Nobody ever said life is easy.

While Cindy and I were traveling, if something went wrong we'd look at each other and say, "We're not working. We still have our hands and our feet. We can walk. We'll be OK." So when our bus slid off the road and we had to wait a few hours for a tractor to pull it out, when we missed our train and had to sleep in the Rome train station and when we woke up in the middle of the night with cockroaches crawling on us, we laughed and relished the experience for what it was - something that likely will never happen again. And I'm so glad I had those experiences even though at the time they weren't always the most pleasant.

In the last few days, I learned that a friend of a friend who sustained a traumatic brain injury during a soccer match on February 22 got to come home from the hospital. His girlfriend, family, and friends formed an amazing support network that has helped him know how important he is in their lives and that is certainly helping in his recovery. Although he has a long way to go, all signs seem to be that he is moving in a positive direction.

I also learned that a dear friend of mine is in ICU at the UW hospital. He was diagnosed with cancer several years ago, and has taken every experimental treatment he could to prolong his life. He is an incredible fighter and a true inspiration. The passion with which he has lived his life and the love I have seen him show for his wife are examples worthy of imitation. I hope to visit him when I return from Montana next week.

Lastly, I learned that someone dear to me lost their job yesterday. Although this person isn't the only one I know who is (or will soon be) unemployed - take me for example - it's a tragic thing because she is truly gifted at what she does and budget cuts are the reason for her "involuntary dismissal." Knowing her, she'll find the silver lining in the situation and will come out on top. At least, that's what we hope for.

These three people who weigh heavily on my mind haven't been dealt the easiest of hands right now. I keep reminding myself that things work out the way they do for a reason. In each of these circumstances, I'm not sure what exactly the reason is but hopefully in a few days, months, years it will all be understood.

Until then, we all just have to keep on fighting the good fight. Nobody ever said life is easy, and if it was we wouldn't have tough experiences that make us appreciate what we have that's worth holding onto. Here's to turning adversity into something positive and to one day looking back and laughing.