Fortune Cookie Friday: When All Is Said and Done

Every morning I say a quick prayer of thanks for having the opportunity to live another day. If I had a choice on how to pass away, it would be while sleeping. So each new morning means the Almighty isn’t through with me just yet. I also like to convince myself that every day will be great. “Today is a new day, Angela. You are going to shine.” As much as I need to be my head cheerleader, I shouldn’t get too far ahead of myself.

Every day has an equal chance of turning out good, bad, or a combination of both. In my version of optimistic statistics, it’s 50/50. I know; my math doesn’t add up but hear me out for a moment.

If you are a regular reader of my Fortune Cookie Friday posts, you know that I encourage others to take everything with a grain of salt, and try to recognize that many of the bad things that happen to us aren’t that bad—or at least better than we initially make them out to be.

When I have a day of conflicting good and bad, I try to learn from it. My combination day will usually sway towards the good, hence the 50/50. Even the bad days give me a little good sometimes. Using my optimistic statistics, I could say that every day is a good day, but we need to experience pain in our lives, or we wouldn’t truly appreciate the pleasure.

Crazy math aside, being optimistic is helpful, but we also have to be realistic. It is okay to hope for a good day, but be careful when and how you want to celebrate those wonders of life. When it comes to proclaiming how jovial you are over something, it’s best to wait until the right moment. Judge too soon, and you may regret it.

There are numerous idiom versions of today’s fortune.

• Don’t count chickens before they hatch.
• The die hasn’t been cast (yet).
• One must not be too hasty in one’s rejoicing.
• It ain’t over till the fat lady sings.
• Don’t sell your ox till you’ve found a horse.
• Don’t jinx it.
• Keep the champagne on ice.

A lot can happen before the day is done. The last thing we want to do is have our jubilation cut short by unexpected woe. When we do well on a test or task, a little self-congratulation can be beneficial. It can help us continue in good spirit. But we must be careful because relishing in those moments too much is like holding a shiny red balloon. The string can slip through your fingers before you realize it, and you are left empty-handed watching your treasure float away.

We may be eager to show our gratitude for a good moment, but it is also polite to hold off immense merriment. Not everyone around us may be having as good of a day. It is certainly better sportsmanship. No one likes a sore winner. It is best to wait for the clock to run out before you pour the water on the coach.

Our this-is-the-best-day-ever-attitude needs to come when we rest our heads on the pillow at night. This waiting gives us time to thoroughly review and assess the whole day, the good and bad. Since we aren’t distracted by the next thing happening in our day, we can fully appreciate the good that blessed us. Recapping those precious moments in the day right before bed can also help us relax into a comfortable sleep.

Once we’ve relived the revelry of our fabulous moments, and taken the time to learn from the not-so-grand ones, we can close our eyes, take a deep breath, and give thanks for another successful, satisfying day.