To say I was suffering with depression might be a bit strong…
I’d rather call it an extended period of coming to terms with a number of rubbish life events. On the whole, I’ve been feeling a bit controlled by the emotions caused by said events and have been wrestling to find the best way out. So, when I laid in bed last night I made a decision – that today was going to be the best day ever.
I was awoken on the best day ever by the sound of my eldest child informing me that he’d done a poo and his bottom required some wiping. He was actually calling for his mum, but seemed equally pleased to see me as I dutifully obliged. As I was performing my parenting duties, I informed my son that today was going to be ‘the best day ever’ and he seemed equally confused and pleased at the situation. Although poo-wiping may not seem like an ideal start to the best day ever, I chose to decide that any connection to my son was a privilege and that poo was not going to stand in the way of making this a day to remember.
We promised the boys a trip to a castle over half-term and, as this was going to be the best day ever, today seemed like the right day to embark on the adventure. With the whole family loaded up we headed off to Kenilworth Castle, and as it was the best day ever, we stopped for a drive-thru… I even got an extra burger (I know… wild).
The frustration of not having the right change for the car park soon melted away when we walked into view of the castle. The boys ran and climbed and asked questions and did not stop for the next three hours. We laughed, climbed mounds, pretended to be knights and drank tea. So impressed were we by the whole experience that we decided to join English Heritage which seemed like an incredibly grown-up and sensible thing to do but also the right thing to do on the best day ever.
At any hint of frustration from me, my wife reminded me that this was actually ‘the best day ever’. For the most part it did not make me question my enthusiasm for labelling the day but it sobered my judgement and brought me back to the present, pulling me away from a road of negative emotion.
I’d avoided the football scores all day, not wanting Watford’s (mis)fortunes to dampen the best day ever. But, much to my delight, even my team were buying into the ethos of the day with another win!
The best day ever had circumstance stacked against it when it began with me wiping poo off a bum that was not my own. But, it ended with me reflecting on a day where I forced my emotions to line up with my true circumstances: that I had a great day with my great family, laughing a lot and drinking tea and enjoying each other’s company. And the best thing of all is that I can choose – minus the castles and the Watford victories – for tomorrow to be even better.
