Today in the World

 I read the news today, oh boy   John Lennon

I’m going to visit my other two sons today. Watching the news about the terrorist attack in Israel reminds me that we can never take the idea of seeing loved ones again for granted. Never. I’m so very grateful that I’m near enough to visit with them and give each an embarrassingly (for them) long hug.

Today, I will hold sacred space within for the global pain of senseless war. Today, I will represent the love of parents for children lost, for children with parents lost, and for partners who have lost their soulmates. This is especially true as I sit with my brother on what would have been his wife’s 70th birthday. She died very suddenly a little over two years ago, and this visit was planned with that in mind.

Mutual friends joined my brother and myself at a favorite restaurant last night to toast her memory, and to remember her with a few tears and much laughter.

Today, Israelis are mourning the sudden and senseless murders of their kinfolk. May their memories become blessings. May all people hold tight to the love they feel for their dear ones, and for the dear ones of all who are mourning.

Today, I am grateful for knowing love, both the getting and the giving. Love will always win.

And so it is.

Love Will Always Win

 One of the very best story themes is that of reconciliation. How very deeply we want that in our own lives! Reconciliation has been the subject of the vast majority of my ‘please’ prayers. 

I have children who have faced many challenges, both inflicted upon them and self-made. The results have varied, from their working together to vowing to have nothing to do with one or the other. The situations change with the seasons.

Sometimes, I am the one who is the focus of their angst, but all of the scenarios deeply disturb my Mother Heart. It is in these times that I have to remind myself that nothing stays the same. Situations change, anger is subdued, understanding is gained, or the mood simply reaches it’s time-out, having just lost steam. 

What touches me most beautifully is when communication is restored. When all issues are set aside for later, and true enjoyment of each other can be felt. When anger is no longer the prevailing emotion. 

True, deep acceptance and understanding takes time and more than a little therapy. In the meantime, I’ll take whatever positives show up and count them as ‘wins’.

So, when one of my sons, the one who wanted nothing to do with me, showed up when asked to do so, my gratitude exploded. We didn’t need to explore the underlying issues or poke each other’s triggers—we just enjoyed seeing each other. While I hope it was a mutual thing, I’ll accept seeing each other as a wonderful first step.

Love Is. Love Endures. Love is Universal. And Love will always win.

Gray and Cloudy Too

 What a switch from yesterday! Yesterday was the perfect sunny, warm day with clear skies to take a drive into the mountains. It was as lovely as I remembered, and the views filled me with deep joy. Today is a perfect day to snuggle in and read a good book. I might even go get ingredients to bake something, which is one of my very favorite activities.

Joy can be found no matter the outward situation, I believe. There are sometimes those circumstances in which the positives are deeply hidden, and I don’t mean to make light of them. Often, the sense of the positive can only be found after the ‘dark night of the soul’ has been faced and is now behind us. I get that. But on days like today, when the sun is hiding and the warmth has disappeared, joy takes on a different form.

Today, I am grateful for easy, slow, and comforting activities—which actually might be called “non-activities”! I give myself permission to not worry about accomplishing anything. Today, I will simply Be Here Now.

Blue Skies and Sunshine

 That’s what the forecast is for today’s adventure. My brother and I are headed up to see the beautiful aspens, and to enjoy the majesty of the mountains. Oh, how I’ve missed them! 

First, we’ll stop in Georgetown for lunch. Memories! When in high school, I was in a small repertory company, and we performed there quite often. We had matching outfits—long flared skirts and capes for the girls and vests for the boys—made from the remnants of our school’s former stage curtain. They were a green corduroy fabric, and our capes were lined with white satin. We were stylin’!

After lunch, we’ll head up further to one of the passes. I’m so eager to go! This is what has been calling me! There is such a deep comfort in the feelings of the familiar from childhood for me. I know that this isn’t a universal thing; so many people have darkness in their past, eclipsing joy. I’m very fortunate indeed to have had a non-traumatic childhood. My memories bring me joy, and today I’ll be surrounded by them.

Today, I feel very grateful to have those memories to revisit, with a brother I love and who loves me in return. The forecast is blue skies and sunshine. That may be for the weather, but it also applies to my inner  atmosphere.

Acceptance of What Is

 I’m at the airport plenty early, because my flight has been delayed. It happens. It doesn’t create any problems for me, since I don’t have a connecting flight. It’s easy enough to let my brother know, but then, he’s plenty sharp enough to check arrival times before setting out to pick me up. All is well.

I managed to get a quick delivery of a percussion massager, which I found, to my surprise, really helped with the bursitis which has decided to visit for awhile. I charged it overnight, then safely tucked it away in my carry-on. Ha! Take that, pain! I’m prepared! Except, when going through the TSA pre-boarding, I realized that I didn’t think to add any of the attachments, rendering my new massager useful only as a doorstop. 

What else might I have forgotten? I’m fairly sure I have all the important stuff, but more shall be revealed. The good news is, my visit is still a positive event. With the exception of massager attachments, I’m fairly sure I can get any other thing I forgot. 

It’s always something! I could fume at the delay, but that would only affect my well-being; it wouldn’t effect any change. I could cry about my forgetfulness, or I could shrug it off. I shrug a lot these days.

Meanwhile, I just enjoyed a lovely cup of coffee, and I’m about to plow into a muffin. I have money for these nice little extras! I was able to reserve a seat with extra legroom—alway a good thing for this tall girl. I remembered my charging cable, so I can enjoy using my tablet and my phone. Excellent!

Today, I am grateful for the not at all hard-to-take lessons in acceptance of what is. It’s good practice for acceptance of the truly important things.

Happiness is Family

 I’m heading out to Denver tomorrow, to stay with my brother. I'll have the opportunity to visit with my sons. What joy! I’m a Denver native, and it’s always such a joy to go “home”. The views of the Rocky Mountains always thrill me, and although it will be cloudy for the first part of my time, the skies are never grey for long. We’ll be taking a drive up to see the golden aspens, if the leaves will wait for me.

I love where I live now, but going back to where I grew up always feels like a return to the warmth and love of what makes a home. Seeing my nearest and dearest warms my heart, and keeps me going. I love seeing how my grown sons are sorting out their lives, finding the things which warm their hearts. It certainly hasn’t been all sunshine and roses—who has a life like that?—so watching them navigate their own paths is wonderfully fascinating.

My brother and I will simply enjoy each other’s company. I’m bringing a Boggle game to challenge him with, since all the siblings enjoy comparing Wordle scores every morning. Games, laughter, possibly tears, and fun movies and tv are the plan of action. Sometimes, nothing more needs to be done. The simple enjoyment of good company is enough.

So, while sometimes happiness is a warm cinnamon roll, the deeper and truer happiness is in truly loving one’s family. Today I’m very grateful to have that.

Happiness is a Warm Cinnamon Roll

 That’s how I started my day. Not with something healthy or diet-friendly, oh no. A sticky, crisped-up roll of gluten and sugar and fat, tempered with spice. Yum! That and a hot cup of coffee make me a happy camper. I see salad in my future, for the sake of a semblance of balance.

Today, I’ll continue with the training I’m completing. As I do so, I’m joining with wonderful people from all around northern California. Being in their company is as comforting as enjoying a warm cinnamon roll. They are caring, generous people, all learning how to comfort and guide people as they approach their final chapters in this life. I am so fortunate to be in their company!

It’s a serious business, this midwifing of souls, but the time is also filled with laughter and tenderness as we learn to drop our defenses to meet vulnerable people right where they are. It’s a challenge for which I am deeply grateful.

So today, after starting with a not-so-nutritious breakfast, I’ll try to put my sugar-addled brain to work. I’ll nourish my body with a healthy lunch as I nurture my soul with new helping skills, and I’ll enjoy the sweetness of those alongside me. 

I am so grateful for new opportunities like I have today to learn, to grow as a human, and to prepare to serve those whose days don’t usually start with a warm cinnamon roll.