chin up
Today can’t end soon enough.
From the moment I woke up and decided I was too tired to go to yoga, I should have known it would be a struggle to get through the day.
I tried my best to balance out the lack of yoga by taking Mitzi out on a long walk.
And because I’ve been so busy and out of the house so much this week, I thought this would be a good chance to finish working on a mosaic that I’d been falling in love with every time I’ve had the chance to work on it. While it’s not the end of the world(and there are other ways to display mosaics) I am so disappointed in myself that in my excitement to complete this piece, I forgot to attach a wall hanging mechanism before I cemented and grouted it. (It has quickly become one of my favourites, so I’ll have to figure something out.)
As I worked on this mosaic, and another one I’ve been working on for my friend’s little baby, I realized it was almost mid-October and I should be hearing back from a show where I had been dreaming of having my own booth. Checked my inbox, and nothing was there. So I moved on with my day.
I did a bunch of stuff around the house (and cut my hand while doing so), and Mitzi and I had our visit to volunteer as a dog therapy team (which was cut short).
When I checked my email a few hours later, there actually was an email there from the show, and it didn’t contain good news. Crushed, I crawled into bed and shut the world out for a little while.
When I tell people about Mitzi being a therapy dog, I know they picture her cuddling and kissing and doing tricks to cheer people up who really need it. And when the tears were streaming down my face after getting the email, she was that sweet girl who nuzzled up to me and showered me with all of her puppy love. And she crawled into bed with me when I couldn’t deal anymore. But after about half an hour, she helped me in a different way: by climbing on top of me and barking as loud as she could for me to get up. It was extremely annoying but exactly what I needed. So out we went for yet another long walk and some fresh air.
I knew that this month was going to be hard; with Navin travelling, and so much that I need to get done, and the weather getting cold and dark. And I know that shutting the world out and crawling into bed is not an acceptable way to deal with things when they get tough. But while I don’t exactly feel like going out and being social, I am writing this post. And that’s something. Just the act of putting my feelings into words is always so helpful.
Tonight I’m going to take it easy and be gentle with myself, and remember that tomorrow will be a new day. Just like the pretty daisies in that mosaic (which is adapted from a photo I took at Discovery Park in Seattle earlier this year), I will keep looking ahead to the future, where things may feel less disappointing and days may feel less like a chore to get through.
If you’re having a day like I’ve had, maybe this song will cheer you up. It’s stuck in my head right now and is helping me feel a little bit better…
She’s so wise, that Charlotte…
“Chin up, chin up Put a little laughter in your eyes Brave it, save it Even though you’re feeling otherwise Rise up, wise up Make a little smile begin You’ll be happy hearted Once you get it started Up with your chinny chin chin!”