It's cold and rainy outside. It's kind of hard not to feel miserable since I have to be on campus for much of the day. However, as I was walking along, the words, "Cheer up love, it's a beautiful day" popped into my head and I couldn't help but smile.
Whatever you might be thinking, this was not God's voice in my head. It was a black man walking along the London streets in June 2006.
My friend Monica and I had ridden on a bus going from Edinburgh to Scotland the entire night before, and we were completely exhausted. There were no armrests on the bus, so I had a hard time staying in my seat as I would drift off, right myself back up again so I wouldn't fall into the aisle, drift off, straighten up...you get the picture.
I guess my sheer exhaustion and grumpiness was showing on my face all too well, because this random stranger passed Monica and I, directing the "Cheer up love, it's a beautiful day" to me.
It's kind of weird that this has stuck out in my mind. After all the things that happened to me when I was studying abroad, that is one that I really remember. I guess it's pretty helpful on days like this when maybe I'm tired, or it's not such a beautiful day outside.
I can make it beautiful.
4 comments:
Aww, I like that. And eff... I wanna go toy Europe sooo badly. I'm jealous.
As Rach knows, I try to mimic the phrase in as bad of a British accent as I can muster in order to get a laugh outta her. But in all seriousness I think it's cool when when we all try to help our brothers and sisters out by offering a kind word or encouraging phrase. If a Brit can do it, we got no excuse! :)
thats totally like a "pay it forward" moment. You smile at someone, they smile at the next someone, that person smiles at someone, and the world is a better place.
Thats a great story. I also like the picture you posted with it. You should put that phrase on a plaque in your home. don't you wish you could find that man and tell him that story? What a great example of how a simple act of kindness can be so far reaching.....I'm getting emotional now...
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