I had all these plans for today.

A few weeks ago, my regular local meet-up group that has been meeting virtually for nearly a year and a half planned an in-person event: a picnic in a local park. I’ve been looking forward to this event for weeks: being around people again, but also being able to distance appropriately, while still being in proximity to their energy. It looked like the weather would be perfect…. until 9:00 this morning when a series of loud thunderstorms boomed over the city. With two hours to spare, the picnic was called off. There are plans to reschedule; I hope the weather cooperates.

My sandals are getting old. I’ve worn them constantly for two summers, now my feet hurt, and the bottoms are feeling almost flat. Once the storms cleared out, my partner and I took a trip down Whyte Ave, where we ate lunch on a sidewalk patio, then crossed the street to a local shoe store that specializes in orthotic shoes and sandals. I must’ve tried on 15 pairs of sandals, and there was something just slightly off with every single pair. They were either too wide or two narrow. They pinched my heels, or my feet flopped around in them. I found the PERFECT pair of sandals… except the strap near my left foot rubbed uncomfortably against my toes. After more than an hour, and a bunch of frustration, I walked away with only the shoes I walked in with, and despair at ever finding new sandals that fit.

I walked in my front door, ready to relax and write an interesting blog post prior to a long-standing Saturday night virtual game night. Instead, I had to figure out the source of the pieces of lightbulb strewn across my house, from the kitchen to the living room to the hallway. While looking for the pieces and hoping no one cut their feet or paws on broken glass, I also had to figure out where Simone’s kitty harness disappeared to. We found the box of broken lightbulbs in the basement; my partner used the shop vac to clean up the glass, while I went on the hunt for the cat harness. We eventually found the harness stuck under the couch – the ring with Simone’s bell and her city license got caught underneath, and she must have squirmed her way out of it. Thankfully, on all counts, everyone is safe. We just won’t be walking around the house in bare feet anytime soon!

It has not, in any way, been the day I’ve hoped for. But I am still grateful to have lived it. I will look back on this day and realize that even though it hasn’t gone anything like I’ve planned, that I have lived it well. I may not have enjoyed my picnic, but I will eventually get to spend time with my tribe. I may not have new sandals, but I hope I will eventually find some, and they will be worth the frustration in finding them. I may be down half a dozen light bulbs, but no one was hurt, and hopefully the cat has learned that not everything’s a toy.

Maybe hope springs eternal. Maybe optimism is what gets you through a day. Maybe that’s all OK. And maybe, tomorrow, I’ll have a chance to write the post I hoped to write today. but if not, something different will come along… and it might be better.