Days.

Jill here. Older and hopefully wiser…but, older at least.

Thanks for all of the birthday wishes via Twitter, Facebook, Blog comments…you know, all the social networking options were covered and I felt the love. So, thanks. Today is my Dad’s birthday! We have always enjoyed sharing our birthdays…every other year we picked what meal my mom would make. I would always pick spaghetti and my dad would pick corned beef and cabbage. Random fact of the day! But, Happy Birthday to my Dad who is the best Dad in the world…I love you!

I did a little math this morning (which I generally try to avoid) and realized that I have lived over 10,000 days on this wonderful, crazy planet. That’s a lot of days. As I reflect on those days, I am grateful. Not every one of those were great days. Some were actually pretty bad. Some were pretty amazing. Some were mundane. But they all counted. They all added up to the 10,000(+).  They all have been stepping stones and I can appreciate that as I look back.

I read a quote recently that said “Smooth seas do not make skillful sailors.”

The bad days, the mundane days, the days that are a struggle, the days when the seas are choppy…they mold us and develop our skills as sailors. I like that concept.

Some days I feel like I really have it figured out. Things are stable. Life is smooth. People are good.

Some days I feel like “What the HECK am I doing? How did I get here and how do I get out?”

I used to think there would come a day where everything would get figured out and all the days from there on out would be smooth sailing. In some ways, I think that would be nice, but at the same time…how boring is that? The variety keeps life interesting. It also builds character and personality…faith and understanding…

So maybe I’ll have 10,000 more days…or maybe less…or maybe more…and some will be fantastic, some will be disappointing, some will go by quickly, some will feel like they’re never gonna end….but all of them will count.

Enjoy your days. If you’re in a rough patch, it will get better. And I fully believe it does get better and better over time. Remember that. When the seas are choppy, it just means you’re working on becoming a better sailor. When the seas are calm, relax and enjoy the ride. Take it all in.

I hope today is a wonderful one for everyone.

-j