Beauty on the Bad Days, Part 2

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I wrote a couple of months ago about finding beauty on the bad days, and since then I've realized that there is more to say. A lot more! Not every bad day is the same, and sometimes it's really tough to find beauty.

 This week I have been sick with a cold. The last time I had a sore throat, runny nose, and stuffy sinuses was almost two years ago, so I was taken aback by how much these symptoms impacted my daily life.

 I typically post entries here on Wednesdays, but two days ago it was late evening before it occurred to me that it was Wednesday. My brain had been so foggy that I went the whole day thinking it was Tuesday!

 I swiped the reminder off of my calendar with my remaining energy as I shook my head. "The blog will just have to wait."

 All week, I have been struggling to find beauty.

 I have been self-quarantined, so even nature has been mostly hidden from my view. However, I still sat down each night to complete my DTH journal, and I surprised myself as I recalled small beauties from the day:
My dogs playing together made me smile.

I could afford to buy cold medicine that was helpful.

My house plants reminded me of new life in the spring.


Yesterday was a particularly rough day, with such low spirits that I was questioning every commitment and task in my future. But I knew better than to make any decisions in that state.

Instead, I allowed myself to sleep as much as I wanted, raid the kitchen for whatever sounded good, and watch TV from the recliner with the past knowledge that I only had to make it through to the end of the day and then I would get a fresh start the next morning.

And I did. I woke up with renewed energy and motivation that increased as the hours went by. The beauty that had been there the whole time finally unfolded around me, and I had eyes to see it.

What gives you a fresh start? 

What kinds of beauty can you find when it seems to have disappeared?

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Some doorways from this week:

  • When my sister heard I was sick, she gathered some Vitamin C drops in a small baggie and delivered them to my doorstep.

  • I joined an Advent study group online and have found new insights into the Christmas story.

  • I am in awe of the human body's ability to heal itself and fight off infections and viruses with it's immune system.

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