Pondering

I'm pondering this one over the weekend.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

...Still a Beautiful World

 I planted a pack of sunflower seeds in the country back in May (I believe). It seemed like it took forever for the plants to come up, and then for flowers to bloom. I only had a few of them to bloom. I think I planted them too late and I think it was too dry for them. I wasn't there often enough to water them properly.

Anyway, we were there this past weekend and I believe this is the last one of my blooms.

The weekend was a bit sad for me. My son was on my mind and I was missing him so much. I don't know why sometimes it just hits me again like the grief is all brand new, but it does. And I suppose that is relatively normal. Friday night, I made this one on my phone.

Saturday morning, I got up and someone had sent me a copy of Desiderata. As I read again those familiar words, I decided I'd use my little sunflower quote to make another photo reminder to "Be cheerful" and "Strive to be happy."

"Share your joys and they are multiplied. Share your sorrows and they are divided." It's so true, and I'm grateful it is so.

Mindful Presence and Vulnerability

This one was a birthday tribute for a friend.

I'm grateful for the presence of several people in my life
who are able to offer their mindful presence to me.

I need to work on my own ability
to be present to those closest to me, my family.

It's not always an easy thing to do, for family or friends. We get distracted.

And sometimes, presence is the only thing
we can offer in the face of pain and/or problems 

that are not easily solved
(or may not ever be solved, really). 

It takes a courageous person to sit with someone in that kind of situation 

and not panic 

when it is clear 

there is nothing one can do to improve the situation or take away the pain.

This one is just another good quote.

I've found this to be true.

But hard. 

Being vulnerable is risky.

The trick is in finding the "safe people."

In other news:

I'm heading off this morning to visit with a few friends from my younger days. We are going to have an adult slumber party and catch up on our lives from the last, um, nearly forty years. Good grief, how can it be that we have been adults for so long?

I've lost 20.2 pounds. Last night I walked four miles and I needed every single step of that walk! I'd had a rough day and it was wonderful how walking cleared my head and calmed me down.

Resolutions and Luxuries

Don't be worried. It's just a bit of dark humor. I saw this somewhere on a magnet or something and I kind of like it so I put it on the photo of my hand.

Later I saw this quote and thought it was an affirming companion to the other quote so I put it on the photo of my hand!

(This was supposed to automatically post last Sunday. It did not. I don't know why.)

 

Expansive Heart