Friday the 13th

When you woke up this morning and realized it was Friday the 13th, did you hesitate for a moment and think, “Oh no, everything is going to go wrong today!” Many people do. Some people don’t get out of bed all day or leave their houses. Some hotels do not have a 13th floor and streets from 12 or 12A to 14 to avoid using the number 13. The reasons for ducking out of sight on Friday the 13th can range from battles between mythological gods to Adam and Eve being cast out of the Garden of Eden on Friday. Even to the Last Supper, when 13 disciples were gathered, Judas betrayed Jesus the night before He was crucified. Psychologists say that sometimes it is easier for people to blame the bad things that happen to them on bad luck or bad days rather than take responsibility for their choices or accept that bad things happen to lots of people.

You may have heard the story of the bricklayer who gave the following reason for requesting his sick days: “When I got to the building, I found that the hurricane had knocked off some bricks around the top, so I climbed onto the roof and rigged up a beam with a pulley and hoisted a couple of barrels full of bricks to the top of the building. Then I went to the bottom and holding onto the line; I began releasing it. Unfortunately, the barrel of bricks was much heavier than I was. Before I knew what was happening, the barrel started coming down, jerking me up. I decided to hang on since I was too far off the ground by then to jump. About halfway up, I met the barrel of bricks coming down fast. I received a hard blow on my shoulder. I then continued to the top, banging my head against the beam and getting my fingers pinched and jammed in the pulley. When the barrel hit the ground hard, it burst its bottom, allowing the bricks to spill out. I was now heavier than the barrel, so I started down again at high speed. Halfway down, I met the barrel coming up fast and received severe injuries to my chin. When I hit the ground, I landed on the pile of spilled bricks, getting several painful cuts and bruises. At this point, I must have lost my presence of mind because I let go of my grip on the line. The barrel came down fast, giving me another blow on my head, putting me in the hospital. I respectfully request sick leave.”

The point of the story is: Everyone has bad days. Sometimes they are on Monday and sometimes they are on Friday. So, it’s OK to get out of bed, and if something does go wrong, you can do what Norman Vincent Peale, minister and author of the book, “The Power of Positive Thinking,” does. Peale said that he always does three things when something goes wrong: writes down exactly what is wrong, decides whether he can do anything about it or not, and then makes a plan. His approach reminds me of the Serenity prayer that first appeared in the New York Herald Tribune in 1942. “God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.”

Deana Landers
Author for Morningcoffeebeans.com

I have had many roles in life
Pastor’s Wife , Mom/Nana , Nurse/Health Educator, Writer , Christian Speaker
I can't remember a time when I wasn't writing stories, either in my head or in my journal.

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