I know you are sad, so I won’t tell you to “have a good day”.
Instead I advise you to simply have a day.
Stay alive, feed yourself, wear comfortable clothes and don’t give up on yourself just yet.
It’ll be better soon. Until then, have a day.

Today I went outside at lunch. I very rarely leave the office during the day, which I know is not mentally healthy, but with the best intentions the days go by without leaving.

WE has several buildings that line Queen Street East. It is very normal to see people walking briskly with their white badges around their necks with their WE laptops in their arms. Even if you don’t know someone you smile and say hello because you are part of the same club.

Today I would have been okay to not say hello to anyone. It has been a challenging couple of days. Not any more or less than the past couple of months, but just not in a great head space.

Walking towards me was a work friend. Someone I had gotten to know the past six months because we worked on the same floor of the building. She recently moved to a different work space so we don’t really see each other anymore. She smiled and asked, “how are you?” I am pretty used to saying the normal, “Okay, thank you.” For most people, that is enough and they are somewhat relieved and they can move on. Not today. She looked at me and said, “are you okay?”

She knows what “Okay” really means. She lost her mother a few years ago to a sudden death. I wouldn’t have known this but I shared my story and she shared hers. She told me today that she had to help her brother this week. He had a car accident and totaled his car. His mother’s car. In that moment we were both reaching for our own words to help each other.

Everyone is fighting a battle you know nothing about. Maybe you don’t want or need to care about someone else’s battles because you own yours. There is a saying that if everyone put all their problems in a pile, you would be sure that you would take your own back. I think that is true.

I appreciated that she asked me how I was today, and didn’t leave it at okay. I walked away more at peace with knowing someone cared enough to ask.

She also offered me some book advice that helped both her and her brother. As she started to describe it, I stopped her. I said, let me guess, Option B by Sheryl Sandberg. She said yes, how did you know. I told her it has been recommended to me three times already.  The message is clear, this book helps people.

Option B – Facing Adversity, Building Resilience and Finding Joy. I ordered it, and opened it. Too soon. The first time I couldn’t get past page 4. Second time, page 10. She said her brother told her that he was going to read it again this week to help him work through the car accident. Maybe it is time to start it again.

It’ll be better soon. Until then, have a day. 

Live your best life,

Lisa