When second best is best

When I was laid off from my job, my dad immediately said, "that's the second best thing that could've happened." Naturally, I was pissed. Minutes after being escorted out of my now former workplace, I wanted pity, not a reality check. It took a few weeks, but finally I realized that the old job wasn't the best fit for me anyway, and I was excited about what might be next for me.

I'd almost forgotten about my dad's comment when my close friend found out some unsavory news. I was heartbroken for her. I thought the words, but didn't say them out loud: it was the second best thing that could have happened. Had she found out much later, the damage could have been worse. Still, I was surprised at how calm and collected she was. Perhaps she already had the wisdom of my dad's words, and didn't even know it yet.

My friend and I have different views on life, but I think we could agree that it's less about how bad something seems, and more how much worse it could have been. It's more than a silver lining. It's not just making the most of a bad situation. It's deciding that you actually lucked out.

Now, don't think I'm getting all philosophical on you. When people say "everything happens for a reason," or "it was meant to be," they're usually referring to some sort of divine plan or pre-set path our lives are headed for that's out of our own control. But me, I'm pretty sure we're all just flying by the seat of our pants on this ride. Does everything happens for a reason? Well, sure. It happened because of the thing that caused it. Somehow, this actually comforts me quite a bit. Just to know that in whatever weird and random order these events occur, we're all in it together, just taking it day by day in this mysterious and complex song and dance called life.