A perfect day

Hmmm, there are so many of them.

A spring day in Paris, sunny, warm enough to wear a sweater, my favorite walking shoes, and a companion who loves the city (and the art) as much as I do. Then a late lunch at a small cafe, wine and jambon sandwiches, then an afternoon nap. Then a walk along the Seine, a terrific dinner (mussels, maybe) and another walk back to the hotel.

Or a day like today. I started the day with a walk, then a little shopping, then breakfast by myself, then back home for a little work. This afternoon I'm off to the hairdresser (who's a great friend of mine) for cut and color, then meeting friends for dinner and a movie. Wine included, of course.

Or there's the day when the work is going perfectly, when everything I write feels fresh and clean and perfect. I love those days. And I can look out the window and see this view while I'm writing:

Or the days when I need a mini-vacation and I take the bus from Vancouver to the Victoria ferry and spend the hours on the ferry looking out at the water and if I'm lucky, I see a dolphin or a whale, but always see the ocean moving past, the islands, the boats. And then I spend the day in Victoria, gallery hopping, listening to buskers, going to museums, walking, walking, walking, having lunch and dinner wherever I want, and then I take the bus to the last ferry home. Coming back across the water in the dark and arriving home just in time for bed, feeling like I've been away for a week, rested, refreshed, energized.

Or the day when it's warm, but there's that soft rain, so soft you don't feel yourself getting wet. And I go for a long walk on the beach - and there's almost no one there. And the sky and the ocean merge into one and the mountains look like mist on the horizon. And the ocean is perfectly still and the only sounds are the seagulls mewing off in the distant. And the whole world smells like water.

And then there are those days - which don't happen as often as the others - when you meet a new friend and it's perfect from the moment you meet each other. You talk and laugh and learn about each other and everything you learn, everything you say, every time your eyes meet or your laughter drowns out the noises around you, you realize you've met someone that you'll know forever. And you'll always remember that first meeting. I have friends like that, male friends and female friends, and that first click of connection is like a miracle.

Or the day when I find a new writer and a book that I love and I spend the whole day with that book and that story and those characters. Those are some of my very favorite days.

And the day when you make your first sale (or your tenth!) - those are pretty good days as well.

But for me, the perfect days are the days that I can control. The days on the beach, meeting new friends, good working days - I can count on those days. I can plan for those days.

Perfect days for me happen often - it's an attitude more than anything, I think, at least it is for me. I wake up 99 days out of 100 knowing I'm going to have a good day. And I do. Because you know what? People respond when you smile at them, when you chat with them, and that reinforces the good day. Hard to have a bad day when people smile at you and chat with you and are nice to you.

Here's wishing you a perfect day.

Kate