I may get "down," be in tears, or feel desperate sometimes, but never for long. No matter how dark things seem, before I know it I'm bouncing back--seemingly out of the blue. This amazes me. Sometimes I sit there thinking, "Okay, where's the bounceback? I could use it now!" And eventually it always comes.

If you were to ask where resilience comes from, some scientists claim it's from your upbringing. Even those who have had a dismal childhood, with lousy parents, can, if they find the right role model in a neighbor, teacher, or relative, emerge resilient.

I was lucky enough to have an idyllic childhood, almost too free of want or worry, and I could have been terribly spoiled. Although they were a bit self-absorbed, my parents were successful, handsome, never out of work, and never fighting. I had no siblings to share their attentions. We weren't rich, but we weren't poor either. Though my parents didn't own any property when I was growing up, we lived in beautiful historic houses filled with antiques from their dealership and oil paintings that both of them created. We took regular vacations, and I had all the books I could read.

And now, of course, I've got Bill, whose presence really makes life happier and boosts my reslience, even in the rough times. And he's resilient, too!

Plus, look at that, the sun just came out after a week of rain! How symbolic!