What Mom always said is true- Life isn't fair

As a child you have an innate sense of justice (at least when it comes to how you are personally treated)-everything needs to be fair. Your sandwich half needs to be the exact same size as your brother's, you need to be able to pick out the tv show (because your sister did last time), and, basically, everything needs to go in your favor. Our much wiser parents informed us that life wasn't fair and we were going to have deal with it in order to be a high functioning adult. And then we grow up and, in most ways, we do accept this truth and press on. But when it comes to matters of the heart, things we care deeply about and how we want life to go, it definitely still hurts when life isn't fair. 

 Like most of us, Melanie Dale realized in a hurry that life isn't always (probably mostly always) how we dreamed it would be. It's complicated and painful and the issues don't always quickly wrap themselves up in a neat little bow. She's had her fair share of "not fair" with infertility, miscarriages, complications through adoptions, and on going health issues. A heavy weight to carry that you think would make her a bitter, beat down person. Instead she is the hilarious and empathetic voice behind, It's Not Fair: Learning to love the Life you didn't choose.

Melanie starts with offering a vulnerable glimpse into her own unfair world and all that she's had to struggle thru. Reading Melanie's personal story, I quickly felt that if anyone had a right to tell me about how to make the most of an unfair lot, Melanie could. Melanie has allowed God to use both her hurts and "not fun" life experiences and her humor and skill for writing to truly empathize and encourage women thru this book. 

Though a little overkill for my taste at points, Melanie does use well honed sense of humor to lighten the mood as she stoops down to women at their lowest of lows. This book is a mixed bag of treasures- offering everything from recipes and scripture to the perfect comeback to give the "well-meanies". Life is hard and I have usually found a good timed book (probably of the self-help variety) to be a real comfort and help to me. But sometimes things don't get better for so long that a self help book isn't going to fix anything and may,in fact, just make me feel worse. It's not Fair is the book for that point in time. While she won't allow you to wear out your welcome at your own pity party, Melanie does sit with you and offer a chocolate bar or two. ;)

I received this book in exchange for my honest review from Book Look Bloggers.