Aftermath

Every now and then, you run into people who seem to thrive on misery. It's one of the saddest things of all. They seem to seek out any and everything that will grow their misery, as if it's their food of choice. Nothing makes them happy. Nothing lifts them up. Even worse is when you run into such a person who has a gift, and all they do is bitch about how painful it is to use it. I've never understood people like this. And I've run into more than my share. (even just three is more than one needs to meet, particularly if one is a Lover of Life)

I ran into one such person yesterday. She lives down the road from me, and has asked me numerous times to stop by and visit. Perhaps my Intuition kept me away for as long as it did. Because each time she'd invite me, I'd make up some excuse why I couldn't. Lies to keep from hurting her feelings. NOT my favorite thing to do. In any case, I kept putting her off. She kept asking. Yesterday, I acquiesced.

The moment I walked through the front door, I knew it was a mistake. I could feel the misery in her home. It was like a dark, heavy, foul-smelling blanket that covered every inch of her space. What could have been a lovely place was filled with regret and anger. She is a painter. Her paintings are quite good. But the whole while she was walking me through, telling of each work, she had nothing good to say about any of it. She spoke of how "hard" it is to create, and sell, and "get people to understand". She bitched the entire time I was there. When she showed me some of her works on her computer, I commented that one was so realistic it looked like a photograph. I meant it as a compliment. BOYHOWDY! Was that ever the wrong thing to say! She launched into a rant about how photographers are NOT artists. Neither are dancers, actors, singers, musicians, or writers. "Art", she said, "is all about pain. So how can you call a photographer an artist when all he does is push a button?"

It took all the restraint I'm known not to have to keep from reading her the Riot Act. It was such a shock to hear her words, I could hardly believe she wasn't teasing me. I had to look in her eyes to be sure. Rather than argue with her, I said, "Well, I suppose it's a matter of opinion. Everyone is entitled to theirs, regardless of how wrong it might be." I don't think she really heard what I said, because she kept right on with her rant. Happily for me, I'd set an alarm on my phone before I went over there. I adjusted the tone to ring like an old-fashioned telephone. I set it for one hour. Right about the time I was losing patience, the alarm rang. I took my phone from my pocket, asked her to excuse me for a moment, and walked into the other room where I pretended to be on the phone. I went back into the dining room and told her I had to go. I thanked her and headed for the door.

As I walked out she said, "I'm glad you came over, even if I don't agree with you." I thanked her again and left. As soon as I was out of sight of her house, I did my Happy Dance. I was (and still am) so incredibly grateful for my Life. And my attitude. And my beautiful, deliciously happy world. I was singing "THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!" all the way back to my house. When I walked through the door, Sophie greeted me as she always does; with full-blown Joy. I jumped onto the bed with her and rolled around for the next ten minutes, laughing and giggling and spilling gratitude all over the place. Oh how thankful I am to NOT be like that.

Today, while I was working on one of my own pieces, I thought about her. I sent a silent prayer out for her. I prayed she might one day see just how blessed she is. And be grateful for those blessings. I prayed she might find her way to more Joy, however small it may be. I said my prayers for her, and then one of my own:

Thank you, Sweet Mother, for ALL the riches in my world. I'm so happy to be happy. I won't dismiss my Intuition next time. I promise!

I guess that sometimes, it's good to have those kinds of encounters. They make for more appreciation. And...a reminder of how not to be!

As always ~
I choose Joy.

GiddyUP, Darlin's ~~~

When Death Is A Gift

We all know...that death is a part of life. Nobody likes it. Everybody thinks they understand it. But mostly, we do our best to avoid the subject altogether. We don't like to think about it. Or talk about it. Or face it when it comes time to face it. But, we all know...that death is a part of life.

Now, given that this blog is about Joy, about choosing Joy, one might wonder why in the world I'd be talking about death. Please...bear with me. Although there seems not to be anything joyful about it, there are times when death is welcome. Times when losing someone, so to speak, brings relief. To be sure, there is also sorrow. But when someone you love is in such deep and unyielding pain, suffering every moment of every day, for months on end, sometimes we pray for them to go. Sometimes we know that even though it means not having them on the Planet, we'd rather be without them than watch them suffer. When death comes, in times like this, we'll often feel, not only relief, but joy. Joy for this loved one to have cast aside the burdens of the body and soar. Whether one believes in a "heaven" or not, still there must be some other realm where we live on. Because if we are what scientists claim, if we are "energy", we know, too, that energy never dies. Energy may take different forms. It may be diffused or scattered or moved. But energy does not die. Ever.

With this in mind, no matter what a person's religious or spiritual beliefs, if one has any semblance of intuition, then one would know, somewhere deep in themselves, that death is really not. It is simply a transition. A transcendence. A variation of what we call "life". And knowing this somehow makes the whole death process just a little more bearable. Even when we know that there will be no more touching of hands or hugging of necks or kissing of cheeks, there is no thing that can stop the love that lives on. Because love, like energy, does not "die". Instead, it seems to deepen. To become even more treasured. And, if we're really mindful, death can also urge us to be more loving and appreciative of those who are still here, on this magnificent Planet, for us to touch. And hug. And kiss. Death, in some ways, is as much a gift as Life.

But still...it hurts.

So for today, I pray that those of you who have or are right now dealing with the passing of someone you love dearly, I pray you will remember that even amidst the pain of that loss, there is a gift. Your journey, being without their physical presence, does not need to destroy you. Walk that path, trusting that you will soon reach a peaceful spot on your own chosen path, where you will, once again, feel their presence. You will hear their voice and feel the love even more deeply than, perhaps, you did before they left. When you reach that place, sit yourself down and allow your spirit to luxuriate in the love that never dies.

Then....do your happy dance.