Dear Monday, you don't get to win.

Two options: define the day or let it define you. 

With work HEATING up right now (that time of year), I've been soaking up every ounce of free time I have and investing it in anything but work. Self-care is real, y'all. But it also means I've been pouring 100% of myself into my nine to five and logging several extra hours. Duty calls right now.

Today started out like most Mondays with a trip to the gym to before work. And I was feeling pretty good about the day despite knowing some big projects were looming and a big goodbye. I said goodbye to Ed today as he departs for a new adventure and chapter in NYC. If you don't know who Ed is to me, you've missed the last three years of the blog. Needless to say, it was a goodbye I'd been emotionally preparing myself for but until the moment when you give someone that final hug and wish them well, it isn't fully real. And though the weight of that goodbye has been siting with me all day, I knew it couldn't define my day or my week. He and I will always be connected and will stay in touch and I trust in that. And then things hit the fan at work. In a bad way. I looked for a silver lining and I couldn't find one. I couldn't trouble shoot or problem solve and things were beyond my control. I didn't cause the mess but I sure was front and center sitting in it. By the time I left work today, I was spent.

I walked outside and the sun was still shining. And there was a nice breeze in the air that is rare for late May and I realized I was alive. And healthy. And loved. And I smiled and told myself that this day would soon pass and I'd be back again tomorrow to fight the good fight. I am still standing. 

Two options: define the day or let it define you.

Today sucked. That's real. But this past weekend was amazing and the rest of the week is one big unknown. Soak up enough of the good to try and drown out the bad. And when it's bad? When you're sitting in the mess or rolling in the deep and looking for a life preserver? Dig deep. Tap into your grit. Tell the day it can do its worst because you're not going down. Hold on to what anchors you and take those necessary moments to feel the sun on your face, remind yourself of your blessings, and give thanks that you are still standing. 

I didn't love you today, Monday. I didn't even like you. But I'm not going to let you drag me down and keep me there. I'm going to brush my shoulders off and bid you adieu. Tomorrow is another day - a hopefully brighter one.