Hope for sunshine; plan for rain

I used to find pithy sayings kind of annoying. Sure, they are easy to remember, but do people really say things out loud like, "Tact is the unsaid part of what you think." or  "Opportunity is not a lengthy visitor." or "I can't adult today." (Disclaimer: I have a sign on my desk that says that last one.)

The older I get, the more I like these phrases. It's like a parenting wisdom nugget all wrapped up in a tidy package. I still feel very weird saying them. And clearly my son doesn't enjoy them.

But now, a story:

It rained on my wedding day. No, not rain. Poured. And, as we were set to have the ceremony outside, I had a minor meltdown in the morning (also: Thanks, Mom, for being the shoulder I cried on) and then I sucked it up and went with my backup venue while my wonderful husband bought some giant umbrellas. You see, I always have a backup plan and my husband is very good at going with the flow.

And that is probably how I ended up with my personal life motto of: Hope for sunshine; plan for rain.

I say this to my son when we talk about planning things; I say this to coworkers when we talk about contingency planning; if I could sew, I would put it on a cushion. This saying reminds me to look for the good in life.

And looking for the good in life is important for so many reasons, not just because optimists tend to have better health, but because who wants to hang out with a grump without an umbrella?

What's a saying you find yourself frequently repeating to your family? Tell me in the comments.