Poison ivy, sunburn where the sun don't shine, blizzards during a big game on TV, allergies to your pets or favorite foods...it all seems like evidence of Mother Nature's sense of humor.

For people familiar with Murphy's Law, it comes to mind that: Anything that can go wrong will go wrong.

Mother Nature LOVES this rule. You see, she can be pretty nice handing out flowers, covering the earth with a blanket of snow in winter and creating the perfect beach day. But with each nice gift, she is just as likely to throw in a zinger, like bee stings, frostbite and jellyfish to complete the picture. And speaking of Murphy's Law, that monthly gift that inevitably comes usually is accompanied by zits and cramps. So you see, she thinks Murphy's Law was practically invented because of her!

Well, according to the laws of probability, things should go your way about half the time. When things are going well, you probably don't notice it. But when things take a turn for the worse—that gets your attention!

Why is Mother Nature so grumpy?

Maybe Mother Nature is defending herself against our reckless disregard for her loving and beautiful gifts by sending us zits and cramps. We know, you get the whole respect your Mother Earth thing but, really, is a pimple on your nose on picture day really going to get you to enjoy more sunsets? What if we apologize? Would it help if we offered a few words of thanks before we opened a box of Tampax?

Here are few ways to take the sting out of her bite when you are the one getting the booby prizes.

First off, Mother Nature's totally into the big dramatic reaction when she throws an unexpected "monthly gift" your way, or any of the other big surprises she's likely to hand out. So take it in stride. Be prepared, handle it, and move on. And know that NO ONE from the biggest pop star diva to the head cheerleader to the cafeteria lady is exempt from Mother Nature's Gifts. So give other girls a break when you discover they're the ones in Mother Nature's sights.

Get a good support network—and we're not just talking a great bra, here (though that helps, too!). Surround yourself with people who think you're awesome the way you are, zits and all, and who will tell you discreetly and quickly if you have spinach in your teeth or a red spot on your pants.

Get a sense of humor. Look for the fun or funny side of situations before you declare them complete disasters.

Visit www.BeingGirl.com for answers to all your questions about being a girl and dealing with stuff.

Here's the deal: Mother Nature has a few nice tricks up her sleeve too. So go out there and hug the next beautiful tree you see. But watch out for poison ivy!