Ask Yourself

"Ask yourself:  Now where would you be without days like this?"

I have that quote from Shinedown's "Amaryllis" written in cool lettering and duct taped to my dorm room wall.  It's the first thing I see when I wake up, right next to some pictures of my family.  I glance over to it inadvertently all throughout the day.  Every time I see it, I ask myself.  Where would I be without days like this?

Sometimes I'll be having a wonderful day.  School work will be flying by, the sun is shining, I feel loved, and a visit home is in sight.  Without days like that, it would be difficult to stay positive.  Without days like that, I might lose confidence in myself.  Without days like that, the bad days would be worse.

Sometimes I'll be having an unlucky day.  My alarm didn't go off, my toothbrush fell on the floor, and my pencil broke.  Without days like that, I wouldn't be able to appreciate the good days.  Without days like that, I'd be a spoiled, maladjusted person.  Without days like that, I'd have no quirky things to write about.

Sometimes I'll be having a tragically sad day.  A friend stood me up for dinner, I feel like I'm pestering Sam and Cassidy, and I found out I can't go home when I expected to.  Without days like that, I wouldn't know how to handle the bad days in life.  Without days like that, I wouldn't be able to grow as a person.  Without days like that, I wouldn't have written countless really-good-but-excruciatingly-depressing pieces.

Sometimes, it's just a day. It's pretty boring, a little irritating, but mostly alright.  Without days like that, life would be a series of catastrophes and emotional rollercoasters.  Without days like that, I'd be exhausted and beg for a break.  Without days like that, I'd never get any school work done.

Every day has a point.  There is a reason for every single day.  God doesn't just toss the dice and deal out circumstances for absolutely no reason.  Days like this, days like that, they all have a purpose.  See what you can learn from them.  Find the constructive.

Ask yourself:  Now where would you be without days like THIS?

~Stephanie