When In Doubt, Carpe Diem It Out

“What’s that?

A hat

Crazy, funky, junky hat

Overslept, hair unsightly

Yeah, trying to look like Keira Knightley

We’ve been there

We’ve done that

We see right through your funky hat.”

If you didn’t grow up in the early 2000s Disney Channel era like I did, you might be a wee bit confused about that reference. If that’s the case, let me set the scene for you. This iconic song is set in one of the beloved Disney Channel shows of the early 2000s: “Wizards of Waverly Place” and is sung by best friends Alex and Harper. Alex and Harper are quirky high school girls who connect easily with each other and notice the small things like when other students wear silly hats to school. Sometimes, they even write goofy songs about the people they encounter — hence the silly song above. If you would like to see them sing their original song, you can find it here.

Alex and Harper, two fun-loving, spirited girls demonstrate a key skill in connecting with others in the most ordinary ways. All day long we walk through a plethora of connection points—the parking lot, the train, the line for the bathroom—but even just noticing others with us in these connection points, no matter how brief, reminds us that this journey is anything but solitary.

Another woman who is very good at turning small minuscule moments into a story worth telling is Joanna Gaines. Her most recent magazine, “Celebrating What Brings Us Together”, engages in a similar topic. Gaines is a woman running a business, family, restaurant, and now, most recently, a hotel (crazy, right? You have to see how charming it is!) She is someone who has every excuse in the book to be everywhere BUT the present. She’s trying to keep track of many things at a time so her internal dialogue likely looks something like this: Did I feed the dogs this morning? Maybe Chip did? I can’t remember. What else do I need while I’m at Target? Tape? How did I end up by the Ben and Jerry’s? Well, I’m already here. Did we pass the inspection for the new hotel? I can’t wait until the grand opening. And on and on.

And yet Gaines is so good about being there. And where is there you might ask? At those very connection points I was referencing earlier. She makes it a point to be present to wherever the conversation and connection may lead. She truly knows how to carpe diem– seize the day– or may I say the space between. Nearly every day, we have the chance to connect with someone we don’t yet know, to join one another on this shared journey. 

And how cool is that?

Pretty cool, if I do say so myself.

She writes, “Reminding us that underneath the paths we are moving along is a root system of connectedness that overlaps and crisscrosses and holds us all so wonderfully together. And acknowledging these roots of connectedness is one of the easiest additions to our day. It is so free and ripe for reaching that our sidewalks and airports and grocery store aisles could burst with them; all those connection points found. So today, let’s keep our eyes up. Let’s find each other on this shared journey.” 

It is in seasons like this that we are able to rediscover our worth. Seasons of unlearning and relearning. Seasons of slowing down and taking time to connect. Connect with ourselves and connect with those around us. We must take the time to remember that our worth is not connected to our accomplishments. It is learning that in these busy seasons, we learn to laugh, listen, and lean in. It is celebrating the gift of life: and those shared experiences that deepen our understanding of ourselves and one another. When we don’t stop to connect in those small, seemingly minuscule moments, we miss opportunities to find our worth and validate the worthiness of those around us.

One of my other favorite early 2000s icons, Hilary Duff, teaches us that we are not only worthy of connection, but that we should continue to seek out, despite the fear of failing to connect. It is actually somewhat cliché, I’m not going to lie. But, let me tell you, once you can get past the cliché of it all, there is real added value from this. In “A Cinderella Story”, Duff plays Sam, a waitress at her father’s diner that was taken over by her mean stepmother after her dad passed away. When her stepmother remodeled the diner, they hung new wallpaper all over the restaurant. However, at the climax of the movie, the wallpaper slowly tears off, and a quote is revealed: “Never let the fear of striking out keep you from playing the game.” As I translate this, it means: Don’t let the fear of striking out keep you from connecting with those around you. 

These minuscule moments and interactions are where we find not only our worthiness, but also reinforce other’s worthiness. In the space between, we are able to find the richness of togetherness. We are reminded when we come together that we feel more alive, and find the light of our hearts, when the space between us is filled. So next time you see someone wearing a “crazy, funky junky hat,” be sure to carpe diem!