“How are you today?”
“Can’t complain!”
This glass-half-full response was far from my lips this morning from the moment I woke. Outside the sun shone cheerily through white puffy clouds, which dotted the blue skies above. Inside, it might as well have been gray and gloomy. If there was something to complain about, you could be sure I found it.
After all, I had every right to be less than amicable after being stirred earlier than usual from what had already been a toss-and-turn night by the cries of a hungry baby who also desperately needed a diaper change. An hour or so later, my husband nudged me out of dreamland to ask if I had heard the alarm clock go off. I had not. He meant it to be helpful, since I have insisted I take longer to get me and baby ready and therefore need to be up by a certain time on Sunday mornings. Still, as I flung back the covers, exposed now to the chill of the winter air that had infiltrated our bedroom overnight, I glared at my slumbering husband next to me, cozy and warm beneath the covers.
From then on, I grimaced at my dwindling wardrobe; stacks of clothing that have not fit since I became pregnant and I am losing hope of ever squeezing back into. Still, I managed to throw an outfit together. After my shower, I was as miserable as ever as I attempted to tame my defiantly tangled hair. “If we were able to afford salt for our filter, the water would not be so hard and the brush would glide through the knots!” I muttered and complained to my husband several times.
He had sprung out of bed in a sunnier disposition but I seemed bent on dragging him down with me.
Finally, we stumbled out the door with me still raking the brush through my fine, unruly hair and complaining we had not had time for breakfast. How terrible! I had put water on to boil for coffee, set mugs out and now we were off to church with my verbal grumblings drowning out the growls of my stomach.
Half way to church I glanced at the clock to see we were late for Sunday school. My husband was aware of this but I absolutely would rather miss an event than walk in late. I suppose that is where we differ because we scrambled around the building, dropped off our daughter in the nursery and then sought out our usual class only to find a different teacher at the front of the room and a new label outside the door. I guess we missed the memo… So, I trailed after my husband, knowing we were growing later by the minute, as he peaked into all the classrooms upstairs. We then asked where the class was being held, were pointed in the right direction and landed in our seats quite late.
I was angry at this point. I felt entitled to all the misery I was storing up inside. Then, scripture poured from the mouth of our teacher. My husband lovingly set a cup of orange juice in front of me and set a sprinkled doughnut on a napkin. My heart slowly thawed as I stared at the pink glazed doughnut, unable to yet look up, lest I give my mood away as I was most certain it was written all over my forlorn, borderline loathing face.
By the end of the service, I was dabbing the sides of my mouth for crumbs, letting the humble pie I just swallowed begin to digest.
On the way home, my husband behind the wheel and our sleepy baby in the backseat, I began to ponder how many times I had been asked “How are you?” in polite exchange that morning. Each time I would smile and automatically proclaim “Good” or “Well” if I remembered to be grammatically correct. Then I thought of the other responses people often give to this question turned in-passing-greeting. “Can’t complain!” came to mind. Though my outlook had had realignment, I thought to myself that one can always find something to complain about. So, perhaps the better answer would be “Won’t complain!” or “Blessed!”
I strive to keep to this way of thinking in the coming week; make a choice not to complain. Oh, I am sure there will be plenty I feel entitled to stew about but if I want a happier life, I need to start by being happy with the life God has given me. When it comes down to it, I am blessed, each and every day.
So…how are you today?
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