A Perfect Day in My Life
Every day when I get home, my roommates and I convene in the living room while we take turns cooking our dinners and talk about our day. Sometimes we're venting about professors or assignments and other times we're celebrating small accomplishments like 100's on quizzes and the fact that we made barely made it to the bus before it drove off towards campus. With each evening though came the inevitable question, "how was your day today?". I used to always respond "you know, it was a day" with as much lackluster as possible because after working two jobs and going to class after class and meeting after meeting, I was exhausted. After a lot of thought and prayer in thinking about my days, I realized that my days have been spectacular.
Here's why.
I start each day by opening my eyes. Seeing the warm light seep through my sheer curtains and onto my face, illuminating my bedroom. Sometimes, the sunrise is so beautiful I awake without the ring of an alarm clock, just with my body telling me it's time to start the day. If it's raining, I awake to the gentle sound of droplets on my window.
I then roll over and check my phone, plugged into an outlet, supplying electricity to the rest of my apartment. With that electricity comes heat and running water, two luxuries that many people can't afford. I slowly but surely, pull myself out of bed and stand on my own two feet. I then look into my closet full of clothes, shoes, and jackets. If it's raining, I have a raincoat. If it's cold, I have scarves. If it's hot, I have shorts. Whatever I need, I have in my closet. I want for nothing. I then move to my bathroom where I have clean water, a toilet that flushes, and soap to clean my body.
Once I throw myself together in the morning, I head upstairs and open my fridge and pantry, both full of food and make something to eat for breakfast. I do so in the silence of the early morning, listening to Spotify and the birds chirping. God's just saying hello. Most days I look at the clock, curse because I'm late for the bus, and set off for the bus stop. I hear the bus's brakes squeal and start running, barely making it but making it nonetheless. This ride is free. This ride is safe. This ride is convenient.
Once on campus, I start on my walk to work. I head off to my first job where I file paperwork and make copies all morning. It's boring work, but it's work. I leave with a paycheck and the gratitude of an honest day's work. I work with kindhearted people who make my days more cheerful. After a few hours, I walk to my second job where I shelve books and answer questions. Again, nothing exciting but when working with intelligent, fun, and energetic people work is never bad. My boss and I talk about basketball and my co-workers and I talk about our weekends. After a few hours there, I head to class.
While walking to class I look around at the mountains that surround campus with their powerful stature. I look at my classmates, my professors, and my friends. I recognize the other girls on campus, because there once was a time when women couldn't receive education. How lucky am I that I get to go to college! I am grateful for the small things around me. I enter Harrison Hall, home of my major and minor that I love so much. I get the amazing opportunity to learn about interesting things, practice what I learn, and then share it with others later in life. Although I'm up to my eyeballs in debt already, my education is the best money I've ever spent.
After several hours of class, I head off to meetings for my sorority. My Alpha Delta Pi sisters teach me how to be a better person. They teach me how to lead, how to listen, how to be creative, how to be strong, how to look at the bigger picture and how to laugh at myself. These meetings are long, sometimes annoying, and overall time consuming but someone trusts me to lead. I get the opportunity to contribute to something other than myself.
By this time, it's 7:00 and I'm heading home on the same bus that picked me up. Frank picked me up at 7:13 this morning and is still driving the bus 12 hours later. I am grateful for Frank. Once I get home, I make dinner, from that fridge that's full of food I mentioned earlier. The luxury of eating more than one meal a day is never lost on me. While eating, my roommates and I watch Jeopardy together, because I've slowly gotten them all hooked on a little competition. We catch up on our days, do our homework, and evntually head off to bed. I get to take a hot shower and snuggle up under the three comforters on my bed. I say my prayers, to my God that I can freely worship. I rest my head on a pillow, and feel safe going to sleep.
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I used to look at my days like a long list of chores. Now I see my two jobs as extra income rather than a time commitment. I see my classes as opportunities to expand my knowledge instead of a taxing obligation. If I flip how I look at my day's commitments, my entire attitudes changes.
The secret to having perfect days is recognizing all the ways your day goes right. No, no day is perfect but every day has something worth celebrating in it. It's up to us to open our eyes wide enough to find the many beautiful blessings that sprinkle each day.
Of course we all have days we wish we could change. Maybe you lost money in the stock market, failed a test, got fired, missed the bus, or broke down crying because you're so overwhelmed you can't seem to find a light at the end of whatever tunnel you're stuck in. We all have those days. But within those days, you were blessed in some way shape or form. Those negative moments are signs telling you to slow down or reevaluate or maybe even rearrange. Every day is a gift and every day can be perfect if you find the dozens of blessings hidden within every 24 hours.
