02 November 2024
What makes you smile when you’re having a bad day?
This is the question of the current LOH209 contest. Since returning from my work abroad, I have admitted to experiencing days of exhaustion and stress when I should have been resting and unwinding. It's quite stressful for me, accustomed to earning a decent monthly salary, to now rely solely on my online side hustles for income. It's more distressing when your savings are slowly draining and not growing. There were days when I regretted leaving my work abroad to become unemployed, and I considered returning to free myself from worries and responsibilities. However, even if I escape, reality is always there to chase me. Wherever I go, there will always be burdens on my shoulders. That's the fact!
These factors typically contribute to my bad days. Another factor was when a client ghosted me, which left me uncertain about the terms of my contract. Working online has a lot of uncertainties. The uncertainty of having no regular clients means unstable income. I'm not used to it. I know these are just challenges I face in my new work setting. I understand these challenges are only temporary, as I have another desired job. But what if I find myself stuck here forever? I always consider making plans A & B because each time I wanted to leave my place, something unexpected happened that put my plans on hold. Life has consistently treated me unfairly since then. That's always what I thought each time I was down. It seems as if the blue sky fades to gray... the magic is lost..., echoing a line from the song "Bad Day".
Returning to the question, What makes you smile when you’re having a bad day?
Back when I was abroad, I would step out to hit the road, stroll down the city, visit a favorite cafe, and do things that could make me smile and happy. Sometimes, I would leave the road and take the trail, immerse myself in nature, go hiking, and unwind on the summit. The breathtaking views of nature always pacify and recharge me.
Although I sometimes want to leave my place to escape from things that make me feel bad, I can't deny that there are things that make me stay; there are people who make me smile when I am having a bad day. A person who always puts an upward curve on my lips regardless of the situation is my niece, Breiana, whom I always see daily and who makes me smile effortlessly. This may sound like favoritism and bias toward my other niblings, but she's the only niece I can see daily since she lives with us.
She's my happy pill, my pacifier. She makes me smile and laugh but never makes me mad or cry. Even when she does annoying things, she always does things that would make you smile. She's a total entertainer.
Whether he wakes up in a good or bad mood, he always does small things that surprise you in her own pretty little way. The simple sight of her groggy hair and dried drool around her mouth upon waking up is enough to make me smile or laugh.
A little refreshment can eventually lift her enthusiastic spirit even when she's not feeling well and in a bad mood. She never fails to make you smile throughout the day. Her naughtiness is even funny.
She enjoys scribbling and drawing with me, even when we don't have a specific plan, and it becomes a beautiful way for us to bond.
She enjoys staying up late at night and sleeping longer during the day, and so do we. When she saw me too focused on my work, she often sat beside me and did random stuff, such as working on my keyboards or watching videos, making my job a little behind my desired schedule. She likes taking over my seat and working table.
She would do random things out of curiosity and a young child's mind, unaware that her actions would make people laugh. Her mom and I are compelled to stay up late to play with her, a preference I have over letting her watch videos all the time.
Sometimes, she would scribble or paint on the wall or furniture. Occasionally, she would paint my body using her mom's lipstick or put lipstick on anyone's lips. She even understands how to use a makeup kit, seeing her mother using one.
She repeated the act on herself last Halloween, put lipstick on her lips and face, and pretended to be a witch with her witchy laugh.
She loves singing "Always Remember Us This Way by Lady Gaga" which I uploaded here. Watching her sing is entertaining, particularly her facial expressions, as though she's good at singing, albeit imperfect. Sometimes, she would suddenly throw you a "Johny-Johny" question song without notice, leaving you to answer her without a choice, which eventually lifts up your mood.
There isn't a bad day when I'm with her. She made me realize I should just live like a kid and not mind the world around me. Just enjoy life and be happy. So, Breiana makes me smile even on a bad day.
By the way, I created a Facebook account for her if you're interested in following her cute and pretty daily stories. Just hit the link here
Thanks for your time.
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Jane is a Filipina wanderer in a foreign land who finds comfort in nature and freedom in writing. She loves watching raw picturesque landscapes, listening to the symphony of nature, breathing in drops of sunshine, walking through scenic trails and cityscapes, tasting new culinary flavors, capturing pretty little things, venturing into hidden gems, and dancing with the flow of life.
Her new experiences, adventures, challenges, lessons, small successes, and joys are colorful paints that fill up her canvas of life. She hopes to see it beautifully painted while she can.
Join her on her quest for self-discovery and wanderlust. If you like her content, don't hesitate to upvote, drop a comment, reblog, and follow for more wonderful adventures.
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