If you had to sum up your life philosophy in one sentence, what would it be?
Good morning, and Happy Halloween from the Grove! 🎃☕
The coffee is hot, I’ve already been out prowling around a few yard sales, and now I’m settling in for a little porch time. Pull up a chair, grab your favorite beverage, and sit a spell.
Today’s prompt asks me to sum up my life’s philosophy in one sentence.
Well, that’s a tall order, isn’t it? One sentence to capture nearly six decades of living, learning, making mistakes, and occasionally wondering what in the world the universe is up to.
But surprisingly, I didn’t have to think very hard about this one.
“If that’s the worst thing today brings, then we’re going to be alright.”
I’ve been saying some variation of that for years. I couldn’t tell you exactly when it became my personal mantra, but it’s something I pull out of my pocket almost every day.
And some days, I need it more than others.
Now, before anyone mistakes this for some relentlessly cheerful, sunshine-and-rainbows approach to life, let me clarify something.
I am perfectly aware that life can be an absolute pain in the backside.
Things go wrong. Plans fall apart. People disappoint us. Sometimes the universe seems determined to see just how many inconveniences, frustrations, and outright disasters it can squeeze into a single day.
My philosophy isn’t about pretending those things aren’t happening. It’s about keeping them in perspective.
Because things can be bad without being the worst they could possibly be.
And sometimes, recognizing that distinction is what gets me through.
Take my recent vacation, for example.
I’d spent eighteen months planning a wonderful transatlantic cruise, beginning with some sightseeing in Barcelona. I had plans, reservations, expectations, and a boyfriend who was supposed to be enjoying the adventure with me.
What I got was something entirely different.
First, a delayed flight. Then a missed connection. Then Billie was turned back in Madrid and sent home, leaving me to continue the trip alone.
Instead of spending the day exploring Barcelona, I spent it navigating the Madrid airport. By the time I finally reached Barcelona, my luggage had apparently decided it was taking a different vacation altogether.
No toiletries. No medications. No CPAP machine. No clean clothes.
And somewhere in the middle of all that chaos, I kept repeating my mantra.
“If that’s the worst thing today brings, we’re going to be alright.”
Then something else would happen.
And I’d say it again.
And something ELSE would happen.
At a certain point, I began to wonder whether the universe was listening and taking my words as some kind of personal challenge.
“Oh, you think THAT’S the worst? Hold my beer.”
I kept saying it anyway.
Not because I was particularly convinced at every moment, but because I needed to believe I could get through whatever came next.
And I did.
Was I frustrated? Absolutely.
Was I frightened at times? You bet.
Did I occasionally want to sit down and cry? More than once.
But I was healthy. I wasn’t injured. I had people I could call, resources to help me navigate the mess, and a vacation that was still waiting for me if I could just get there.
Things were bad, but they could have been worse.
And eventually, I made it onto that ship.
But damn.
Fast-forward a few days to Casablanca, Morocco.
I’d spent a lovely day ashore, and we were standing in line waiting to reboard the ship. The couple in front of me were complaining about having to wait.
Now, I understand that nobody particularly enjoys standing in line. It’s hot, you’re tired, and you’re ready to get back aboard.
But after the adventures I’d had getting to that ship in the first place, a little waiting wasn’t going to ruffle my feathers.
So I said, “If this is the worst part of my day, I’m golden.”
The gentleman turned around and thanked me for putting things into perspective.
And that little exchange has stayed with me.
Here we were, fortunate enough to be visiting Morocco, enjoying an experience that many people will never have the opportunity to enjoy, and we were letting a line threaten to spoil the afternoon.
First-world problems, indeed.
Sometimes all it takes is a little shift in perspective to recognize how fortunate we actually are.
That doesn’t mean our frustrations aren’t legitimate. It doesn’t mean we can’t be disappointed or angry or exhausted. And it certainly doesn’t mean that every hardship can be dismissed with a cheerful little saying.
Some days are genuinely awful. Some losses are devastating. Some circumstances don’t lend themselves to finding a silver lining, and I’m not suggesting anyone should be expected to manufacture one.
But so much of daily life happens somewhere between wonderful and catastrophic.
The coffee spills. Traffic is terrible. An appointment runs late. Someone says something irritating. The plans we made don’t work out quite the way we expected.
And we get to decide whether those moments are going to take possession of the entire day.
That’s where my philosophy lives.
In the recognition that a bad moment doesn’t necessarily make a bad day. That inconvenience isn’t catastrophe. That disappointment doesn’t erase everything else worth appreciating.
And perhaps most importantly, that even when things are going badly, we can still find our way forward.
I don’t need every day to be perfect. Goodness knows I’ve lived long enough to recognize that’s an unreasonable expectation.
I don’t even need every day to be particularly good.
Sometimes I just need to remind myself that I’m still here, still figuring things out, and still capable of finding something worth smiling about.
And if today turns out to be one of those days when the universe decides to test the limits of my patience?
Well, I’ll probably pull that familiar sentence out of my pocket again.
Maybe once. Maybe a dozen times.
Maybe through gritted teeth.
“If that’s the worst thing today brings, then we’re going to be alright.”
And if it isn’t the worst?
Well, we’ll deal with the next thing when it gets here.
That’s life, after all. We don’t get to control everything that happens to us, but we do have some say in how we carry it.
So, from my little corner of the Grove, here’s what I hope you’ll take with you today.
Don’t let the small aggravations steal the good moments. Give yourself permission to be frustrated when things go wrong, but leave a little room for gratitude, humor, and perspective.
And remember, being alright doesn’t necessarily mean everything worked out the way you wanted.
Sometimes it simply means you made it through.
And that, my friends, is plenty.
Until next time, the coffee’s always on, there’s room for another chair, and you’re always welcome to sit a spell.
Happy Halloween from the Grove! 🎃☕
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