Carpe Diem

Seize the day. Today, make things happen. Today, you can make changes, you can make better choices, you can take first steps, continue on a path, or let go of things. Life doesn't stop or even notice you. It will keep going whether you are ready or not. And sometimes, it moves pretty fast. It's easy to get behind, or feel lost, or even frustrated. But all you can do is let go of it and try to catch the next day. I have been having to do that a lot. Life also sometimes has other plans for you than you were expecting. You want to go in one direction and life pushes you in another direction. You can either let that frustrate you and get angry or you can adjust and move with it. You can listen to the ebb and flow and not fight against it. Sometimes it's telling you that you are not moving fast enough, and sometimes, you are trying to do too much.

Things like lines use to frustrate me. I always look at the lines in stores and try to pick the shortest, or the quickest by assessing what people have in their carts or hands. Inevitably, whatever line I choose will end up with a long delay for one reason or another - a price check, an elderly person who is confused, a person who takes 20 minutes to dig out exact change. My usual reaction use to be to sigh heavily and stand there being frustrated. Why? I'm in a hurry, I've got things to do! And? Why let this ruin my day? Instead, I decided that I could use this time enjoyably. I take a moment to laugh at the insane headlines on the magazine covers. Or I take out my phone and play with my ringtones. Or I talk to my kids about something. Or I call someone to catch up. Same thing goes for traffic. I will consider my routes and try to figure out which way will be the quickest. It will end up being bumper to bumper traffic, or construction, or an accident. I can take that time to glare at other drivers, or beat on my steering wheel in frustration. Why? Instead, I take the time to search for new radio station with cool music. Or if really bad, I always have a book on me that I can read while I sit. Another opportunity to shoot off a text or call. BUT - not while moving! Texting and driving kills! Also another opportunity to play a silly word game, or sing with my son. Teaching him new jokes is always fun too. In other words - you can take a situation like this and allow it to ruin your day - or you can see it as an opportunity to catch your breath, enjoy the moment, and appreciate the little break from rushing.

That's not to say that bad days don't happen. Yesterday - a bad day. My computer got a virus which required several long, grueling scans to clean up. The desk I was trying to assemble was not cooperating, requiring me to go to the hardware store and buy parts, as well as finding tools that were misplaced. Then to learn that the new television required different wires than the ones we had to hook up our various electronics. Sigh. But also, during this time, I was making dinner - which I pulled out and served. Only to find out the BBQ pork ribs, which I thought were done, were raw in the middle. Sigh. So, back into the oven with them, and start rushing around to do things. Only to almost burn them, yanking them out to spill hot pork grease on my feet. Yup, good times. Then, I had a raging headache. The kind that makes it hard to even think. So, I decided, after boys were in bed, chores were done, I would just go to bed. Only to be awoken at 4am by this raging headache. Crawling blindly to the bathroom and choking down something for it, I crawled back into bed praying that it would go away. It did. Bring me to today. A new day. A new chance.

First thing on the agenda - coffee. Must. Have. Coffee. Especially at 6am. Go to make coffee. Fill the pot, start dumping it into the maker, only to learn too late that beloved hubby had at some point started making coffee by filling it with water - but never finishing. So yeah, flooded the whole counter, and floor. Sigh. Clean that up and cursing under my breath. Was this going to be another one of those days? NO! I will not let it ruin my day. Instead, I choose to laugh at it and move forward. Carpe Diem! I will not let silly things ruin it for me. Instead, I will CHOOSE to have a good day, no matter what life chooses to throw at me. Ebb and flow. Realize that my agenda may point me in the direction I want to go, but like a tree, I will bend at the wind, not try to force against it. Make today the best day it can be - one today at a time.