Most of us don’t experience significantly sorrowful or joyful days daily. We mostly live the life that is in between. It’s best we live in this space because having extreme events or emotions daily–good or bad–would be exhausting.
Grey skies lead to a focus on surviving the difficulty. We dig deep into our reserves to live courageously through a challenge. Conversely, the intensely sunny days need to be embraced and appreciated, knowing each day can’t possibly be this bright. Soaking up the sun helps us find that reserve on the cloudy days, too.
But what about the in-between days?
Most days we wake to a busy morning preparing kids for school and ourselves for work. We have hectic workdays with little time to even eat lunch. There are after-school activities for our children. Dinner needs to be prepared. Laundry might need to be tackled. Hopefully there’s an opportunity for us to squeeze in some “me” time in the busy day, too. We go through the motions, getting through our daily routine and checklists. As our head hits the pillow, we assess all that we accomplished in the day, drifting off to sleep as we decide what needs to be accomplished the next.
Knowing these in-between days are what fill up most of our lives, how are we living them?
Are we finding joy in the goodbye hug at the door as the children leave for school?
Does our mind wander or are we fully present in the moment when we discuss the day at the dinner table?
Is there laughter?
Are we smiling?
Are we happy?
Find the small joys and gifts in those in-between days.
That is where enduring happiness is found.
Note: Today’s post was in response to a writing prompt at Studio30 Plus: Grey Skies.
Comments
12 responses to “Maneuvering the Life in Between”
Happiness comes in small doses with me. It’s my wife’s kiss or my daughters laughes.It’s that moment when my teenager isn’t paying attention and she refers to me as dad instead of Lance. It’s that song that comes on the radio or CD you inadvertantly pushed in and that riff or melody or lyric transports you into a place or time or both.
What this tells me is that you live a happy life. It’s these small moments you recognize and appreciate that means happiness isn’t an elusive, fleeting emotion for you. You have a great life, my friend.
Aww! I love this post! Great reminder to enjoy the sticky little hand holding mine, a 6yr old braiding my hair (ok, making knots in it), and singing Christmas carols in the car with my 5, with all the windows down:)
Those are the greatest gifts in our daily lives! Thanks for sharing these.
I’m finding it easier every day to see the beauty and overlook the ugly. I’m not so naive to believe the ugly isn’t there, but I’ve learned if I focus on the beauty, on the Love, and on being thankful for what I have that I can more easily deal with the ugly, that I’m generally happier, and ready to handle the Grey Sky Days AND to live the Sunny Days to their fullest.
You have such a great approach to life!
I don’t deal well at all with the routines of day to day life. My children and husband crave them, but they make me feel so very trapped. I want to claw out of the cage and have no two days be alike. I actually love grey skies ,though. They make the green grass show up brighter.
What a beautiful comment: “I actually love grey skies, though. They make the green grass show up brighter.”
Yes, you are right about that.
Thanks for visiting and leaving a comment.
all of these things are such important little reminders. I try to catch myself when I’m zoning out of life’s little moments- but sometimes it’s hard! :)
It is hard. I completely agree!
How weird. Not that this post is weird but I was recently given a writing assignment where I was asked to write a guest-post linking home tutoring services to be hosted on a soap opera fan based website (focus of the post had to be about soap operas) and oddly enough… our first paragraphs are nearly the same. Were you spying on me? :)
My biggest fight is with my internal “I’ll never be good enough” dialogue. On most days I keep the beast leashed and behind cages. But sometimes I’m just being howled at from within, and then clouds are always above me… If I could have 1 super power, it would be to conquer my negative thoughts. It’s all I ask. Should be easy right???
Well now I need to hunt down that post to read! I am glad to hear freelance is working for you; that’s great.
You are an amazing person so I think you should believe what probably everyone else (including me) sees in you.