Many of us determine our good days by being uplifted, either by an event or an experience. For some, good days are those with positive outcomes—an accomplishment, a major undertaking achieved, and an acknowledgement from others or a single moment when we just simply receive and/or hear good news. We all have the ability as individuals to define our own “good days.”
As you begin to prepare for the holidays, as you pull out the list with the seating arrangements from last Thanksgiving, you will once again be reminded that “there is someone missing from the table.” And as you check your list from last Christmas, Hanukkah, or Kwanzaa you are faced with the somber fact that there is one less gift to purchase. Somehow, in the midst of these emotions, your “good day” will be redefined. And as you envision the faces around the table, each person stating what they are thankful for, you question if all of your good days are gone and if you truly will ever be thankful again. However, you will find the strength to remind yourself that the gift of having those faces around the table in some small way makes that day a “good day.”
As we enter into this holiday season I challenge you to find something to smile about; for every smile will count and that will be a good day. Sit for a few minutes and reflect on private moments you shared with a loved one; the privilege of having that memory will allow you to have a good day. Don’t deny your feelings; claim them, but remember, after every storm there is a rainbow. Find the colorful things in your life and hold on to them. When you do that, it becomes a good day.
Good days will no longer be defined by your shared experience with those who are gone. They will no longer be defined by grand events blasted with feelings like earthquakes; instead, you will find yourself appreciating the tremors. On these days you can see the light through the darkness; you can find laughter amidst the pain. On these days you have permission to be thankful, and a moment of thanks will allow you to have a good day.