park!
It still amazes me how we can go from the highest highs to the lowest lows in the span of just minutes.
Everything is smooth and peaceful, the kids are playing nicely and then "Bam!" all hell breaks loose and everyone hates each other. Then your car breaks down, work throws another huge project on your already overfull plate, and you're hurtling down the tracks at warp speed.
Then you get your car fixed, the kids stop fighting, your work project deadline gets moved out, and things level out again.
You're coasting along on the even, straight track with the beautiful view.
Next a crazy lurch upward into the loop-de-loop...life is going haywire again! You get up extra early to prepare dinner (and then forget to turn the crockpot on), your teenager rolls his/her eyes at you, something new breaks at work, and there are just not enough hours in the day to stay on top of everything.
And then as soon as it starts, the coaster rights itself as it comes out of the loop and the ride comes to a stop.
But only for a minute until the cycle starts all over again...
It takes strength and internal fortitude to survive the days when you are on the scariest coaster with a dozen loops and the 500-foot drop.
Sometimes you may even need to humble yourself and reach for the hand of the person sitting next to you who's just as scared as you are.
But as long as your lap bar is locked down tight, you can be pretty confident that you won't fall off completely. You might even be inspired by the view from the top when life is at its highest points.
Just hold on, take a deep breath, and try to enjoy the ride!