A Day Well Spent

                                          Everyday is a brand new day, everyday is a journey.

Is life a noxious weed which whirlwinds sow?
A useless flint o'er which the waters flow?
Not so!
A life well spent has not its weight in gold;
It is the clearest crystal earth doth hold,
A gem beside which suns seem dull and cold.

--Robert Louis Stevenson.


Having stayed up pretty late the night before, the last thing I wanted this morning was to get up. The rainy weather outside didn't help. All I wanted to do was stay in wearing my pajamas, watch the mystery marathon on WYCC and crochet. Nothing new there. That's all I ever want to do.

This morning was a little different. I had a coffee date with an old friend from work. A few years back, we worked together on the same shift and had lunch almost every single day. She's been wanting to get together for a long time now. 

This morning the last thing I wanted was to meet up with anyone, but I went and I couldn't be happier that I did. We laughed so hard that it actually hurt. We cried a bit, too. We shared, we experienced, we renewed. 

Driving back home, I realized that I needed this excursion with a friend. My first instinct has always been to retreat into the background, opting for a life of a lone wolf. God has other plans for me. He wants me to go out and engage others if not for myself, then for them. I'm constantly struggling to become a people person who fellowships. Everyone always seems to be surprised when I tell them. I guess it's because I really do try to make an effort, but it requires quite a bit of work. 

 This whole  experience had me thinking about other times when I didn't go and what I possibly missed out on, because of that decision. So why do I give in so easily to the devil's whisper? Because I'm lazy. It doesn't require any work at all. If I listen and stay home doing what I want, it's easy. It's like deciding to give up sugar for Lent when one doesn't really care for sweets in the first place. 

Instead, I had to get up and shower. Dress appropriately (makeup and all) and drive in this miserable weather to the designated destination (a 30 minute drive). A lot of work when one is feeling lazy, but the reward was fabulous.

Not only did I have a wonderful time, but so did she. We as women need each other even if that means we are affirming the struggles we face as wives, mothers, workers etc. There is someone else out there going through the same thing as I. I am not alone. So reach out to that friend that you haven't connected with for a long time. Sometimes, we just need a hug.

Have a blessed day everyone.