What do you do with a bag of lemons?

You say life has given you lemons ...
Well, there are a lot of things you can do with them.

You can make lemonade, of course, but as diabetics know, too much sweet lemonade can kill you. And sometimes, we just don't need someone offering us yet another cheery sweet thought.

We do have dozens of other alternatives:You can pretend the bag of lemons is really full of apples -- my personal choice, at least for the short term. But even that eventually has to be put away. Denial really needs to be short lived.

So you can look for someone whose life has given them vodka and make lemon drop martinis.You can learn juggle them, which always lightens the mood and improves hand-eye coordination. You can throw them at people who've angered you or just at targets or walls.You can make lemon curd or marmalade or limoncello.You can even flavor fish or grate lemon zest over broccoli or other vegetables to give those an extra taste.Lemons can bleach dark spots on your skin or you can put the slices on closed eyes to relieve stress.And while you're at it, go ahead and use lemons to provide an extra measure of cleaning for counter tops.This is just a start. In fact, I'm sure a quick Internet search would offer up dozens of other uses for these pleasantly shaped, nice smelling fruits. So when life gives you lemons, we all do have choices.

Of course, this isn't really about lemons, but about the unforeseen, uninvited and generally unwanted events that come our way in life. And everyone's "bag of lemons" is different. It may be a divorce, a lost job, an illness in our own lives or one of a family member or friend. And it may not just be a bag of lemons handed to you; it may be a whole freaking truck load dumped on you.

And as you're sitting there contemplating what to do next, some well-meaning person will come along, pat you on the shoulder and say "You know what they say, 'When life gives you lemons, make lemonade.'" Sometimes hearing that just makes you mad; I know it did me when I found out I was laid off the day I had filed for divorce.

Well, I've heard that lemonade thing before, and that's not always the best approach for everyone. And certainly, the first thing you don't necessarily need to do is to go to the store and buy sugar for lemonade.
Maybe you just need to sit down with those lemons and take a while to think about other possibilities that may arise from this unforeseen event.