THERE IS NO SHORTAGE OF GOOD DAYS.
IT IS GOOD LIVES
THAT ARE HARD TO COME BY.
(Annie Dillard)
Like many people, I have good days and bad ones. Sometimes my bad ones last longer than I'd like them to. When that happens, I try hard to find and focus on that point in the distance, on whatever moment I believe will most likely make me feel a little better - a yummy piece of chocolate, a book I'm excited about being ready for pick up at the library, a hug from my husband when he gets home from work, takeout Thai food and a movie.
But I don't want my life to be just a bunch of good and bad days strung together the way a child slides beads on a cord - willy nilly, clumsily, big beads dwarfing delicate ones, some cracked or nicked, some gorgeous and luminous.
Or do I?
Because at the end of that cord, at the end of that life, what I will hopefully end up with is a long, beautiful one-of-a-kind necklace, a long, beautiful one-of-a-kind LIFE. What I want to do is loop that baby around my neck as many times as possible and look at those beads and feel them in my fingers and remember and laugh and cry and breathe and know that, overall, I did good.
What does your life necklace look like? What would you like it to look like? Can you string some beads on it today, this week, ones that will make you smile or dream or give you a wonderful memory?
I love the idea of a life necklace. Perfect! I admit to having a tendency to wallow in the bad days, but I'm trying to turn that around.
ReplyDeleteHappy Monday, Madeline!
I'm with you on the wallowing. I'm learning that the trick is to give myself permission to wallow for a bit but then I have to pick myself back up and get moving - hopefully forward! - again.
DeleteHappy Monday to you, too!
Mine's not as colorful as some, but it's been a great ride so far.
ReplyDeleteIt's YOUR necklace, Alex - whatever color works best on you and for you is what's important. :)
DeleteI try to dwell on the positive days as opposed to the negative ones. That doesn't mean being in denial of course, I am just picky with regards to my focus :)
ReplyDeleteI wish I was as good at that as you are!
DeleteThis is a beautiful post! What I want most is to be able to look back at my life and have few regrets. I'm hard on myself, and right now I have many, but I'm trying to be more positive and easier on myself.
ReplyDeleteHave a wonderful week!
Thank you, Dana.
DeleteI think taking it easier on ourselves is a good idea. I sometimes feel like I'm too hard on myself in some respects and not hard enough in others. :)
Have a great week!
What a positive way of looking at things. I like that.
ReplyDeleteI try, Suzi. I try. :)
DeleteAwesome. Today I'm stringing a clean houses along with some Christmas shopping. What kind of bead would that make? One that smells like bleach, but sparkles with red and green swirls? I like that. =)
ReplyDeleteHmm, maybe instead of smelling like bleach it could smell more like lemons or lemon Pledge? :)
DeleteLife has been really tough for me, and I'm just glad to still be here. It's the little things that bring me joy.
ReplyDeleteHang in there, Jay. And you're so right to focus on those joyful things, no matter how big or small they are.
DeleteHave you ever heard the blessing "Enough"--I wish for you enough.... One of the pieces is enough bad days to truly appreciate the good. Without the contrast, we can take things for granted. I am a delusionally optimistic person and am relatively content most of the time, but I DO think we need some bad in there now and then so we can appreciate the other stuff. (just not TOO much of it)
ReplyDeleteThat's lovely, Hart. And I agree, some contrast is good, but not TOO much. :)
DeleteA neat way to look at it. I tend to remember the good things more than the bad things as I look back on my life so I guess my necklace is going to be pretty shiny.
ReplyDeleteI'm happy to hear that your necklace is and will be a shiny one. :)
Delete"A long, beautiful one-of-a-kind LIFE" - what a beautiful image. Mine would be exactly like the necklaces I wear - wood beads, earthy colours, natural. I never realised there was such a correlation between my jewellery and myself :-)
ReplyDeleteNow I'm thinking about the jewelry I wear - usually the pieces are unique, maybe one bigger statement piece than lots of little ones, odd shapes and textures, colorful yet subtle… Hmm…. :)
DeleteA wonderful metaphor for a life. Not sure what mine would look like. Not sure the colors are terribly well coordinated. Some bits are shiny. Some aren't. But all of it is mine...
ReplyDeleteThat's the key - all of it is yours! Everyone's is different and as soon as we realize that, as soon as we stop trying to make our "life necklaces" look exactly the same, I think we'll all be happier and more content with ourselves.
DeleteThat's a very beautiful way of looking at things, imagining our days as beads on a necklace. I don't know how my necklace would like like actually- I guess it depends on how I imagine it might be strung.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure your life necklace is unique and beautiful, no worries. :)
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