far more to celebrate

Today when I woke up, I realized that my skin had flared up again. On vacation? I thought. Come ON, universe, can't a girl catch a break?

For a moment I was a bit bummed and the familiar feeling of disappointment began to creep in.

In that moment, I could have easily pulled my pajamas back on and curled up into bed. No one would have judged me for it, and I could have watched movies or read my book or slept the day away. And for that little while, that's all I wanted to do.

But instead I got dressed. I took extra care in picking out my outfit (incorporating one of my favorite blue and white patterned scarves), and despite my instincts, I decided to put on a full face of makeup. Over the course of dealing with this stupid ordeal, I've learned a few tricks and tactics to lift my mood even when I'm not feeling my best. I've learned that no matter how loudly the sweatpants start calling your name, you never really feel all that great once you slide them on. Comfortable, maybe, but feeling dowdy and shapeless ends up making you feel unattractive, which simply perpetuates a blue mood. Instead, I've found that taking the extra time to make myself feel beautiful goes a long way in pulling me out of a funk. Going through the motions of getting ready somehow makes me feel productive, and for the rest of the day I feel good about the way I look, providing an instant boost in attitude.

I finished getting ready and while I certainly felt better than before, I still felt a bit down. I went downstairs and opened my laptop to find a message on Facebook letting me know that my new baby niece was born this morning, little Kennedy Grace. Suddenly it all snapped back into perspective for me. This little girl came into the world today, and in the blink of an eye my brother's family of three became four. What a miracle. She's healthy and perfect and her entrance has reminded me of something very important.

In life there will always be things to complain about, that much I know. But if you pay close attention, there are far more things to celebrate than to complain about. And focusing on those things is what keeps it all in perspective. Once I came to that realization, everything began to look up. The sun was peeking out (for the first time in two days), and I was thankful. I recognized that I was on vacation in beautiful San Diego with my boyfriend's wonderful family. How ridiculously luck am I? I thought, a far cry from the attitude I had when I woke up.

I'm sad I can't go hold my new niece today, but so glad that she's here. Focusing on her arrival and the thought of holding her for the first time has left me little time to even think about my skin. Shortly after I got the message, we went out to breakfast and then to the tidal pools at Cabrillo National Monument - a natural wonder that was one of the coolest things I've ever seen (pictures to come soon!) The whole time all I could think was, This sure beats laying around in my pajamas all day.

If you notice yourself wanting to complain today, I encourage you to take a second to think about all the things you have to celebrate. The birth of a niece, being alive, experiencing things some people only dream of.

On any given day, if you're paying close attention, there is far more to celebrate than to complain about.

Welcome to the world, Kennedy Grace!