Choose.

Last week, I began a blog post that I never got around to finishing.  It was a hard one to write because I was having a hard time.  I was feeling discouraged and lonely.  I was feeling confused and helpless.  I started to write about things that were gritty and real.  About how putting your life back together after what you had envisioned was shattered is really hard.

And it is.

But then a weekend like this past weekend comes.  A day like today happens.  And things are suddenly put into perspective.

Life is a roller coaster.  We have ups, and we have downs.  Every day is a new day.  Every moment is a new moment.  And we have the ability to choose for ourselves what we will make of it.  Of what we will make of our lives.  

We can choose to be happy.

We can choose to find joy in the little things...like ridiculous pink heart sunglasses, like singing Backstreet Boys with a friend to the guy in the car next to you, like someone at church telling you they like your dress, like a hug from a friend you haven't seen in awhile, like a text from someone you weren't sure was your friend anymore, like downloading an album that you and your mom used to listen to all the time, like a girl drumming on trash cans because she wants to get off the streets, like Barstow tacos, like red and white confetti nail polish that you buy just to see what it looks like, like getting an extra hour of sleep, like losing an hour of sleep because you stayed up talking to a special person, like watching a 7-year-old girl wolf down a huge piece of pizza in 5 minutes flat.

Whatever it is, no matter how small, you can find joy in it.

And if you are having a hard time today, tomorrow is a new day.  You can start over.  You can always choose to be different.  You can always choose to be happy.

And you can always, always, ALWAYS find joy in the pink heart sunglasses...