Darnit, it's about time I started making lemonade ??

As some of you already know, I'm here in New York City supporting my sister through her treatment for ovarian cancer, and as you can imagine, it's a bit of a long haul.

Lately, I've been awfully homesick and feeling a tad too sorry for myself. I miss my husband, my home, my work; the peace, tropical sunshine and vivid colours of Mauritius; the bliss of scuba diving; the simple pleasures of eating my meals on the terrace or jogging in the national park as the sun rises.  

I was in danger of becoming something of a sulky teen when I remembered my Monty Python: always look on the bright side of life!

Yes, the reason for being here may suck; and yes, I need to survive the type of weather I purposely fled many years ago; and yes, I'm missing out on certain precious things ... but holy cow, I'm living in NYC, for pete's sake, not Dante's ninth circle of hell. (Although at least in the latter, I wouldn't freeze like I am now! ??)

And thus, I decided that I would purposefully name one thing each day which makes me grateful for this temporary sojourn in the Big Apple, to remind myself that there's a darn good reason for that corny old 'when life hands you lemons' cliché.

So, I'm kicking this off today with enormous gratitude for my sister's dog, Juno, who is also in my charge at the moment. She showers us with the kind of pure, boundless love and affection that only a dog can offer, and provides the best excuse for indulging in hours of contemplative, mind-clearing walks around Central Park.

Have you ever managed to turn a negative to a positive? What lemons did life give you that you turned into lemonade? I’d love to hear your thoughts and experiences in the comments below!