My mom and I made the realization a little while ago that when we think about the trips we've made, we are quick to think of the really horrid experiences. 

Like that hotel in Anacortes, WA that had slanted beds and an elevator so old I wasn't sure I would survive the ride to the first floor.

Or the restaurant in Annapolis, MD that had flies and ants on the tables and disgusted us so much we couldn't eat. (Except dad. He didn't even flinch.) We affectionately renamed the place "McNasty."

It's harder for me remember the good times during those trips. There were so many amazing times when we were on the road that they all blur together making the few terrible experiences that much more easy to recall.

It made me realize how much that applies to my life. When I look back on my youth, it is so easy to remember the heartbreak, the injustices and the disappointments that I experienced. So easy, in fact, that I often focus solely on those awful, depressing memories and completely disregard the fact that they are but a handful of misery compared to all the innumerable good times that were had. I concentrate completely on those bad memories until I can't remember my life as anything but the smell of fish and slanted beds. 

But it is so much more than that. There are so many positive things in our pasts to focus on, countless uplifting memories to recall, endless good times that were spent on the road of life that far outnumber the dreadful experiences. 

It's something I'm working on, but I'm going to try and remember the good and laugh at the bad. I'm going to be grateful for my heartaches and know that I learned something from each and every one of them.