This is a guest post post by Smile Project Program Manager, Kristen Parry,
It’s Monday morning. The sun is shining brightly for the third morning in a row after *two weeks* of clouds. As I work on my computer, I look fondly out the window, thinking about how much my dog and I will enjoy spending some time out in the sunshine at lunch.
Cut to lunch time... it’s overcast. Like really overcast. We’re back to the winter sky we’ve come to know so well, and we aren’t having that blissful moment I imagined this morning.
There’s a sign in a friend’s kitchen that reads “20 days ‘til blue skies,” as they’re counting down to a trip they’re looking forward to in a warmer climate.
Every day, they wake up and look forward to changing that sign... getting one day closer to the trip while complaining about the cold winter weather they’re going to get to escape.
But what struck me as ironic here was that this sign was up on a day that we had clear blue skies. Don’t get me wrong, I get the message. They’re excited for warmer weather, more frequent blue skies... who wouldn’t count down to that, right?
But the through-line I see in these two stories is don’t wait. Don’t wait to enjoy something “later.” What if it’s no longer available? Don’t wait for specific blue skies if there is one right here, right now for you to enjoy!
Appreciate what you have here and now. You’re only guaranteed this moment. So don’t wait, be present, and choose joy.
