Trying to Enjoy My Days

A couple weeks ago, I was exchanging pleasantries with someone, both of us acknowledging the surrounding busyness. In response, my co-conversationalist rhetorically, jokingly asked, “aren’t we all just trying to get through the day?” 

And some combination of a perfectly brewed tea and liking my outfit and okay, residual teenage snarkiness, made me reply, “I mean, I don’t know, I’m trying to thrive. I’m trying to have a great day.” 

Oh there are days I wish I could skip. Oh I’m familiar with the sprint of “getting through until the weekend, the holiday, the big thing we’ve all been looking forward to.” 

But in that moment, when I really thought about it, I realized I did want to do more than just get through the day. I wanted to live it really, really deeply.

Of course, my response momentarily derailed polite society conversation. We laughed at the acknowledgment. Of course we want to be people who have good days.

But I wonder how much we discredit ourselves when we behave, even casually, without thinking about it, as if each day isn’t a mind boggling gift.

If I spend all my time getting through my chores. Getting through my to-do list. Getting through the busy season. Am I not slowly just getting through my life?

Easier typed than lived. 

But I wonder if I could act as if. I wonder if one day, one hour, one task at a time, I could live deeply. How might that force me to enjoy everything. How that might help me thrive.