On highs and lows.

 

This week has not been bad, but is hasn’t been good. It just is what it is. I actually barely remember what the week consisted of because it feels like a blur. A blur of stuffy noses, work meetings, vacuuming, Casper traveling, grocery shopping, and Leo chasing. You know, the normal life stuff; a neutral week that started and ended without many highs or lows.

The problem with this: I love highs and lows. I love looking back on my days and remembering the moments that stand out. What brought me to tears (yes, crying happens a lot for this emotional girl), or when I lost my temper or when I laughed uncontrollably or when I was caught off guard by something unexpected. I live for the peaks and valleys. I hate to admit that I would almost rather have a really crappy day than just an okay day. At least the crappy day is memorable, and real and produced deep emotions and thought. Maybe it even stirred me to change or grow and shift in some way. Although, I’d rather have the bursting with joy ‘highs’ any day of the week!!

I actually love highs and lows so much that most days Casper and I take the time to share with each other what the ‘stand out’ moments of our days were. (This week was an exception, which is probably why I am feeling a gap). We’ve been doing this practice since we got married. I cannot even remember why we started it, but it has stuck with us.

In the early years, we would go on late night walks with our yellow lab Charlotte and as she wandered the neighborhood and nearby university campus, we would hold hands and share our highs and lows.

More recently, since Leo joined our family, we squeeze in our highs and lows over dinner, while we are tag teaming sprinkling Leo’s high chair tray with bites of chicken and spooning mashed sweet potato into his little mouth. In between bites, we are able to slow down and reflect of what moments deeply impacted our days.

I even invite (okay, sometimes force) our dear friends into this ritual. We will be sitting around the table, eating and drinking and managing toddlers, but we all lean in enough to thoughtfully and honestly share the highs and lows. It gives us a window into the best and worst of each other’s day, and it makes me feel like we are ‘in it together’ a little more.

I treasure this practice. It seems a little silly or overly intentional sometimes, but it is a rhythm I am unwilling to let go of. It is so easy for the days to turn into weeks and weeks quickly turn into months and so on. I am all too guilty of saying, ‘sorry, the day just got away from me …’ So having this quirky little practice of sharing my highs and lows and hearing from others makes me feel like I am taking the reigns on my life, rather than letting time run away from me.

When we pause, and reflect, and share something significant happens: we acknowledge what made us feel like we were living, breathing, moving people. We cannot get away with the oh so simple, “how was your day? … oh, it was good”, because highs and lows demand a level of intention, thought and honesty. I love anything that pushes us to this place.

So, although this week got away from me … I am sharing the practice of highs and lows with all of you in attempt to recalibrate myself and get back to my rhythm. Let’s drink life to the last drop and not miss a moment. It is too easy to let the grind of daily routine get the best of you. But this life is so beautiful and messy and rich … lets make sure we do our part in acknowledging all the heights and depths that fill our days.

What are your highs and lows this week? Or what do you do to keep yourself engaged in the everyday? I’d love to hear!!

(also, how cute are these photos of Leo at dinner time … he’s a nut!)