Made a Difference - Kind Words -

 I'm working on it - I'm a gentle soul, through and through, and yet there are times, particularly since cancer, where I can be bitchy. Typically this is when my bucket is empty. I'm also finding that one of the best ways to keep my bucket full is to give - oddly enough, when I look for goodness in others, I find it in myself. And my day is just a little bit better. 

One small example - a young boy rides his skateboard to school every morning, and I typically pass him on my way to work. Friday morning he was dressed nicer than usual, had a sharp new haircut, and was carrying a pink rose in one hand. I drove by thinking how cute he was, and realized I needed to share this with him. I turned around, slowed down and said, "Excuse me, young me." He looked, and I continued, "I see you nearly every day, and today you look extra nice, and I wanted to share this with you." He said thank you, and then as I took my foot of the brake to continue to work, he said, "You made my day, thank you." I smiled to him, my heart smiled, and my day was pretty decent. 

Made a difference to that one, and to myself. 

The Desert is Alive -

 We spent this past week in Sedona, AZ. We had a wonderfully relaxing time, made only better because the desert was rich with flowers. I have never seen so many blossoms, such a variety of blooms, in one place. Just a few below, with a nod to my friend, Mary Shaw (deceased), who loved photographing wildflowers. 

On My Mind -

 Lots of stuff going on in this wee head of mine these past few weeks: 

Growing older, dentists and dental insurance, baggy body, yoga. 

Gorgeous house, lovely yard, water removed, basement dried, great restoration company. Insurance. 

Belonging, some things change, most don't. Continuous cycle. 

Retirement, timing, benefits, benefits, benefits, holding on, ready to let go, dollars, time. 

Work, answers, questions, growing, missing. So many sick people, stay in shape, eat right, don't drink, don't smoke, learn your body. 

Home work, moving forward, smiles, laughter, tears, words, investing in the future. 

Belonging, friends, few are best, we go deep, spring brings us together, more time. 

Trigger conversations, meeting attendance, little, late, time lost. 

Family conversations, sorrows, pains, aches, parties, celebrations, discoveries, companions. 

Husband aging, surrendering, friends passing, acceptance, joy, carrying others, helping. 

And this - doggone it - mourning not only the loss of an amazing singer-songwriter, but this event, when in July, 2020, he sang, alone, to Canada, to the world. And I am sad that the peace felt this day, the unity felt around the world, the isolation that was attempted to be bridged, fell on tone-deaf ears.