One of Those Days

Today was One of Those days. And, I flipping hate Those days. It began the minute I accidentally wiped mascara on this darling pair of cream-colored, boot-cut corduroy pants I threw on to wear to Muffins with Mom at my boys’ school. It normally takes me forever to pick out something I feel confident in, and yet here was this outfit I really liked and subsequently ruined in seconds. Ugh. Found a substitute pair of slacks, grabbed a jacket, and headed downstairs.

Upon arriving downstairs I see the boys pointing at something in the family room. Now what? Sure enough. There on the new rug was a large pile dog puke. Of course. Why not? It was going to be One of Those days. The deal was sealed. I struggled my way through clean up and got us out of the house quickly for fear that I might accidentally set the house on fire.

The rest of the day continued in classic Those days style. Once we got to school, I realized I’d forgotten something I was supposed to bring and would now get to run home and bring back. I spent thirty minutes selecting and checking out library books for the boys’ next book reports only to find out when they got home that their teachers had already picked books for them. My cold got worse by the hour. I found out some work I had spent a fair amount of time on yesterday didn’t actually need to be completed at all. There was some crying and a small tantrum on my part. I wallowed in self-imposed misery for a bit. But all those moments are in the past now.

What saved my attitude today was a yoga class, my one respite in an otherwise dismal day. Our instructor, Carol, talked about how often we focus on the negative rather than the positive. She mentioned how easy it is to be feeling confident and successful in class and then accidentally fall out of a posture and let that one misstep sully the entire class. I am so guilty of that kind of thinking. It’s easy to have ten things, nine of them amazing and one of them bad, and only to focus our attention on what’s wrong rather than on the abundance of what’s right.

So, tonight before I fall asleep I am making it my personal goal to erase the image that today was One of Those days. Today was what it was. No less, no more. I don’t have to feel sad about it or carry it with me into tomorrow. I can be at peace with it and let it go. I can focus on right here, right now. And, right here, right now I’m happily tucked into bed next to the best person I have ever known. My sweet and funny boys are resting peacefully down the hall. I live in a cozy house with a view that I cherish. I have incredible friends who make me laugh and bolster me when my day sucks by telling me at 3 p.m. that Wine O’Clock is always available. I have good health, a body that can do amazing things, and a brain that appreciates and rises to challenges. I’m fortunate in a million and a half ways. Today was just not one of them.