Of all the skills my parents taught me, the one that tops my list of things-I-want-to-pass-on-to-my-boys is how to keep going, even when you don’t want to. I think about those early days after their dad left, when I’d drop them off at school and choke out the words, “Have a good day.” It sounded so hollow (and felt impossible), so one day I stopped qualifying what kind of day to have and started saying “Have a day,” instead. It seemed gentler and more genuine, and a thousand times more doable.

“Have a day” has become my mantra in lots of ways. When days are hard, it’s a grace-filled way of telling myself “good job for just getting through it!” When things feel uncertain, it’s a reminder to let my day unfold and wait to see what kind of day I will have. When I don’t feel like doing anything, it gives me permission to remove “should” or “must” from any self-talk. No matter what happens, a day will be had and there’s a sense of accomplishment to be found in that.

Lately, I’ve been trying to apply this same approach to my arts/crafts, removing the restrictions or requirements I typically place on myself and letting the only goal be that I make/do something. Below are pics of some watercolors I painted, with my have-a-day-mentality in mind. Just little 4 x 6 pieces of watercolor paper. Maybe I’ll turn them into notecards. Maybe I’ll hang them on my fridge. Or maybe I’ll just keep them on my desk as a reminder to have a day.