Just Another Day?

Some days are harder than others.  I know it won't always be like this.  Each day should get easier.  Baby steps. Some days it's two baby steps forward, three giant steps backward.  Other days only forward steps. Yay!  And then the awful days of giant steps backward.  Thankfully there are fewer of those with each passing week.

I find strength in many places - in my prayers, from Scripture, in the words and kind gestures of my family and friends.  Surprisingly, I have also found strength, encouragement, and comfort in inspirational posters all over the internet.  It might sound lame to others, but it works for me.  Affirmation is important, and hope for brighter days is crucial. Sadly, though, it seems for every inspirational one I find, for every one that uplifts and comforts me, there are also those posters that depict the joys of being in love, the rewards of commitment, all the sweet, romantic things that a girl would love to send to the man of her dreams.  And those posters serve to remind me of the dark shadow of hurt and disappointment that looms over my heart.  So - is it better or worse for me to look at them?  I'd say I get more encouragement than discouragement, so I continue to look, continue to copy/save them in a folder labeled "Inspiration". Sometimes I just open the folder and look through them, and feel a little bit better. There are dark moments in every day.  I suppose that's just to be expected.  It is normal to mourn the loss of something/someone you loved, and those moments will come no matter what I'm doing.  They come at the most inopportune times, and at times, are crippling.  Surrounding myself with strong women who love me, encourage me, and are praying for me has been my salvation.  They are my Giant Killers.  I have faith that with the passage of time, those moments will come less and less often and will be replaced with the ability to enjoy the good memories and remember them with happiness - not sadness.  There's another quote I like:  "Don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened".  Well, I'm not at that place just yet - but that's my prayer and my goal.  There are definitely good memories to treasure.  I'm just waiting for the "not hurting to remember" part to start.

Affirmation.  Hope for brighter days.  Yes.  I will take strength and empowerment wherever they may be found.  And I've always been a sucker for a pretty picture/poster embellished with profound words of wisdom.

I like what this poster says.  Every day is a clean slate.  A gift.  A new chance to make the right choices, and do the right things.  A new day to choose to move forward, to lay aside and move beyond the things that weigh heavily on our hearts and our minds.

Will today be just another day?  Or will I make it a day that counts?  With every baby step forward, I choose to make it a day of moving in the right direction.  Another day closer to a peaceful heart.  Yes, indeed. Every day counts.