BAD DAYS (Read & Reflect #23)
a metaphorical ode to the days you can’t shake
Your tried and true rain boots slip on with ease.
Although it appears the storm front has moved through, in its wake you are sure there are puddles galore.
No one likes wet feet. Better safe than sorry.
You set out and hear water rushing into the storm drain & birds frolicking in a nearby puddle excited to cool off.
The sky is still overcast, but you hold out hope for a rainbow to appear.
You think, “This isn’t a washout. They always get the damn forecast wrong. I knew I could squeeze in a walk”.
You trudge along trying to find things to savor.
You stroll off the path and step onto the grass to investigate a flower perking up from its recent drink.
Then it happens.
You look down and assess the damage.
Your foot has sunk into the ground.
“Thank god for my b….”
Cold mud hits your big toe—a hole.
Instinctively, you attempt to lift your foot up and out of its dank trap only to feel it sink deeper.
You try again. Mud now touches your shin.
You wiggle to the left then to the right. No movement.
You close your eyes. Stop struggling. Breathe deep.
Finally your leg releases, but the boot remains.
The celebration is short-lived as your body falls back into the wet grass.
You sit there with one naked foot. Mud, the color of a Hershey’s kiss, covers you head to toe.
Sometimes there’s just no clean way to escape a bad day.
Hey there!
I wrote this last night before I tucked myself in on the early-ish side. Yesterday was just one of those days for me. My whole body hurt. I was grief-y. I spent lots of money at the mechanic. I was hormonal. I was swimming in self-doubt.
Nothing earth shattering, but just enough that I had to surrender to the day just being what it was and not trying to shift it.
Entertaining disclaimer: the surrender came at 8:15pm. I tried like hell to turn it around all day.
I don’t bump into these days too often and so I discovered myself needing reassurance that sometimes days are just blah. So I wrote myself a message of reassurance (aka this newsletter).
Tuck it away for the next time you’re having a muddy day.
When you encounter unexpected challenges or setbacks, how do you typically respond? Are there certain habits or thought patterns that help you navigate difficult situations?
What strategies can you use to stay grounded and centered when things feel chaotic or overwhelming?
Incorporate more mindfulness & fun into your life this month with my journal, Lessons from Nature. It’s filled with 30 items and corresponding prompts to practice intentionally using your sense of sight to explore your world.
Want to continue to connect? You can find me on Instagram.
Maggie Sometimes all you can do is laugh. D
Thanks for this reminder that it is ok to feel all the feels and lean into acceptance; mud and all!