There are days that are more vibrant than others. They are filled with moments that make you want to shout your praise for simply being alive. Colors are brighter, smells sweeter, the eyes of a friend shine out at you from a face you love but have taken for granted. The arms a partner are warmer, gentler than you can remember and you want to spend the day resting in their embrace.There are days like this.
Many times these days are brought on by a wonderful miraculous experience, like the birth of a new baby or the news that something you've worked for for so long has come to fruition. But more often these days are brought on because you feel you've brushed close to having the gifts of this life snatched away from you. You pass by the scene of an accident where there are clearly grave injuries. Or you yourself stop or swerve just in time to miss being part of a similar scene. There are test results that come back clear and phone messages that signal the joyous voice of a family member or friend over this good news. There are days like this.
We spend the majority of our time treading the waters of our lives. It is a fact and one that, in some ways, makes the world go round. We find ourselves in the rhythm of routines that can dull our senses and our hearts to the sheer joy of walking this glorious Earth. We go to meetings, do the laundry, eat without paying attention to the food or our companions. And then something happens and our awareness changes. Our senses become heightened and our eyes see the world as if for the first time. There are days like this.
Perhaps it is the nature of being human, of trying to make sense of who we are, that allows us to become aware of these experiences where we recognize the gift of this life, this living. Do other animals feel the exhilaration of having outrun the hand of death in the form of the speeding car? Do they then enjoy their running or flying or swimming more for at least the next few days? I don't know.
Wherever you are, whatever you are doing, today might be a day to really look around you and see the gifts of your life. Today might be the day to smile broader, to kiss longer, to order dessert, to give a gift anonymously. Today might be a day to fall in love with your life…..without benefit of any dramatic event…..but simply because you can.