One Of “Those” Days? I Have Just The Thing

/ Post by Erica Wills of Polar Bears International

I got hit with the flu for the last week and a half – no fun, but I’m finally able to breathe without coughing and can walk around without feeling faint. At some point last week, in between the coughing and sneezing and ragged attempts to sleep, I felt utterly down and needed something to cheer me up.

What’s the first thing I do? Crawl out of bed, grab my computer, and turn it on. A few seconds later and I was smiling as images of Hudson Bay, Arctic sunsets, polar bears, and northern lights started rotating on my desktop.

Whenever I get down – whether it’s because of an illness, stress at school, frustration with conservation work, or anything else – looking through my favorite photos from my trips to Churchill or flipping through one of my many polar bear books always brings a smile to my face. Sometimes, we all need that: a little reminder of happy times, of something sweet and beautiful and wonderful and happy in the world.

Sometimes, I just need to see that face: that inquisitive, bright, adorable face that asks me, “Why are you worrying? Why are you stressed?” and reminds me that all these little things don’t matter; everything will work out as it’s meant to, and my stressing over it won’t change that fact.

So, if any of you are having “one of those days,” here’s what I want you to do: look at that face, take a deep breath, and smile! Then, go visit Siku and have a laugh at his latest antics; if there’s one thing that can cheer a person up, it’s a video or photo of a cute animal playing around – and what’s cuter than a polar bear? Not much, that’s for sure!