“This is the best day ever!”

She repeated it like an echo, “This is the best day ever! This is the best day ever! This is the best day ever!” The little girl sat in the snow, evidently happy with life, waiting for her mother to come out of the house and walk her to school. I smiled. “Sure, why not?” I thought to myself. It was certainly a fine start to the day.

The air was cool, but not cold. Under my coat, I wore a sports jacket and tie – overly dressed for the office, perhaps. But, I enjoy the extra dash of style, particularly on a Monday when it can be hard to get out of bed.

I’ve thought about this before. When you’ve had amazing days in your past, you can think about it in two ways: 1) that today is dulled in comparison, or 2) that today, you are the sum total of your best memories, which makes “now” pretty darn great! I prefer to think the latter.

Anticipating the death of my laptop, I started printing off my photos and found myself reminiscing. To believe that I am the sum total of many extraordinary adventures is hugely uplifting! And, to think that in the present moment, I can say of my family and friends that they are healthy and happy, delights me to no end.

Though I’ve been working through Innocents Abroad and Anna Karenina for months now, I feel privileged to take up those books and admire the astounding potential of words. How vivid Mark Twain wrote! How deep are the souls of Leo Tolstoy’s characters!

I feel blessed to sip tea on my less busy mornings. I am indebted to technology’s ability to forward and receive texts from halfway around the world. I am excited to finish my undergrad with a course I (at least partially) enjoy.

Life is pretty darn great! And sure, maybe this is the best day ever!

Dedicated to the newly arrived petite fille, HangZi! May your life be filled with several “best days ever.”