There are days when I do not greet the day. Something is wearing me down, covering the sky, clouding my mind. I worry: about imbalanced finances, a cratered career, an aging body, an uncertain future. Then I think of Ames.
I think of what she would have done with one clear day, one 24 hour period without the pain of cancer, of chemo, of the side effects that made her double over and heave from a stomach that was already empty. She would have danced!
When I start my day troubled, clouded, I think of what she would say. “What? Why are you worrying about that! It’s a beautiful day outside! Do something, make something, learn something! Say hello to someone; tell a joke; laugh at a joke. Climb a mountain. Give someone you love a hug. Make the most of it!”
Then I realize my pain is self-inflicted, stupid, unnecessary. My day begins to brighten; the world is not so unjust; opportunities appear. I choose one.