This is what a bad day looks like.
No make up, no filters, no smile. Eyes and face swollen from crying. Lots and lots of crying.
The reasons for the bad day are irrelevant–I can’t share the reasons anyway. But I hit the trifecta of what causes me the most pain in my life (save for the loss of a loved one–no one died yesterday). And I hesitated taking this photo or writing anything about it, except for this:
So much of life is carefully curated these days. Sunny vacations by beaches and pools, perfectly angled selfies with perfectly coiffed hair and perfectly applied makeup. We share our best selves and give the impression that life is grand, even when we know it’s not.
It hit me yesterday, as I was fetal, crying, and simultaneously replying to text messages as if nothing was wrong. Feigned happiness for days, rife with fake exclamation points.
And I wondered if I saw a little less curation and a little more real, maybe my response to yesterday’s events wouldn’t have been so dramatic. But feeling like life is oh-so-wonderful for so many people while in the midst of some pretty dark emotions can amplify the darkness.
So I share this photo, and this vague accounting of my bad day, to maybe instill some sense of normalcy for someone else who might be having a bad day.
Bad days suck. They happen–no getting around that. But they happen to everyone, so try to remember that the next time you’re in the middle of a trifecta of pain. Chances are, someone close to you has been there before, and you both will be there again. Don’t let the filters fool you about that.
But a bad day is also just that–a day. Twenty-four hours. The sun rises again, and with time, the pain diminishes. Today I was blessed with people who made me smile and laugh. I ate chocolate and drank diet Coke and I bought a book. I had some great conversations and tried to remember that I still have much to celebrate and many people to love.
Yesterday was a bad day. But today was better.
thanks. you know my day yesterday was pretty lousy as well. nothing like what you are describing – i know that pain – but yesterday was still very hard and took a toll on me. it lasted a bit into today. reading your post helped me feel not quite so alone and gave me some hope for tomorrow. thanks.
I’m sorry for your lousy day, Sarah! Neither of us is alone, and I’m glad to have given you a little hope. You’re in my prayers.
Hang in there, Ms. Rowse. The only reason days like that are around is so the really good days feel a lot better. Hopefully today your day is much better. Be sure to take some time to decompress and do something you love that can take a bit of the focus off the bad day.
Thanks, Mike! Today was so much better, and just a testament that storm pass, often quickly, and life is still good.