The road not often travelled

Sometimes it feels like it takes every ounce of effort and courage I have to get through one day - just one day. I have mornings when I wake up and look at my calendar and see a long road ahead and can't quite see how the day will unfold or what it may or may not bring.  So I put on my happy face and take one step at a time in hopes that by the end of the road, I can find a sense of fulfillment and joy that will make each moment along the way worth it.

But I've realized lately that not every day will be rewarding, fulfilling or joyous in the way that most of my days are. So when I wake up to one of those days or meet the gloomy road that I don't often travel down, it takes a lot of courage and intentionality to refocus on the things that are important.

But more importantly to me, I've realized that it's okay to spend some time relishing in the moments that don't feel great - to embrace the gloomy day for what it is worth.  I've spent so much time trying to refocus and reframe anything that feels less-than-ideal, to try to spin it into something great but sometimes it just doesn't work. And that's okay. It's okay to acknowledge a situation really sucks or a feeling really hurts - no matter how much positive intervention is attempted. The important thing is to not let it turn into a season by allowing it to become more than just a day, an hour, or moment in time. To let it come and go - hopefully faster than the seasons change.



Because despite my doubt on occasion, they do change - and the winter will slowly fade into spring. The birds will start singing, the sun will grace us with his presence later and the flowers will replace the gray slush that once covered the life that we began to doubt existed.

And as in life, as soon as we get too settled into a wonderful routine, we are reminded that this is mother nature's world and that we are just living in it. But in doing so, she will show us that there is beauty in each change if we allow ourselves to see it.  Maybe it's just my way of coping, but I often wonder how much we'd truly appreciate the color in the fall and the smell of flowers in the spring if we didn't have to endure the treacherous winter that impales us.

I know it's important to make sure we can always see the forest through the trees - keeping the big picture in mind is always good - but sometimes we need to focus on just one tree, or feeling, at a time. When you look at the forest, everything has a tendency to look the same but if you take the time to pay attention to the detail, the uniqueness will emerge - reminding us that each step and each moment is important for its own reason - even the gloomy ones.  When I don't have the time to take a walk and see it all in person, I reflect instead - mostly on pictures that represent these moments. And almost always, I can find comfort in their reminders.

I feel lucky to be a genuinely happy person.  But there are times when even the happiest people in the world are unhappy. Or bitter. Or overwhelmed. Or gloomy. When those moments come, embrace them.  Look around - reflect - and remember, even she sheds a tear with each season.