Half-Full

How we view our life determines our experience of life.

The past two years are a good example.

Two years ago, while gathered around the Christmas tree, we learned our first Grandchild would be arriving the following year. 

We were thrilled!

For every yin, there is a yang. Ten days later, a medical emergency put our oldest son in the hospital intensive care unit for a month. He got out just in time for the Covid lockdown.

The last couple of years didn’t turn out like anybody planned. 

If someone would’ve told me on New Year’s Eve 2019 that seeing friends, going to restaurants, attending live concerts, and traveling by air, would be sharply curtailed, it would’ve seemed pretty grim. 

Looking back, it hasn’t been so bad.

We were fortunate in 2020 to spend the entire spring and summer at the lake. It was a rare treat to stay for even an extra evening during my hectic work years. We had another long cabin stay this past winter. It was a treat snowshoeing through the woods rather than going for walks in our suburban neighborhood. 

To be fair, we miss parties, restaurant meals, going to concerts, and traveling, but all in all, it hasn’t been too bad.

Lindsey Crouse recently wrote an opinion column for The New York Times titled, “You Can Make Any Day the Best Day of the Year.” Reflecting on her best days, she wrote: 

“I rarely had any photos at all of the best days. I was too busy living them…The problem with these best days was they went by without me realizing how special they were.”

Her solution, she wrote, is to declare her best days of the year in advance. Designating regular days as best days helps her claim the moment.

I like that!

My Grandmother always said she was “born happy.” It appears some people are. To be fair, everyone’s wired differently. For some, the glass is half-full; others see it half-empty. With whom would you rather spend your time? 

Attitudes have consequences.

We’ve been fortunate not to lose any good friends or family members to Covid. As such, I’m pretty sure I’ll reflect back on these times with mostly positive memories. Then again, that’s the way I remember most of my life.

Things don’t always go our way, but restricting our “best days” to favorable circumstances unnecessarily impoverishes life.

Why not choose today for a best day?

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