Don’t you love it when things just click? You know – those days where everything just falls into place. I got one today. You may think that’s no big deal, but when you’ve been at the bottom of life’s emotional totem pole, holding your broken heart (and life) together as best you can, you get to a point where the days that click stand out like bright stars in a velvety black sky.

I got to have coffee with the man I love this morning. Again, maybe no big deal for some, but for me, it’s a simple pleasure that only happens a few times a week. We don’t yet live together, so any day we get to wake up and start our day in each other’s company is extra-special. I’ve been fighting a cold but having coffee next to him on the couch even helped that. It was a wonderful way to start my day.

I’m currently substitute teaching, and as you can imagine, it can be hit or miss with the kinds of classes you sub in. I’m fortunate to be working in a great district where the schools are amazing, and the kids are cooperative and respectful. But let me tell you something:  the school I subbed at today was a teacher’s dream come true. The students couldn’t have been more engaging and fun. We had an issue with an electronic assignment that they were able trouble-shoot and solve cooperatively and without drama or freak-outs. For a middle school on a Friday, it was a very welcome surprise.

Another surprise came in the form of a package on my porch when I got home. A friend of mine made me a beautiful plaque that says, “Thankful for family and pie” and mailed it to me. It is known to my friends that I do, indeed, love both my family AND pie, and this plaque is a lovely addition to my kitchen counter. I so appreciate the fact that this friend, whom I rarely get to see (sadly), saw that saying and thought of me and took the time to make me a gift. It just added a little more sparkle to my day.

And finally, the sun is shining, and it’s about 76 degrees out, which is perfect weather as far as I’m concerned. We’re about to gear up for our nine months of rain out here in the Pacific Northwest, so autumn days filled with sunshine are gifts we don’t squander. I’m sitting with my windows open as I type, and the park across the street is filled with the shouts and laughter of children and adults alike. No one ignores these bright afternoons.

It’s easy to get caught up in whatever crap might be going on in our lives and the world. It’s easy to complain, and whine, and vent. But when you get a day that just clicks? It’s kinda nice to put that at the TOP of your emotional totem pole and admire it for a while.