Bad days. We've all had 'em. Whether it's due to the torrential downpour outside your window, an irritating day at the office, a parking ticket or you just happened to roll out of the wrong side of the bed, bad days have a way of making even the most optimistic of us want to punch something.
I have found myself caught up in a bad day or two here recently, muttering under my breath when I stub my toe on the door jam, "of course this would happen today." But then I remember one very important thing: it could be worse.
Back in January my friend Emma and I decided to run the Chicago Half Marathon and raise money for the Ovarian Cancer National Alliance in honor of her mom, Elaine. Elaine is one of the most brave, sassy and inspiring women I have ever met. She has managed to confront her on-going battle with Ovarian Cancer with an unbelievable sense of humor and faith that God will protect her and give her strength to pull through. SHE has had bad days. Like the the day she received news that her most recent round of chemo was unsuccessful in shrinking some of her tumors. THAT is a bad day. Yet she manages to keep her head up and continue to move forward, confront every single day with admirable grace and a contagious enthusiasm. In fact, as I write this, she is lounging on a boat with my mother floating down the Danube, sipping on copious amounts of wine and striking up conversations with strangers.
So what does that mean for those of us whose bad days are influenced by nothing more than some rain, a dwindling bank account, a petty argument with a friend? I'm not going to sit here and tell you that those things don't mean anything. We all know that those are issues that can turn a great day south... fast. But I think it's really important to embrace each of these experiences with as much grace as we can. The reality is that every time we allow a crappy day to get the best of us, we're wasting 24 hours that we aren't going to get back. Maybe that means appreciating the rain, if for no other reason than it gives you the opportunity to curl up with a good book on the couch instead of feeling obligated to go outside. Not getting a promotion or getting asked out by a cute boy? Of course it's going to sting. It's important to allow yourself to be bummed. I mean, hello. We're human. But in spite of the disappointment, it's important to remember one very important thing:
If you think this is a bad day... just try missing one.
Back in January my friend Emma and I decided to run the Chicago Half Marathon and raise money for the Ovarian Cancer National Alliance in honor of her mom, Elaine. Elaine is one of the most brave, sassy and inspiring women I have ever met. She has managed to confront her on-going battle with Ovarian Cancer with an unbelievable sense of humor and faith that God will protect her and give her strength to pull through. SHE has had bad days. Like the the day she received news that her most recent round of chemo was unsuccessful in shrinking some of her tumors. THAT is a bad day. Yet she manages to keep her head up and continue to move forward, confront every single day with admirable grace and a contagious enthusiasm. In fact, as I write this, she is lounging on a boat with my mother floating down the Danube, sipping on copious amounts of wine and striking up conversations with strangers.
So what does that mean for those of us whose bad days are influenced by nothing more than some rain, a dwindling bank account, a petty argument with a friend? I'm not going to sit here and tell you that those things don't mean anything. We all know that those are issues that can turn a great day south... fast. But I think it's really important to embrace each of these experiences with as much grace as we can. The reality is that every time we allow a crappy day to get the best of us, we're wasting 24 hours that we aren't going to get back. Maybe that means appreciating the rain, if for no other reason than it gives you the opportunity to curl up with a good book on the couch instead of feeling obligated to go outside. Not getting a promotion or getting asked out by a cute boy? Of course it's going to sting. It's important to allow yourself to be bummed. I mean, hello. We're human. But in spite of the disappointment, it's important to remember one very important thing:
If you think this is a bad day... just try missing one.
Comments
Post a Comment