whimsically far from the surface: a grateful day.

I wrote a post on here around the turn of the year about life getting better as the years go by, as opposed to worse. It's not just a hope of mine, but something I consciously try to work toward. And I do think it's work. I think it's easy to let go. I think a lot of people live the day to day until it's been worn into the ground and eventually look up at a bleak reality to ask themselves, bumfuzzled, "how did I get here?"

A marker for this phenomenon is often the day we were born, and each year, its anniversary. It's how time marks our progress, our personal year, and where we've come since the previous number we claimed as our age. At twenty four, life started to look brighter. Twenty-five was the year I stopped apologizing so much. Twenty six was a year of stability and growth that brought a strong sense of comfortability with myself.

Despite growth, note that I am not immune to insecurity. Just when I get so pious to think I am, it pops up out amongst the weeds. I think this is something I will always be conscious of, as if life is always spring when weeds are relentless and persistent, threatening to overtake the bed of tulips that began underground, working their way to the sunshine all winter long.

Last month, I found myself at this marker, growth in check, digging up weeds, and walking in line with my twenty-seven resolution, to take more risks. And it was, by far, my best birthday yet.

The day was idyllic, and began with a sunrise run. My morning was a gift, with a moment in the sun, accompanied by some healthy tears, after reading thoughtful words from my mother on a birthday card. I spent time during the day with Chris, one of my dearest friends. There was delicious food at lunch paired with delicious wine, which meant lunch tangibly held three of my favorite things for me to fully experience, without rush or haste, and no where else to be. Catching-up honest conversation followed, which was paired with a little more wine in the sunshine. I then had some time alone, to reflect and breath, and then prepare for dinner with some of my favorite people at one of my favorite places, my life's own version of "Cheers". Social time at Vintage 1740, which could be considered the after party. A rather dominate joy was walking in and seeing a couple of people that had said they weren't going to make it sitting on the couch in anticipation of my arrival. I was a little later than they, as there was much dancing to John Legend taking place in the car on the way there, which spurred a wrong turn and a necessary turn-around in a school parking lot. My face lit up when I arrived in their presence.

Fast forward a bit. I am going to skip the details of an awkward moment that was less than ideal. I am saying there was an awkward moment, however, as I don't want to give the false impression that my day was fully spot free. Part of the fun of it all is moving past the moments we don't want to relive and finding fulfillment despite them. In addition to this ghost moment that will never be read on my blog but maybe told in story form if you have the courage to ask, I also glued my rearview mirror on to my car's window, upside down, and these moments shall take their rightful place in the grass amongst the weeds. I shall walk on them, and past them.

The end of my day was appropriate; unexpected dancing with a handful of strangers on an otherwise deserted dance floor at closing time. Lucky for me, someone happened to be there to catch it in picture form.

And now, the pictures of one grateful day...