Choosing Contentment

My coffee pot broke this morning. It was a very unfortunate thing, and I don't really know what happened, but it broke. That's probably not an entirely interesting factoid for you, but if you're a morning coffee-drinker...a MUST-drink-coffee-in-the-morning type of person, then you understand.

After numerous, feeble attempts to "fix" the pot, I opted to jump in the shower, throw a dress on, and head to Starbucks. It was still only about 7:30am, so there was plenty of time to get to Starbucks, grab a cup o' joe for my roommate and I, then head home to finish getting ready for the workday and week ahead. 

Don't worry, I haven't exactly been productive this morning, but the fact that I am here writing after rummaging through the blog-world is worthy of what I would consider a "productive" morning. 

There is this other thing that's been on my mind lately too. Contentment. My 2011 New Year's Resolution, along with watching more news...*fail*...was to work on being content with the life I have. That means choosing joy when it's easier to b&m (bit*h & moan) about my life. That means embracing each day, not fearing or dwelling on the future. All easier said than done of course, but such is life. 

Looking at a whole year, trying to be content about ALL of it, is a daunting task. But that's exactly why I am choosing to NOT fear or dwell on the future. I'm working at taking baby steps to embrace today and enjoy it for what it is, or at the least to work through it. I can't promise I do it well. For some strange reason (to me anyways), I've faced a lot more anxiety this year than I have in the past few. It's like I'm being faced with practice opportunities to choose joy and learn what it feels like to be content. I truly believe to "be" content you much first choose it. It's kind of like love (I think). Sometimes it's easy to embrace and you don't even have to think about it, but there will be many times when love is a choice. 

For me, right now, contentment is a choice. My hope and prayer is that at some point it becomes easier and will come more naturally--to be honest I think it is s-l-o-w-l-y becoming just a little bit easier. 

For example (and this is a totally random example) but yesterday I went to a local farn to pick out pumpkins to be carved later this month. It's a large farm for a non-rural area, so it's definitely a hot spot for families each season (watermelon in the summer, pumpkins in the fall, Christmas trees in December, etc.). They have an area for seasonal games and activities, homemade baked goods, u-pick fresh vegetables, and plenty more. Many schools in the area take an annual field trip here in the fall for vegetable picking. 

So there I was,  a 24 year old, single girl, there with 3 friends and 1 boyfriend (not my own), picking out pumpkins for carving. We were surrounded by kids and babies and families. We were 5 young adults, with no kids, but doing something that sounded fun to us. As the 4 of us girls posed for a picture with our pumpkins, I could help but think, and say, "just think, one day there will be kids in front of us as we take this picture." I wasn't trying to be dramatic or *hopeful* for the future, just pointing out the irony of the situation. We should probably have kids here with us to be doing this. 

But the thing is, none of us really cared. Even as single, young adults, we were foregoing what we do not have (families) and embracing the day, embracing autumn and all it has to offer despite the 80 degree SoCal weather (typical). We chose to have fun doing something together to celebrate the season, even if we "should have" been doing something a little more age and life-stage appropriate. 

I have a feeling there will be many more moments like this in the coming months. Autumn is the best season after all. I'll be sure to keep you posted on our very single holiday celebrations :) 

All this to say, I could have woken up to a broken coffee pot and allowed myself to be annoyed. I could have been frustrated that I paid $3.00 for a cup of coffee when an entire pound of coffee costs only twice the price. I could have let that irk my day. I could have b&m that I will now be purchasing our annual coffee pot for at least $30. I can't promise I will always choose joy (naturally or easily) and choose to embrace the day or the life I have been given. But today I choose joy. I will pick pumpkins. I will drink expensive coffee on occasion. I will celebrate the life I've been given and do my best to be thankful for all of it.