Kayaking on the Rappahannock River yesterday seemed like a fantastic weekend activity. Kayaking on a low-water river with little current, no wind, and a heat index of 115 degrees for three hours however wasn’t exactly what I expected. It was fantastically uncomfortable for a girl who dropped out of the Girl Scouts after one year and who much prefers shopping to camping.
An hour into our adventure, I was bored, hot, thirsty and ready to be done. The next two hours were a cranky mix of physical exertion (thanks to fast paddling) and coasting (thanks to sporadic stretches of the river that were rock-free); it was wonderful and terrible all at the same time.
I pride myself on my good moods, my seemingly endless supply of energy, and my relentless positivity, but, with the right equation, I turn cranky. We all do. Add a two hour workout, plus three hours of kayaking, plus 115 degree weather, and subtract proper nutrition, hydration, caffeine and sleep, and well, I transform. I hate myself cranky, but what yesterday proved to me was that part of being cranky is part of life. Just like over-tired children, we all sometimes need to re-boot, take a nap, and give ourselves a break. We are human after all.
So, HAKUNA MATATA to you in the light of all of your moods and all of your days, be them up or down. You will have a bad day, so hakuna matata. You will be over-tired and cranky, so hakuna matata. You will worry about your future to no avail, stop thinking and start hakuna matata-ing.
Hakuna mata. Forgive yourself for the times when you wish you had been different and realize that we all need more hakuna matata in our lives. Also, realize that a day is just a day, and tomorrow you will be given a brand new one. As for me, today I will fill my day with all the things I love: wine festivals and shopping.