It’s been a hard day.
Sometimes the struggle is real. While our brains know that first world problems are just that, they are still problems. They still make our days more complicated than we would like.
The car is running weird. We accidentally pour decaf in our cup. Kids are sick, projects build up, checks are late, the dog peed in the house…again.
It’s a never-ending list of small things that require us to work a little harder. Sometimes they are maddening. Other times it’s nitpicky things that cause heavy sighs, short emails, and rude words to people we love.
Today is one of those days.
A sleepless night. There was an issue with the coffeepot. The workday started later than it should have thanks to Tuesday morning struggles. Paperwork is in. Invoices are out but bills need to be paid. A houseful of noise made me not even have the chance to start my writing yesterday. The calendar is littered with conference calls and already I feel that sinking dread that my to-do list will essentially look the same tomorrow as it does today…only longer.
I need to do over…and an extra day this week.
So I have a few decisions to make.
I can choose to be thankful. Thankful that I have a job that I typically love, that allows me a bit of scheduling flexibility. Thankful that my family is healthy other than a few sniffles here and there. Thankful that my car runs, and is smart enough to tell me when something is amiss.
I need to tell my people that today I’m struggling. There’s a good chance that I’ll blow up at my husband today, or get annoyed by co-workers. A simple heads up that my head is about to explode is always a good plan. It keeps people from assuming that the issue is about them. And for my marriage, a simple check-in can be a key to making sure that we are each on the same page…and it’s a great way to simply know how to pray for each other.
And sometimes I just need to admit that the day got the better of me. New graces are promised every morning, so I may be better off to just do what I can and try to go to bed early for a fresh start tomorrow. And that’s ok.
But I still need to make it a point to do at least 1 good thing each day. Something that makes the world a better place. And bad days are often the ones where that decision can stand out the most.
Today was a bad day. But I made it to the gym and sweat out some of the badness. And I drank enough water, via an awesome, refillable water bottle that says “Optimistic: My glass is always half full.” Using a bottle that said “optimistic” might have made me angry at the start, but it made the day strangely better. I’ll be a better optimist tomorrow, but today I’ll be glad that I made at least 1 good decision. One thing that makes the world a better place, and redeems the day…at least a little.
Good decisions don’t require good days. Good things don’t have to come in big packages. Good things shouldn’t be overlooked, they should be celebrated. And when good things become a habit, then that’s when the magic happens. Even on bad days.
Look! Our gym water filter is even boasting 127936 other good decisions!
How about that?
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