How Was Your Day?

When I was in seventh grade, I used to come home from school and tell my mom all about my day. All of it. From first period to carpooling home.

And I was always worried it annoyed her, but every day when I walked through the front door, she would smile and ask, "How was your day?" and I'd open my mouth and it would all come spilling out: How my friend forgot what "sarcastic" meant. How my French teacher was unfair to me. How easy the math test was.

She doesn't do that anymore. Mostly because she decided to get a job and now comes home tired at 5, while I'm busy doing homework. And I've been getting more and more closed off and quiet lately, which isn't exactly an invitation, I guess.

But I kind of miss when she used to ask me, and I used to tell her, every afternoon.

Until now, I never really took the time to appreciate that my mom asked me that question. It seemed like just another routine, I guess. But that simple question showed that she cared, that she was genuinely interested in every part of my life. (Not in a creepy way.) Asking me if anything interesting had happened, especially when she knew how eager I was to tell her, was so sweet!

I've become friends with people who love to talk. Whenever we meet, there's always something to discuss. (And the best part is, it's not gossip or drama! It's fun topics like our favorite songs or whose cousins are the most annoying or which fruits we are. Yes, fruits. I'm an apple, apparently.)

But what's even better is, we're great at talking, but we're also good listeners. We tease each other and we're downright mean at times, but anytime one of us needs to vent, we're all there. No matter what. We'll listen to each other and never leave anyone out, because we're earnest to hear about each other's lives. So at the end of the day we'll text each other: "How was your day?" or "What's up?" or sometimes just a simple "Hey!"

I think "How was your day?" really is a gentle way to get people to open up to you. For some it comes naturally: ask them and they'll give you a six-paragraph essay. For others, you'll get a bored "Fine" or a shy "Good" as an answer. But keep asking, be interested, and you may find yourself with a new friend in no time! Try it with family members or loved ones and you may become more close and comfortable speaking to each other. People like to feel that their lives are worth hearing about, so this question is a platform for them to connect with you, to share their experiences.

Looking back at everything I've written, I find it a kind of wonder that this question prompted such a long thought process for me. I guess those poetry analysis lessons in English left a bigger impact on me than I thought!

But enough about me. This blog is not my way of yelling, "Pay attention to my life!" but a place where I hope to connect with people around the world. And as they say, practise what you preach!

How was your day?