I love that we spend one day of the year in gratitude for all the graces we have realized in this life so far. I am on a campaign to extend that expression to the other 364 days. It is a habit that anyone can form, and an embodiment that we all can easily adopt. Small but daily changes will manifest this feeling within our hearts. By starting small, we are building the blocks of change necessary to achieve this goal.
Famed American author of self-help books, Melody Beattie, describes this approach beautifully.
“Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos into order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. It turns problems into gifts, failures into successes, the unexpected into perfect timing, and mistakes into important events. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates vision for tomorrow.”
Melody Beattie
Today on what is termed ‘Black Friday’, I hope we can all turn this day into a ‘White Friday’ by filling the hours with the feelings of gratitude that we all experienced yesterday. And when tomorrow dawns, I hope that feeling lingers still.
Meet Simba, London, Whisper, Legion, Rocket, Ziva and Isabella. These beauties are from Therapy K9s of Southwest Florida and, all hold the distinctive jobs of performing therapy work in health and education communities in southwest Florida. Their purpose on this earth is to deliver joy and impart unconditional love.
This week they really got in the spirit. Together with their handlers, these guys dressed as Pilgrims and perched up on chairs around a table for Thanksgiving dinner. I know you are thinking (as did I) ‘eeeeh gad, is that a real turkey inches from six chow hounds?’ But no, the turkey is plastic, although these lovelies got plenty of praise and treats for their participation in the photo shoot!
While the picture may not be as famous as the “Dogs Around The Poker Table” shot, I’ll just bet the message it delivers sends it over the top. These fellows are illustrating what is it to deliver ‘calm joy’. I hope this is one illustration you’re not soon to forget!
I just read some heartwarming news. A fellow-writer posted on his blog a sweet message that he received from a grateful single mom. This fellow that I follow – leads his “Army of Good” in performing everyday ordinary miracles that deeply touch the lives of others.
One of his stories wrote about a single mom with no apparent husband, working two jobs and struggling to raise her son amidst rising rents in Albany NY. We learned her boy did not have a winter coat or winter boots. Nor did they have a table and chairs from which to share a meal. By his broadcast of the story, this fellow was able to raise the money to purchase these few items to make this family more comfortable. The furniture he located may not have been new, but it provided the family a place to come together; a place to bow their heads in grateful praise. The coat and boots ensured this child would not shiver at the bus stop wearing only layered-on sweatshirts and sneakers in the deep cold of up-state New York.
The mother’s message of heartfelt appreciation resonated in the depths of my soul. It reminded me that we should listen to the quiet, and in that, try to find our way to performing some daily act that would bring some comfort to someone’s day. Big or small, the beauty is in the act itself.
I know this is the Season for giving, and many folks rally to the call. But, I would love to think that once December 25th passes by, the feeling of wanting to provide comfort and joy to others will stay behind! I love the thought of beginning a movement – just think of all the great accomplishments we can achieve – all born out of very small gestures.
Don’t be fooled by her beguiling smile, she clearly and wantonly disobeyed my order to stay clean until Thanksgiving! I cleaned the house, I cleaned up the yard, hell…I even cleaned out the refrigerator to make room for the bird! All I asked of Pearl Bailey was KEEP YOUR SELF CLEAN!
Listen, the autumn temperatures down here – cool mornings, warm days, cool evenings – I get it – she is enthralled to spend time down in her Shangri-La (her earthly paradise.) But is it asking too much for her to refrain from rolling in dirt?
Why oh why, did I get this rough and tumble tom-boy instead of the dainty, femme fatale I longed for? Pearl Bailey’s behavior is out of control. Seriously, you should have seen how grimy the paper towels were when I wiped her face. I used up more than half a roll!
I want to leave this world with the assurance that I have left nothing unsaid. When I go forward I want the people I have walked with to be assured they know everything there was to know. I do not wish to have questions remaining when there is time in these days to answer them.
I guess that is why I have so much to say now. My introspective spirit allowing me the time I have needed thus far to contemplate and resonate.
I hope to speak all the words needed to convey my quest for bettering humanity in myself, and perhaps inspiring it in others. I have a heart full of hope that needs planting and spreading. To those of you who are near me – I wish the audible to reach your ear; and to those of you far – the written word to reach your heart.
When I say ‘I love …’, I do so freely and sincerely. I do not want to reserve those words for only special occasions. I speak to the trees and the magnificent sunsets, I love you and thank you. And to my friends, who encourage my journey, I speak ‘I love you’ in thanks for it is much harder to receive love than to give love. I do not want to leave you with words unspoken or words unheard.
The bitterest tears shed over graves are for words left unsaid and deeds left undone. ~ Harriet Beecher Stowe
What do you see when you look at this charming photo? I see Hope. I see Joy. This photo was shared with me by a family member. It is a ‘newbie’ photo taken at the hospital of her friend’s first grandchild.
This beautiful infant only hours old, is nestled on her father’s chest and seemingly is delighted with her entry into this world. Each time I gaze on her beautiful smiling face, I am reminded of the purpose that we all are given when WE entered this earth, and it leads me to think the purpose this little angel was given was the ability to bring unabashed cheer to all she encounters.
To think that this child had just made her way down the birth canal and into the waiting arms of her doctors; leaving the quiet serenity of her mother’s womb to be met with the bright lights and cacophony sounds of the delivery room – well, that must have been a traumatic experience. Yet, here she lays in total rapture listening to her father’s heartbeat and possibly dreaming of all the goodness that awaits her in this world. And, from all that, this precious little one beams with delight!
I don’t know what the parents of this precious bebé named her, but I am thinking her middle name should be Joy – for that is what she is – a little bundle of Joy!
I believe Pearl Bailey’s psyche has been taken over by some invisible hobgoblin. I kid you not; she is possessed and is acting in the manner of a hooligan! This personality change seems to coincide with the arrival of our cooler temperatures down here on the Suncoast. I attached a photo – just look at her eyes…you see it, don’t you? Lunacy.
This morning she woke me more than an hour before dawn. She was excited and well, down right agitated. She raced down the stairs like they were on fire and sat at the back door wagging her tail like she was operating a fanning device. Once I caught up to her and successfully opened the door, she tore through the yard in a tizzy making at least ten rounds of loop-de-loos. Then she found her favorite tree and took a plop. There she laid for the next couple of hours, awake but without changing position and seemingly happy as a clam. When the dawn finally broke through the horizon and the birds and squirrels began to wake, she meandered around the yard once or twice and returned to her ‘spot’. Around 8 am, I called her in for breakfast.
Pearl Bailey, usually ravenous for food, came into the house in a tear yet ignoring her bowl. Instead, she made loops around the furniture, taking her toys one by one and tossing them high in the air all the while clambering yips and yaps, and rolling around on the rug with all four paws extended high in the air. I thought to myself, this demon dog is most definitely under the trance of some evil spirit! Her behavior continued until she ran out of steam and settled at my feet. That was a good thing because when I am awakened before my normal rising time, I am usually glaze-eyed and act without sound judgement.
The Professor and Lady Ella descended the stairway around 9 am – a civilized time of day for rising in my opinion. Pearl Bailey jumped up from her reverie and accompanied Ella outside for her toiletry. Once outside, she began her erratic gyrations again, and the normally reserved Ella looked over at her like she had three heads. After a bit, they both came in and ate their kibble.
Pearl Bailey is at my feet sleeping now, which is a normal occurrence . However, I would bet my bottom dollar that in this dame’s slumber she is dreaming of some afternoon antics to spice up her perceived monotony. Me, on the other hand, need to find my way to that glorious screen porch of ours…I am in dire need of a nap myself!
I thought a little humor would be nice way to start off your day. I came upon this image and had to laugh out loud when I saw it. While it may not speak to some, it amused me to no end as I have been obsessed with ‘G-I-A-N-T-S’ since first discovering Roald Dahl’s wonderful novel The BFG. And, of course, when the Steven Spielberg bought this fantastic story to the silver screen, I become infatuated even more!
This GIANT is perched on ‘top of the world’ so to speak. He is playing a ukulele and seemingly does not have a care in the world. That’s the way I feel when I play my uke, the outside world and all its stresses just magically disappear and I am transported. Music does that to a soul, it’s like a big hit of dopamine to the brain. Whether you are listening to a favorite song or are using your gift in presenting a song, it is a soothing balm to the spirit. As a youngster, I would always come up with these great ideas to play on my piano (a Steinway – a gift from my father that also came with high expectations). As I played the piano, I would just allow all these ideas and thoughts to float through my head, and still do to this day. I have let these ideas manifest in other parts of my life too – hence I have grown hugely through the gift of music.
I guess today’s message is about encouraging you to seek out your bliss. Where I find endless delight and joy from an image of a GIANT playing a ukulele, I hope you find amusement in viewing or discovering something that tickles your fancy!
Two children, ages 6 & 2, were spotted last week wandering along a residential street with no known school bus stop or school nearby. This event might have gone unnoticed except the outside temperature in the Wisconsin town that morning was a mere 18 degrees.
A Waukesha Metro bus driver happened along on her regular route that morning and spotted the children. The bus driver, Nicole Chamberlain, stopped her bus and approached the children. She said, “Hey there, what’s going on?” The 6-year old replied, “We are looking for grandma…” With that, Chamberlain ushered the two children into the warm bus, taking off her coat and covering the toddler’s bare legs with it, and told them “I’ll help you find grandma.”
Chamberlain phoned police and within minutes the grateful grandmother arrived and explained she had fed the children their breakfast and while they were eating and watching TV she had gone downstairs to tend to the laundry. It was then the 6-year went outside and his baby sister followed along. The children were uninjured and were reunited with their grandmother without further incident.
Chamberlain, when interviewed, modestly stated “When I spotted the kids walking alone I knew I had to help them.” This is case in point of listening to your inner self, your intuition. Nicole Chamberlain was called to action that frigid morning. She instinctively knew to stop what she was doing and act accordingly. This simple action took her act of kindness to another level. Chamberlain might have just radioed the incident in and continued along her route not jeopardizing her time schedule to which she was accountable. But she did not, why? Because she was called to act. By opening her bus door and gently beckoning to the children and inquiring; by her welcoming the children into the warm interior of the bus and sheltering their bare limbs with her own coat, she acted extraordinarily. I am sure in those moments of flashes that went through Nicole Chamberlain’s head; she thought to herself, ‘I can do better’. And she heeded the message.
Wherein this story has the happy ending that we all are pleased with, it offers us more than that – it offers us a teaching moment. And so I ask that you take today’s actions under your wing and look for ways at doing better – take a step to further a good deed, and by that, make it an extraordinary one. For in looking for ways to do better, you will find the ‘quiet’ that accompanies that action. And in the quiet is where you will find the voice of your inner self, your intuition which will lead you in furthering your good intentions.
The cold artic air has finally dropped down to the Sunshine State. Here on the Suncoast, we are waking to temps in the 50’s. Now, where temps in the 50’s are considered balmy in the northern states, down here in Florida that’s down right frigid! Feeling cold in 50 degree temperatures is a definitive sign that you have become a Floridian.
Pearl Bailey is in her glory. She insists on being outside for hours at a time. Now, where I support her zest for life driven by a cooler breeze, I am not one to trust that she won’t get into trouble being left outside unattended for hours on end. So, it is a back and forth to the sliding glass door all day and evening, checking and re-checking on her activities. For the most part, she has stayed out of trouble and remains clean.
At 6:30 am this morning, while the sky was still in a shadowy awakening, I let Pearl Bailey out to tend to her toiletries. Now, mind you, I was barefoot and in my ‘jammies and the outside temperature was closer to having a four in the number that it was to having a six in the number. Brrrr….. I temporarily lost PB from my thoughts as I sought out a warm cup of coffee. Sitting in front of the TV with the Sunday morning shows on screen, I hear the distinctive sound of a creaking gate. I jump up from my reverie to see a streak of blonde fur tearing across the front yard in hot pursuit of a wily varmint! It was Merle the Squirrel and Pearl Bailey was intent on his capture this time. Before I could even think twice, I flew out the front door in my morning state of undress shrieking like a fishmonger imploring her to halt! My poor barefeet took some abuse as I caught up to her on my neighbor’s wooded lot across the street. Merle the Squirrel was no where in sight, but Pearl Bailey was wearing the most beatific smile and wagging her tail in exuberant pride.
Having no leash, I hitched her up by the collar and slowly started the trek back over the sticks and leaves of the wooded lot, my tender feet suffering badly. When I finally brought her back inside, don’t you know she was at the back door wanting out again – No way sister! First, let me get some shoes so I can go out and secure that gate. Then we’ll talk about it!
