The other day when I was shoveling out from the first snow storm of the season, I was doing some complaining.

Well, that’s not exactly accurate. My KIDS were shoveling; I supervised. And I don’t think I complained, but I heard them doing a lot of it.

It dawned on me how much some people complain and whine. Some whine because they are alone for the holidays. Others complain because they have to spend time with their crazy families. People complain when the lines are long in the store. People whine when unemployment numbers get high, and no one can afford to go shopping. Some whimper like spoiled kids saying “There’s nothing good to eat in this house.” Others moan because they eat so much good food that their clothes don’t fit any longer. And of course, some gripe all summer long because it’s too hot; and they are the first to groan in the winter when it gets cold or they have to, heaven forbid, shovel snow.

But I have some neighbor kids who help me keep things in perspective. They, too, were out shoveling the other day. And they looked like they were having fun. And instead of cursing the snow, they played in it.

Later in the day as I watched the snow continue to pile up through my front window, I felt a gripe growing in my head. I started to sigh, but a gift from my neighbor kids made me smile. They decorated one of my trees with some seasonal warmth of sorts. And somehow, what started as a sigh became a laugh.

It’s Monday. What kind of week are you going to have? Are you going to go out of your way to find things to complain about? Or are you going to make the most of what you have, and find a way to experience some joy? It makes no difference to me which you choose. But I’ll make you a promise: If you look hard to find the things that are going right, you’ll see a lot more of them.