Having a Great Day

Having a great day in the summertime is such an amazing feeling. Think about it. There is a spring in your step, the sun is shining bright and warm on your skin, and a stupid perma-grin stretches your face muscles to their maximum capacity. All in all, you have that burning fire of triumph or pleasure running through your veins with no way to stop it. 

There could be a number of reasons your day suddenly went from zero to hero. Maybe you stumbled upon an awesome pair of shoes on sale. Maybe your best friend called and made you laugh so hard you started that habit of snorting while laughing again. Or maybe you just had a great meeting with someone who has the potential to enrich your life in some way--a new friend, a job interview, a cute boy on the train...whatever the reason, that feeling of shouting to the sky "today is great! Get this one in the books as fan-freaking-tastic!" has come over you. Relish it. Bathe in its electricity. Take a pause, take a breath, and be present with it right in the moment. Examine it for all its complexity and appreciate it.

Because let's be honest. These moments are sometimes few and far between. Life can be a tough place to live. Sounds silly but it is true. Work and love and family and financials can sometimes be a real bummer. Death happens. Pain happens. Chances are missed and opportunities pass you by. That is the reality of many of our days.

But then there are these days. The days where everything seems right in the world. Where you find yourself standing on the brink of what could be something really great (which in my opinion is sometimes a more fabulous feeling than the actual great thing itself--am I right?) Possibility days, I'll call them. These are the times that will help pick you back up and yank you through the bad times and keep hope alive in your heart. Even if it's just a pair of sale-priced sexy red pumps, the moment of excitement and possibility is real and powerful. May we all cherish it. 

I am having a day like that today, for a simple reason that is not important. What is important is the fact that I am allowing myself to be ecstatic and ride the wave of emotion I am feeling. It feels good to feel good about this life. I rode my bike down the beautiful, tree-lined streets of my amazing Chicago neighborhood, and the breeze kept me cool as I went. I got home to my cozy cave of an apartment and I threw open all the windows to let the summer air flow through the rooms. I am about to make some delicious lunch for myself and relax on a gorgeous Friday afternoon (these great days often happen on Fridays for me--something about the feeling of possibility associated with a Friday, I guess, when you are on the brink of the weekend). All is well and I am happy and excited about what comes next for me.

The funny thing is, this is such a different feeling from how I felt just a few days ago. I was deep in Funkytown (not the fun 70's kind). But sometimes funks happen, and it is important to also allow yourself time to wallow in the funk--though not too long or it can be counterproductive. 

May we all have the grace and strength to recognize that these intense swings of mood are all a part of the beast and beauty of life. Embrace them all. (But especially the great days. Those you want to hug a little tighter.)