One of Those Days
It is shaping up to be one of those days. Things seem to be dropping out of the universe in an effort to disturb my equilibrium.I wake up too early, frustrated because I know six hours of sleep is inadequate. I try to doze but finally give up and drag my weary, sleep deprived body out of bed. I take long shower, I got lots of time, make an extra large pot of coffee and sit down to check my emails. There isn't anything but spam, it's too early for actual people to be emailing me.
I wake the kids up at the usual time, they are still tired. It's a school day for Sophia and they are more difficult than usual to get ready, their lack of sleep evident in their uncharacteristic lack of cooperation. After I drop Sophia off at school I plan to drive into town to do some grocery shopping.
Pain in the butt number two from the universe, snow.Snow complicates everything, I have to shovel, I have to wipe wet dog paws and faces(he sticks his head in it like an ostrich, very cute), start the car early, clean off the car, well you get the picture.
Then number three...aforementioned cute ostrich dog sneaks out the door when I go out to start the car. Yep, he's a fast ostrich. He takes off happily in his cockapoo way, his docked, non-tail waving happily with freedom! I rush in to get the kids ready, scared he'll get hit by a car, get lost, all sorts of scary thing. We love the ostrich dog. And in the back of my mind is also the thought that we'll be late for school. I breathe deeply, gather myself and get my equilibrium back. Disgruntlement and impatience isn't going to fix this.
We get in the car. Fortunately, ostrich dog, whose real name is Sneakers, isn't lost or hurt, he's on his way home. I turn the car around and follow him back and he runs right to the front door. I put him in his crate with an inner thank you to the universe. I love my doggy, annoying little beastie that he can be.
Now, we're running late. I feel the tension welling up. I can almost touch the impatience I'm experiencing as things go awry so early on the busy, hectic day I have in front of me. My mind goes to the thought, "it's gonna be one of those days".I sit behind the steering wheel and take a deep breath and give myself a moment of meditation.
I ask for help from the universe to get me through and then the answer comes to me"it's not the help you receive that will get you through, it's the help you give that will make the difference".I feel an instant peace in the knowledge that the universe has provided the answer. Suddenly the snow that was an annoyance, becomes a beautiful, sparkly shroud before me. I feel joy in the knowledge that I have a choice. I can grump about the day I've been given or I can be grateful I've been given a day.
And in a moment, the tenor of the day changes. I am grateful. I have this day. There is a verse from the Bible, Psalm 118:24 "This is the day that the lord hath made, let us rejoice and be glad in it". The wisdom of the ancients once again direct me. I'm not Christian but that verse is certainly relevant this day.
I've decide that I"m going to be grateful for whatever I get. Even maybe rejoice. To turn it around I've make the conscious decision to make the day about others and not about me. I let people go ahead of me in traffic, I let my daughter have chocolate timbits for breakfast, I allow people to go ahead of me in line at the store. I wait patiently behind the carts that block the aisle and I let my 3 year old push the cart as we put in the items on the list. I just let go and feel myself floating in the ocean of life, moved along, I don't fight the waves, I just smile and accept them.
And one of "those days" becomes a better day for me because I've decided to try to make it a little more pleasant for others.And to paraphrase on of my favourite poets, Robert Frost, it does make all the difference.
The Road Not Taken
TWO roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;
Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that, the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,
And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I marked the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way
I doubted if I should ever come back.
I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I,
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.
Robert Frost
I wake the kids up at the usual time, they are still tired. It's a school day for Sophia and they are more difficult than usual to get ready, their lack of sleep evident in their uncharacteristic lack of cooperation. After I drop Sophia off at school I plan to drive into town to do some grocery shopping.
Pain in the butt number two from the universe, snow.Snow complicates everything, I have to shovel, I have to wipe wet dog paws and faces(he sticks his head in it like an ostrich, very cute), start the car early, clean off the car, well you get the picture.
Then number three...aforementioned cute ostrich dog sneaks out the door when I go out to start the car. Yep, he's a fast ostrich. He takes off happily in his cockapoo way, his docked, non-tail waving happily with freedom! I rush in to get the kids ready, scared he'll get hit by a car, get lost, all sorts of scary thing. We love the ostrich dog. And in the back of my mind is also the thought that we'll be late for school. I breathe deeply, gather myself and get my equilibrium back. Disgruntlement and impatience isn't going to fix this.
We get in the car. Fortunately, ostrich dog, whose real name is Sneakers, isn't lost or hurt, he's on his way home. I turn the car around and follow him back and he runs right to the front door. I put him in his crate with an inner thank you to the universe. I love my doggy, annoying little beastie that he can be.
Now, we're running late. I feel the tension welling up. I can almost touch the impatience I'm experiencing as things go awry so early on the busy, hectic day I have in front of me. My mind goes to the thought, "it's gonna be one of those days".I sit behind the steering wheel and take a deep breath and give myself a moment of meditation.
I ask for help from the universe to get me through and then the answer comes to me"it's not the help you receive that will get you through, it's the help you give that will make the difference".I feel an instant peace in the knowledge that the universe has provided the answer. Suddenly the snow that was an annoyance, becomes a beautiful, sparkly shroud before me. I feel joy in the knowledge that I have a choice. I can grump about the day I've been given or I can be grateful I've been given a day.
And in a moment, the tenor of the day changes. I am grateful. I have this day. There is a verse from the Bible, Psalm 118:24 "This is the day that the lord hath made, let us rejoice and be glad in it". The wisdom of the ancients once again direct me. I'm not Christian but that verse is certainly relevant this day.
I've decide that I"m going to be grateful for whatever I get. Even maybe rejoice. To turn it around I've make the conscious decision to make the day about others and not about me. I let people go ahead of me in traffic, I let my daughter have chocolate timbits for breakfast, I allow people to go ahead of me in line at the store. I wait patiently behind the carts that block the aisle and I let my 3 year old push the cart as we put in the items on the list. I just let go and feel myself floating in the ocean of life, moved along, I don't fight the waves, I just smile and accept them.
And one of "those days" becomes a better day for me because I've decided to try to make it a little more pleasant for others.And to paraphrase on of my favourite poets, Robert Frost, it does make all the difference.
The Road Not Taken
TWO roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;
Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that, the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,
And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I marked the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way
I doubted if I should ever come back.
I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I,
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.
Robert Frost
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