Kanigan Family: Hard Times, Good Times

It's been a month since last my last post. Is four months in a row enough to make something a habit? If so, I am right on schedule. Back in the day, I used to write a couple of times a week, but lately I just haven't had the energy or time to do so. It's been a bit of a rough patch for our family...one that I hope will be over soon, but knowing how life is, I suppose we are bound to have our ups and downs throughout the rest of it.

I don't want to sound negative, just honest. We've had some allergy and sickness issues that have been hard to get over. I suppose I can count my lucky stars it isn't something worse or life-threatening; even so, the constant presence of it has worn us down. I hope we are almost done.

I was always taught that life is a test. We are sent here to experience ups and downs, to see how we'll handle those challenges, to learn from them and even progress and become stronger. No matter what a person believes about life and/or religion, I really think this is true. Through hard times, we find out who we really are, and what we are made of. I don't think anyone wants to suffer...not really. We like to be comfortable and happy without having to work for it. I know I do. It's a lot easier that way, isn't it? I guess now, I'm learning that there's a different kind of joy that comes from forcing yourself to be happy, when circumstances make it difficult, or from stepping forward with an honest effort when something seems impossible and you know that no matter how hard you try, you will still fall short. It can be exhausting and frustrating, and (from my own experience) may require a certain number of naps and/or venting sessions to aid the process, but it's worth it. We learn more about ourselves when things are hard, and if we keep praying and trying and moving forward, I know we are made stronger.

Some day, when our family reads back and thinks on our time here in Brazil, I want them to remember how much fun we had with the world cup. I want them to remember seeing monkeys and wild cats in the jungle trees of the play area of our apartment, and buying corn on the cob down at the beach in Ipanema. I want them to remember the swan boats over the Lagoa, and our quaint little church building that often smelled of mold in Jardim Botanico. The music, the traffic, the swirly sidewalks, the way the bottom of our street floods whenever there was a rainstorm. I want them to remember how often strangers stop us in the street to smile at, and chat with the kids and call them, "lindas". I want them to remember the dog walkers who walk at least fifteen dogs at a time, and the crazy winding roads up to their school with men selling peanuts and cookies in the streets while others stand on tall boxes and juggle for change. I want them to remember the favelas, and the homeless, and how it feels to share with them, and how blessed they are to have the chance to be anything in the world they want to be. I want them to remember four-square, couch forts, German pancakes, linguisa, and even the many hours spent playing Minecraft together. We've had a lot of fun memories here so far. When stacking them up against the hard times, I'd say they tower.

So, with a fresh perspective, I am going to face this week and, to coin a phrase from movie Meet the Robinsons, "keep moving forward". I'll leave you with a few pictures of our little Fourth of July celebration. We had to keep it small and to ourselves because a few of us were too sick to go anywhere, but I still think the kids had fun.
Wishing you all a very, happy, week!

To begin...pillowcase races!