I’ve been in a funk lately.  I have been tired and sleeping a lot.  I’ve been grumpy more often than not.  I don’t want to hike or be outside, much less blog about the outdoors.  The couch has a permanent indentation from my ass, as I’ve sulked away the hours.  Let’s be real here…  I’ve been letting the stress of moving to a new home and the pressures of a new job get to me this last month.  I’ve been frustrated.  I’ve been down in the dumps.

It’s times like these when good friends are a necessity.  I daresay I need friends like I need air, or chocolate.  Friends can provide you with perspective when life gets challenging.  I called an old friend yesterday, just to say, “Hi.”  As happens with good friends, we just start gabbing away about life, families, friends and work.  When I got onto the topic of how much my life sucked right now and I started grumping, she stopped me and said something that really hit home:

“Here’s the thing… Every day is a GIFT.”

…

I was speechless.  She was right.  In Every. Single. Way.  She rocked my world with those five little words:  Every day IS a gift.  I can choose to bitch and moan about how tough things are.  I can wallow in my frustration and anxieties.  I can be insecure and feel like I’m not good enough.  I can be grumpy about all of the things going wrong.

Or…

I can be grateful.  Every day.

I can be grateful for so many things in my life.  There’s this amazing, kick-ass new place that I find myself in.  I am living in the mountains of Colorado in a beautiful house.  There are 5 major ski resorts within 30 minutes of my house.  Elk, deer and bear are all over the place here.  Snow is in the forecast.  I can SKI.  I am married to a handsome, intelligent and hilarious man who is the perfect adventure-buddy and partner.  The best dog on the planet loves me unconditionally.  My new co-workers are all  awesome people.  I have a great job, that allows me to talk to happy people who are on vacation every day.  I get to geek out about skis and gear with these happy people.   I get to help people have a good time and try something new.  So what, if I don’t know everything yet?  I’m gonna screw stuff up.  A lot.  That’s just a fact.  It’s ok, because that just helps me to learn even faster.

I should be so grateful for this life that I am living.  So many people in this world would love to have the opportunities that I have and be in the place that I am.  No more wallowing away, feeling sorry for myself.  No more being grumpy.  That glass is half full.  Even if I have to search for it, there’s always a silver lining when things are tough.  I should be grateful, and I AM grateful for each and every day.  Sometimes, I just need a kick in the pants to remind me.

That’s what friends are for.  So thank you Robin, for reminding me that every day is a gift.