Life isn't fair

I grew up with a younger brother, about 3 years younger than me. As the eldest sibling, I remember a lot of times that I sacrificed things because I was the older child. I was expected to know better, do better and set a good example.

I remember one time in particular, at the grocery store. I honestly can't tell you how old we were, I just know we were pretty young. We were in the cereal aisle at the grocery store. I wanted one kind of cereal (probably something yummy like Rice Krispy Treats or Cocoa Pebbles) and Mark wanted another kind ( I am sure something boring, like Bran flakes, because he isn't quite as awesome as me). Anyways, I remember trying to explain to my mother that it was my turn to choose the cereal and, as if on cue, Mark starts crying. It was annoying, and a sound I heard often as a kid. As usual, I gave in, but not without a whiny Mark-always-gets-his-way-and-I-always-have-to-do-what-he-wants-or-he-cries-it-about-it-like-a-baby type comment. I remember saying "It's not fair". And I remember my mom, surrounded by two crying/whining children, saying "Yea, well, life isn't fair".

Man, was she right.

I have never realized how right she was until somewhat recently.

Life is not fair.

Life is not even close to fair sometimes.

Rude people get job promotions, while hard-working people get passed by.
Amazing people die young, while many grumpy people seem to live forever.
Babies are born into unstable homes, while many stable couples struggle with infertility.
People get judged by their looks or income, instead of what really counts.
Elderly people are taken advantage of.
Middle class people struggle to pay taxes, while others take advantage of our system.
Children with strong role models make bad choices and go down the wrong path.


I feel like the list could go on forever, because, let's be honest- Life just isn't always fair.

But, what I am trying to do is understand that life may not always be fair. It may not always be easy. There may not always be an explanation for why things happen.

And this is the life I have been given. Even when it doesn't seem fair, I plan to love it & live it.