Take a breath.

I'm an English major, with an emphasis in Literary Studies. 

Which basically means that for 80% of my classes, I read a book, and then either write an essay about how I felt about said book or talk about it in class. 

I get to read, write, and talk for my homework. 

It's wonderful. 

But even with all the new material I get to read, nothing makes me happier than being able to sit down on the couch in my pajamas, and read my favorite book on the planet: Alexandre Dumas' The Count of Monte Cristo.

I read this book as a sophomore in high school, and have read it repeatedly since--and I mean the full, unabridged version. I'm that girl. 

I fall more and more in love with the Count every time. 

I want to be Mercedes, and I want a love like her and Edmond's. 

And I cry every single time I get to this letter. 

Sometimes I feel like my life is a constant battle between two extremes--much like Edmond mentions here. 

Attitude changes everything. 

We're all going to have bad days. But rather than throwing a tantrum (my usual method of coping), look at it this way. You're having a bad day, yes. But how lucky are we to know that it's bad, because we have something equally as good to compare it to. 

You're going to be lonely sometimes, it happens. But think about all the friends you've spent time with that you're missing in that moment. 

Some days, you're going to be so busy you don't have a single minute to yourself. In the seconds between running out the door and starting your car, consider yourself lucky to be active, and look forward to the breathing time you'll get eventually. 

Life sucks sometimes, it really does. You get pushed around, kicked while you're down, and don't seem to have time to recover. But you wouldn't know how bad that felt unless you'd experienced the other end of the spectrum: the moments you laughed until you cried, that time you watched the sunset with your best friends, or that ice cream cone that just made your week. 

Life is all about balance; weighing the good against the bad, and vice versa. 

This morning, I was scheduled to work at 5:30 a.m. If that wasn't bad enough, I slept through my alarms, and woke up to a call from one of my coworkers asking if I was coming. 

I got to work completely flustered, and feeling like I was never going to catch up--and it wasn't even 6 a.m!

Then they informed us that a tour bus of 45 people was coming in--in the middle of the lunch rush. They needed me to stay until 1:30 or so...and I had a speech to give at 2:30. 

I got home from work at 1:45, submitted my less-than-stellar outline in record time, and sped up to my class as fast as possible.

I gave my speech, and came home, relieved that I'd survived that part of my day. 

This morning was crazy, and I could barely stand on my own two feet by this afternoon. 

But then I got to watch the KD's play football in the rain, worked on a fashion design project with miss Hayley (while we watched High School Musical), and then got to relax and watch part of Hercules with one of my best friends. 

By the time I got into bed a little while ago, the good things had almost completely overshadowed the longer parts of my day, and everything was OK again.

Balance, people. It's important. 

Next time you're running around like a chicken with it's head cut off, you can't seem to catch a break, or when you want to move to a cave in Siberia...remember how lucky you are to be as happy as you were. Not many people get to experience such a wide range of emotions. 

And like the Count said, Wait, and hope.

The bad days won't last forever--and the good days will make everything worth it.