This particular image and card held a special place in Joe’s heart. The little guy on the left was his son. We lost Steve in 2010 at age 26, and Joe absolutely treasured every photo memory he had of him, especially those that captured his childhood innocence.
Inside, this message from me:
LEMONS 🍋
When life hands you lemons… …Squeeze ‘em …Make lemonade …Make iced tea …Plant a lemon tree, or …Give ‘em back.
🍋 🍋 🍋🍋
Everything Life hands you is a gift. Sometimes it’s just the packaging that stinks.
The thing is… once you unwrap it, you’ll find the gift is truly your “present.”
And if you still don’t like it, just say, “No thanks.”
The choice is always yours.
—Shelley Lieber, April 2026
The Choice Is Always Yours…
is the key to navigating what to do with Life’s lemons—as well as the sweet fruit that comes along. Things are rarely what they appear to be on the surface.
Everyone has had the experience of a seemingly negative experience turning out for the best: your lover leaves, making you available to meet your true mate; you get fired, so you start the business you always wanted; an illness forces you to make better lifestyle choices and you gain improved health.
And then there are the circumstances that prompt you to take the necessary action. Lemons appear in life as clues, prompting you to alter course. You can choose to leave an unhappy relationship. Quit a job you hate. Move to a location that better suits you. The journey to change is not always smooth, but if you’re headed toward what brings you happiness, the eventual reward makes the route bearable.
I believe that repeatedly ignoring the clues is what prompts the Universe to take action for you —manifesting as illness, relationship discord, financial loss, or something that cannot be ignored. Not as punishment, but as a more emphatic nudge in the right direction.
So, when the signs have been given, how do you know whether to turn lemons into lemonade (use them now), plant a tree (plan for the future), or hand them back (and run like hell)?
Discernment.
Discernment is exercising your right to choose. Deciding for yourself. And it takes courage, which often arises from a belief in your ability to choose wisely. And belief in oneself requires trust. And where does trust come from??
In a society that encourages you to look outside yourself for answers and trust everyone’s opinion over your own (parents, teachers, government, doctors, online gurus, influencers…), trust in oneself can be hard to find or develop. And the irony of it all is that no one knows what’s best for you better than you.
That little voice in your head? That urgency in your gut? That sudden “knowing” you have but can’t explain? That’s the Universe (Higher Self, Source Energy, etc.) acting through you.
And the only way to learn to trust your inner guidance is to test it. Start with small decisions that favor your instinct over that of the mainstream/corporate/institution.
Going with your own choice, your own decision, doesn’t have to be solitary or lonely. It may separate you from a group, but do you really want to be part of that group anyway?
It’s only by taking a stand for yourself that you will find your peeps. The ones who agree and think like you or at least respect your right to choose for yourself.
A Toolkit for You
And there are so many tools to help you! Back in September 2021, I published a series called “What’s in Your Toolbox?” Later on I expanded that series into an ebook, which was a paid-subscriber benefit for a time, but due to delivery issues, I had to discontinue.
But now, I’ve revised the material once again with a new title and updated content—and it’s now available for free.
I hope this supports you on your journey. As always, I wish only the best for you.
☮️ and ♥️, Shelley