Tigger vs. Eeyore

Here is my last reference to Randy Pausch - and this may be the most brilliant. In his rules to live by, he asks "Do you want to be a Tigger or an Eeyore?" Without a doubt, I am a Tigger. I want to embrace life with joy, optimism, and smiles everyday - excited to round every corner and tackle anything. I definitely do not want to be down-in-the-dumps and morose, and looking for the negative. While so simple, I have found this to be a really helpful tool. Just today, when I saw a baby the same age as Taylor, rather than sadly compare development - in my head, I said "I am Tigger." Later in the day, after folding mounds and mounds of laundry (how a family of five can create so much laundry is beyond me, and my own mom, who also raised a family of five), and losing patience with the big kids, I repeated my internal mantra "I am Tigger". It's amazing how envisioning that cute little orange fellow can bring a smile to my face. I re-read this portion of Randy's book last night and this morning, as part of my endless clean-up, I happened upon a small Tigger that was on one of the kid's birthday cakes years ago. I placed him on our windowsill to keep his spirit top-of-mind. We all could use a little Tigger and I hope to never lose sight of my inner Tiggerness.