Sometimes things do not go as expected

Plans that never materialize

People who break the promises they made to you

Suppliers sell you things that are backordered

Items are delivered damaged or to the wrong address

Accidents occur that destroy things

You or a loved one suddenly fall very ill

The weather brings floods and damaging winds

You drop your reading glasses and they shatter

Extreme cold causes your pipes to burst

New neighbors turn out to be obnoxious and noisy

Your boss at work decides to blame everything on you

You don’t get the pay rise you were promised

Somebody stole your car and its never recovered

Wine gets spilled over your expensive suit 

You drop your cellphone into a sink full of water

The dog is sick all over the bedroom carpet

Your child gets into big trouble at school 

The spring and summer extensive landscaping work is eaten by deer in one night

The TV DVR did not record your favorite show

Dreaded relatives show up at your door unexpectedly

Your credit card stops working when you need to pay for dinner

You cannot find one shoe and you are late for work

You break a tooth while eating popcorn at the movies

Despite your pleading, the policeman still gives you a speeding ticket

Your partner announces they want a divorce

Your employer sells the company and the new management lay you off

The roof starts leaking during a heavy storm

Your pet dog runs away and never comes back

No spare bicycle inner tube and a puncture 30 miles from home

You desperately need a shower but somebody used all the hot water

The list is endless

How do you cope with all these things

The word cope is a big fat clue

You must develop coping mechanisms to deal with life’s problems

Without coping mechanisms you would probably curl up and cry all the time

Coping mechanisms help you navigate through the rough spots

Then you can enjoy the brief moments of peace and tranquility

Until the next unexpected calamity hits you

Use your coping skills to handle the unexpected gracefully