It's Going to be a Great Day!

I have an amazing friend named Susan.  She has, on occasion, been my own personal angel; helping me through hard days, and loving me just how I am.  I will tell more about how we came to be friends another time.  She is a wonderful person who has had many, many health issues in her life.  She has had more doctors appointments, surgeries, and pain than most people ever have to experience -- and yet she doesn't complain about her pain as much as I complain about mine!

One day some of my kids and I were walking by her house and she was outside.  I asked her how she managed to have a good attitude and get herself going on hard days.  She told the story of a friend that she had known who also had many challenges.  She said that he would sit up in the morning on the edge of the bed, clap his hands and say with enthusiasm, "It's going to be a great day!"

I have thought of this story often.  I think my personality is too reserved to actually do that, but some mornings when I wake up dreading the day, and feeling tired and grumpy, I think of this story and imagine myself clapping my hands and saying with enthusiasm, "It's going to be a great day!"  The very idea makes me smile, and the day is off to a much better start than it would have been.  I can't always pull it off -- but sometimes it works for me to think that it's going to be a great day -- and then to smile and try to make it so.

*The picture is from facebook and is Susan with her youngest daughter.