I wanna know...have you ever seen the rain?

How many times do we go through our day without stopping to consider all the fantastic things going on? Entire hours-days-weeks (!!) go by and I don't remember anything that happened. I woke up. Went to school. Went to the lab. Went to work. Went to bed. Repeated it all over again...but I didn't take time to take joy, and that's what we remember. When all I can remember about the week is the episode of The Office, I know something's wrong. Even though The Office is really, really funny. Example: Monday was an almost-perfect afternoon. We got to test-drive a Mini, go shopping and go to dinner with my sisters, mom and aunt. The Good-new clothes, girl time, pizza, zipping down the freeway... The Bad- Courtney couldn't make it, and they wouldn't just give me the car. Something about "profit" or some such nonsense. Anyway, long story short-it was a fantastic day. So how come when I think about this week, that seems so far away and yesterday's mad dash of fruitlessness seems much clearer?
Today, I saw a small white dog, dressed in a black and red plain jacket, running in mad circles around a tree. But the tree base spread so wide and his legs were so short that he was running on the lower part of the tree, seemingly avoiding gravity. Every so often, he'd stop and leap impossibly high, as if this time, this time, THIS TIME, he'd get high enough to catch the squirrel. I stopped and watched and wished my sisters could see it with me, because I knew it'd make them laugh too.
Today, I drove to a gas station to get a drink. I figured, Hey, I've got time, so I took the longer way around. I twisted through tree-lined streets and tidy houses with my window open and the beautiful fall breeze coming in and it made me relax just a little. I could have gone to the cafeteria to get a drink, but why pass up the opportunity for a drive when the weather's this nice? Also, I would have missed hearing one of my fave Third Eye Blind songs on the radio and a new song that I decided I loved. I would have also missed seeing a fantastic representation of East Des Moines in the form of a short, curly haired white she-mullet. And who'd wanna miss that?
Today, I finished the draft of a paper not due for days. Me, the great procrastinator. Now all I have to do is polish it up, and I can enjoy a Saturday off from work to the fullest without it hanging over my head all weekend. I could think about the fact that I still have to study for a American Literature midterm, or my Spanish test on Monday, but right now, I'm just looking forward to my fantastic Saturday plans.
And I wonder why I'm so content today. Nothing has happened that makes it different from any other Wednesday spent balancing school and work. I got up just as early. I missed breakfast again. I went to all my classes and had to listen to the same stupid student that I always do. I think the reason I'm so happy today is that I've looked up and noticed my world around me, and it's pretty frickin beautiful.
In this season of change and uncertainty, nobody knows what's going to happen next. We can read the polls, we can watch the weather, we can wonder...it's still all up in the air. So if we can't predict the future, why not enjoy today? Go notice something funny, or clever, or beautiful. Give someone a hug, or tell someone you like their necklace. Read something. Watch The Office. Ignore the headlines for just a day. Pull on a hoodie. Take time to take joy, and see what you remember. That's what I'm gonna do.