Mental Health Monday: Greeting the Day

Over the summer, I had this lovely experience of expectation while on a Danube River Cruise in Europe. Each time we docked at a new location, there was a sense of adventure. Sometimes I would wake up in a brand-new place, and other times, I’d walk up to the sun deck and watch us arrive somewhere entirely unfamiliar.

We often had just one day, or even a half day, in each place. That fleeting feeling gave me a desire to make each moment count, explore fully, be present, and embrace everything the day had to offer.

Life isn’t always an adventurous river cruise, of course. Lately, I’ve felt more weighed down by responsibilities than by wanderlust. But I had a small reminder of that feeling recently.

On the trip, I often went up to the sundeck, walked laps, and practiced my German DuoLingo lessons in the mornings as we were arriving in a new place. Now, back home, I still do this every morning. Instead of laps on a sundeck, it’s a loop through my house. This combination of walking around the house while practicing German is something I did both before and after the trip.

And I wonder, could I greet an ordinary day the way I greeted those new places? Even if it’s not a grand adventure, even if it feels mundane or heavy, could I greet the day with a sense of expectation that this is the one I have, and that it, too, holds possibilities?

Not every day will be an exciting journey. But each day can be greeted like it matters because it does. This is the day we have. It has possibilities. Let’s see what it holds.

— Renee Roederer