I Got to Be Excited for a Day

If your date cancels on you at the last minute, what would your reaction be?

Curse your genes? Secretly hope the person regrets their choice? My default setting is usually, “No use crying over spilled milk! Let’s move on and find the next target.”

But a 15-second video added another option to my vocabulary for moments like this.

In the video, a man had courageously asked someone out and received a “yes.” Then, only a few hours before the date, he got a text saying it was canceled.

His description of the moment was painfully relatable. He felt disappointed, hurt, and a bit embarrassed. Then came the plot twist.

“Well,” he said, “I got to be excited for a day, and that is wonderful.”

In that simple sentence, I heard his willingness to see beauty in the world around him. To appreciate a tiny moment of joy that could so easily be overlooked because we are busy living our lives, busy seeing the negative.

Of course, sometimes it feels nearly impossible to see the good. And we all know forced positivity can become toxic, too. This is not about pretending disappointment does not hurt.

But what an empowering thought. Only three small words are required to shift the light.

I. Get. To.

In English, “get to” often means that you have the chance or privilege to do something. It adds a small doorway of gratitude, helping us see the tiny gifts hiding inside the day.

“My date flaked on me” is true. But we can also say, “I got to feel excited for a day.” That is also true. The first sentence points to the loss. The second points to the joy that was still real while it lasted.

How magical it is, to turn the mundane into something close to a miracle. Something worth paying attention to. It is like moving the spotlight from one character to another on the stage.

When you cast this tiny spell, it creates another version of the story. In that version, the canceled date still added joy, warmth, and a smile to your life. Albeit briefly.

It is so easy to underestimate the power of language. But one of my favorite quotes says, “The harmony between thought and reality is to be found in the grammar of language.”

The language we use shapes the world we see. And the best part is that we “get to” choose it. Not using this superpower is like using a Nimbus 2000 to sweep the floor.

So, readers, here is my invitation. Think of a recent moment that made your heart heavy or your stomach tight. You do not need to erase those feelings. There are always multiple sides to a truth. Just look behind them, or underneath them.

What did you get to experience?

We are not forcing happiness. We are simply playing with words. Playing with perspective. Like a kaleidoscope. Twist the scope, see what it reveals.

You just might surprise yourself.

Written by SAKURACO