Today was one of those days when everything seemed to work out in little ways. Nothing extraordinary happened if you were looking at it from the outside. I didn’t receive a life-changing phone call, win anything, or suddenly have all my problems disappear. It was just a day filled with small, unexpected conveniences, little surprises, and moments that made me feel unusually lucky.
And I noticed every single one of them.
It started with seeing repetitive numbers. You know those numbers that seem to follow you around, appearing on clocks, screens, receipts, or somewhere you weren’t particularly looking? I saw a few today, and although I cannot tell you what they mean or whether they were supposed to mean anything, I enjoyed seeing them. I have always found those little coincidences interesting. Sometimes I smile, acknowledge them, and carry on with whatever I was doing. Today, they felt like a lovely way to start the day.
Then there was the extra seat.
I was going for a picnic with Adriel, and somehow I got an extra seat for him without having to pay for it. Now, if you are a parent, you understand why this is worth mentioning. It might seem like a small thing to someone else, but when you are planning an outing with a child, every little expense counts. You have transport, food, entrance fees, and all the other things that come with making sure the two of you have a good time. So getting that extra seat without paying for it felt like a small win.
And I was happy about it.
Not because I had suddenly saved a fortune, but because it was one of those moments when something worked out in my favour without me having to struggle for it. Adriel got to come along comfortably, and I didn’t have to spend extra money on that particular part of the day. Sometimes that is all a good surprise needs to be.
We got to enjoy our picnic, and I had one of those moments where I was reminded that life doesn’t always have to be about working towards the next thing. There is something refreshing about getting out, changing your surroundings, enjoying the day, and allowing yourself to be present. No urgent production deadline, no customer inquiry that needs an immediate response, no calculating what needs to be paid next. Just being somewhere different and enjoying the experience.
I think I needed that more than I realised.
Then came the journey home.
The matatu passed the exit where I would normally have to alight, but instead of leaving me with a longer walk or another inconvenience, I ended up being dropped much closer to home. It was such a simple thing, but I remember thinking, well, that worked out nicely.
It is funny how much happiness can come from not having to do something extra. Not having to walk as far. Not having to spend another fare. Not having to figure out another arrangement. Sometimes a good day is simply a day when life doesn’t give you unnecessary work.
But the highlight of the day was something I had not experienced before.
I finally got to enjoy an octopus ride.
I know. It sounds like such a small thing to get excited about, especially as an adult, but I was genuinely happy. I never got to experience one when I was little. It was one of those childhood experiences that passed me by, and perhaps I had never given it much thought until today.
But today I got on that ride, and I enjoyed myself.
I wasn’t thinking about whether I looked silly, whether I was too old, or whether there were more important things I should have been doing with my time. I was simply having fun. The kind of uncomplicated fun that doesn’t require an explanation or a practical benefit. I got to experience something I had missed when I was younger, and I found myself thinking about how lovely it is that I could still do that.
There was a little part of me that felt like she had finally been included.
I don’t want to make every childhood experience I missed into a wound that needs healing. Some things simply didn’t happen. That was the reality of growing up, and I cannot go back and rearrange every moment. But I can appreciate that I am now an adult who can create some of those experiences for herself. I can decide to try the ride. I can buy the ticket. I can go somewhere new. I can allow myself to enjoy something just because it looks fun.
I don’t have to wait for childhood to come back to experience a little of the joy I associate with it.
And perhaps that is what made the day feel so special. It wasn’t only about the numbers or the free seat or the convenient matatu stop. It was also about having an experience I had never had before, and realising that there are still so many firsts available to me.
I sometimes think adulthood makes us very serious. There is always something to organise, something to pay for, something to improve, something to plan, and something we are supposed to be working towards. Even when we go out, we can find ourselves thinking about what needs to happen when we get back. We take pictures, check messages, calculate expenses, and sometimes forget to actually enjoy the place we went to.
Today reminded me that I want more days where I am not simply moving through experiences but actually participating in them.
I want to go on rides I have never tried. I want to visit places I have only seen in pictures. I want to take Adriel on little adventures and let him have experiences that become part of his childhood memories. I want to laugh at things that aren’t particularly funny, eat something interesting, discover new places, and occasionally do something completely unnecessary simply because it makes me happy.
I want to give myself permission to enjoy life while I am still building it.
And I want to notice the small things along the way.
I think we sometimes reserve gratitude for the big things. We wait until the money arrives, the business makes a breakthrough, the house is furnished, the important goal is achieved, or the long-awaited opportunity finally comes through. We tell ourselves that when those things happen, then we will have a reason to celebrate.
But today, I had several reasons to smile without any of those things happening.
I saw numbers that made me smile. I got an extra seat for my son without paying for it. Our journey home turned out more conveniently than expected. I went on an octopus ride for the first time in my life. And by the time the day was over, I had a collection of little moments that I wouldn’t have wanted to exchange for anything.
Maybe I am learning that a good life isn’t only made up of the big things we are working towards. It is also made up of these ordinary days that turn out better than expected. The days when the transport works out, when someone makes room for your child, when you discover something new, when you laugh without checking the time, and when you get home with a happy heart.
I still want the bigger things. I still have plans, ambitions, and a long list of experiences I want to afford. I haven’t suddenly stopped wanting more from life. But I don’t want to become so preoccupied with the life I am trying to create that I overlook the one I am already living.
Today was not a breakthrough. It was not a grand manifestation or a dramatic change in circumstances.
It was simply a day when several things went right.
And somewhere between the repetitive numbers, Adriel’s extra seat, the convenient journey home, and that octopus ride, I was reminded that there is still so much joy waiting for me in places I haven’t thought to look.
I went out for a picnic and came home with something I didn’t plan for: a lovely memory, a happy child, and a little piece of childhood that finally got its turn.
