It’s easy for us, on any given day, to keep a running tally of all the bad or unfortunate things that happen, bemoaning our bad luck and feeling impatient for a happier moment. We always notice when the stoplight turns red, but how many times do we remember to celebrate when the light stays green just long enough? We tend to take our good fortune for granted when it consists of anything less than winning the lottery.
But I challenge you to spend a day keeping track of all the good things that come to you, including the absence of bad things. When you look back at your list before you go to bed at night, chances are you won’t remember how you forgot to eat breakfast, or spilled your coffee on your desk, or had to wait in traffic on the way home from work. All that you have left will be those happy happenstances that you managed to take note of.
It’s not easy! Here’s my attempt for an average day in the life of Bee:
- I woke up this morning to find Ollie fast asleep next to me, with his paw resting in the palm of my hand.
- I had an awesome breakfast of fresh blueberries, cheddar cheese bites, and salty almonds.
- My front door deadbolt did NOT swallow up my key and refuse to give it back this morning.
- I realized I needed gas on the way to work, but then I only had about a mile to drive so it didn’t much matter anyway.
- I forgot to bring a drink to work, but the Boss had extra teas for us in the fridge.
- I needed a hair clip and there was one in my pocket.
- There were clear blue skies and cool temps all morning long.
- My weeklong streak of daily headaches ended today.
- The waitress brought us cookies after lunch. They weren’t oatmeal raisin, and they weren’t overcooked! That counts for three wins.
- My car still looks shiny from when my mechanic brought it through a pity car wash last weekend.
- I finally got my PayPal account debacle straightened out. It’s good to get paid.
- Farm fresh peaches.
- I managed to get a shipping label printed out just before my printer hopelessly ran out of ink. It’s a little faded, but it’ll do.
- All the kids are home and healthy this evening.
- I get to walk out my back door and pick fresh basil whenever I want to. Just can’t get over that one.
- Having short, stubby fingers makes it really easy to avoid cutting myself while I’m preparing supper.
- My fresh roasted veggies turned out edible enough.
- I have the option of staying home from yoga and doing nothing when I don’t feel well after eating too many roasted veggies.
- I found a few peppermint candies in the kitchen, which made me feel much better.
- I brushed my fingers through my hair and pulled out a green happy face.
- I have a Sweetie who opens the sunporch door for me so I can listen to the birds at sunset.
- I just happened to re-check the website for the Purdue Marion County Extension Office, and registration is finally open for the Fall Master Gardener class in Indy! I hope it is not full already. I have so much to learn.
- I finally got around to taking a photo of some of my newly acquired old bottles. And knocked out Self-Portrait #5 in the process.
- I’m done writing my blog, and still have three solid hours left in which to enjoy my evening.
- Life is good.
- 🙂
- Sweetie did dishes! Which inspired me to get off my tookus and do a little tidying up as well.
- I rescued two animals of the six-legged kind this evening. One was a click beetle, which amused Ollie and I immensely. The other was a horribly hideous moth that was clinging desperately to the kitchen blinds. I’m not sure if it made it past the clutches of yard kitties, but I did at least have the courage and decency to deposit it outside my back door.
- I discovered Sweet Leaf Tea available in half-gallon bottles on Amazon! Now I won’t have to keep pilfering my dad’s stash of Honey Mint Green Tea.
- Yum.
Eliminate the negative,
And latch on to the affirmative,
Don’t mess with Mister In-Between.”
Christmas Is All Around Us 
First of all, it looks like you happened upon the word ‘happenstance’ sometime recently.
Second of all, if you can get a class with Dick Crum, he is the best greenthumb in Indiana. I took a Purdue extension class with him…and learned so much. But, I don’t know if he is still alive though.