Remember that cute idea I had back in April where I wanted to document positive moments through a 100 Happy Days series? Shockingly, I was not as diligent about this as I hoped, but here we are at the conclusion of the series! I wouldn’t necessarily say that life got in the way or I became too busy; but rather, I just forgot to tell you the happy things that occurred.
I think I actually forgot to tell myself the happy things that occurred.
For the past seven weeks I have been living with my grandma on Long Island while commuting to my internship in Manhattan.
The internship has not been easy.
Living with my grandma, however, has been a gift.
For anyone who has made the comment to themselves about how they need to go visit their grandparents, give them a call, or send them a letter–I highly suggest doing so. And doing so now.
I have always been close to my family, but this summer I am able to have daily conversations with my grandma–rather than seeing her just a couple times a year.
She’ll share stories or make comments about her life as a child, as a mother, and then there are my favorite stories: the one’s about her and my grandpa.
My grandpa passed away the same year I was born, so I never had the opportunity to know him beyond the stories.
This evening, my grandma brought up how today was a near-perfect day. And that it was nice to enjoy it with someone (hi, that someone was me).
She recalled how we leisurely woke up on the Saturday morning. We went to the beach on a beautiful day–my favorite beach day of the summer. We went out for a nice meal, a glass of wine and good conversation. And of course we ended our evening at Carvel because Grandma could never go to bed without ice cream. If there’s one thing I’ve learned from her, it is that you never, ever go to sleep without dessert.
On our way home, she told a story about a day she remembers with my grandpa. It was her idea of a perfect day.
She said they began the day playing a round of golf, and then went to their beach on the south shore of Long Island for a couple hours spent in the ocean. Finally, their day ended at a small restaurant on the water, nothing fancy at all.
This story reminded me of all the days I forget about. The ones that go so seemingly perfect, yet are not the ones I dwell on.
It’s the traumatic days that we can recall minute for minute, but we rarely recall the days we spent smiling.
Those are the ones I want held tight within my memory.
Not the days where I was on edge, upset, stressed, exhausted or sad.
The days full of bliss.
The days like today.
-Rachel
Communicating Over Coffee 