Cup of Inspiration

Today is April 1^st, April Fools Day. Today is the day to check your chair before immediately sitting down. Don’t forget to check the top of that salt or pepper shaker in the breakroom before using it during your lunch hour. Be prepared for an entire department to call out sick. Today is the day to be prepared for the unexpected, if you aren’t already on the other side and planning a little surprise yourself for an unsuspecting coworker.

The practical jokes today will bring laughs and should be so enjoyable that even the target of the joke can get a good laugh. No one should walk away feeling hurt or ostracized by a prank. However, we can also reflect on a more serious matter this April Fool’s Day.

There are people this week who are fretting about whether they will get that promotion at work, but don’t realize that later this year they will lose a loved one. There are those who are putting in insane hours at a job to get ahead, unaware there has been discussions of layoffs impacting their department. There are home buyers preparing to move into what they dream of being their “forever home” but are unaware their prized home will be ripped away in a storm next year.

We should most certainly prepare for the future, and we should not live in constant fear. We should also keep in mind that tragic events happen in this world. A house is simply a concoction of various materials offering shelter from the outside elements. A job in a company is available only as long as that company feels they are getting a return on their investment for that position and can cut costs elsewhere. There is no guarantee that the house will be around for the next six months, let alone the next sixty years. That job may provide steady income for the next several years, or it can be eliminated by the stroke of a pen next month.

Today, for April Fool’s Day, remember to not fool yourself into distorting your priorities in life. Don’t fool yourself into believing that tomorrow is guaranteed. Don’t fool yourself into believing those material possessions are more important than your loved ones. After the laughs and the funny pranks are over, perhaps spend a few minutes alone and ponder what would happen if those material possessions were taken away. What would you still have in life?