Always Fabulous!

There is something that we all do. When you are walking by someone, you meet face to face, you talk on the phone, you cash out, in so many situations to strangers and to those familiar to us, countless times throughout the day you and I both say, "How are you?" Most of us, if we are being honest, aren't expecting or even wanting a real answer.  In fact, how many times have you been answered with no answer but a "Hello," or a "How are you?" back? It is just one of those things people do and we do not give much thought to.  Typical answers are "fine," "good," "okay" no matter how the recipient of the question actually feels.  My answer? Always fabulous.

This response to the everyday question of "How are you?" has had some pretty interesting reactions.  Some people say, "Wow. ALWAYS?" Some say, "I love it, I'm going to steal that." (As if I own the statement.)  No matter the verbal reaction, I have yet to not see a smile on someone's face when I say it. Every single time - "How are you?" "Always fabulous!" Smile!  And you know what? It makes me smile too.

Recently, my family and I have been going through a pretty terrifying and life-altering situation. One that has added trips to the hospital on a daily basis. I meet and see parking attendants, security guards, cleaning staff, nurses, PCA's, doctors, patients, visitors, and more as I trek from my car up to my destination. Many of them are the same people and we have gotten to know one another's faces and because I am who I am, I've learned most of the "regulars" names. Still every day, every time I pass by one of them and they ask, "How are you?" I respond with, "Always fabulous!" And many of them have begun to smile and say it along with me or rather than ask the age-old question they have changed it to, "Still fabulous?"  At which point I respond with a big smile and "Always!"

The other day, I bumped into one of the parking attendants on a break getting coffee and he asked me a different question, "How are you always fabulous?"  I smiled and asked, "What's the alternative?"  He looked at me quizzically so I went on ...
       "When you smile you feel better. When you say you are always fabulous you begin to feel fabulous, especially when others are smiling back at you because of it. Life isn't always perfect and neither are we. We can wallow in the bad times or we can rise above them.  I don't like the feeling of sadness and anger. I certainly do not like causing others to feel that way so, if smiling and saying I'm always fabulous, even when I may not be feeling particularly fabulous at the moment and it brings a smile to someone's face, well, then I've made the world a little bit more tolerable for them and me!"

He smiled even bigger. He said he liked my attitude. I told him I liked his smile. Kindness certainly does go a long way, doesn't it? 

I have bad days, very few people know it. Not because I don't share but more because they are few and I don't allow myself to sit there for too long. Is it easy? Not always but anything worth having is worth working for and I work to be happy and share happiness.  I have a few people in my life who ask me how I am and when I answer "Always fabulous!" They want to pop that bubble. They will ask in a stern voice, "Really? Always?" or say, "I find that hard to believe." My answers are often the same, "Yes. Always!" and "You can follow me around for the day and see if it's true." (No one has ever taken me up on the offer.)  I am not sure why people have a hard time with someone who is "always fabulous".  I am unsure of why someone else being happy, whether it is 100% true or not should be a problem to someone else.  What I am sure of is a positive attitude will always feel better than a negative one and when someone looks at me and asks, "How are you?" I will be responding with my best smile and the words, "Always fabulous!"

How are you?