I have learned...

I have learned that people are more alike than not. No matter where they're "from" or what language they speak, most folks are kind. IF you give them the chance.

I have learned that we have more in common with each other than we might think. Most folks want pretty much the same things: to love and be loved, to take care of their families, to have FUN.

I have learned that once we put aside our "labels" and cease with the judgments, harmony is not only easier to achieve, but quite readily ripples out into the world.

I have learned that when you gather 'round and break bread together, the most common sound you will hear is LAUGHTER. {UNLESS it's family. Then...there's no tellin'.}

I have learned that children know all this stuff better than "grown-ups".

I have learned that the only way to live one's life in a meaningful way is to make JOY a priority. Every. Single. Day.

I have learned that curiosity is the true "Fountain of Youth".

Keep your heart open.
Keep your arms open.
Shut the door on judgments.
Eat together more.
Laugh more.
Stay hungry for "new things".

Choose. JOY.

riches come in many flavors

It's been a while...and I shan't make excuses for my absence. I had need for some space...and opted to give the blogging a bit of a break. That is, until today. A few things happened that lit a fire under my butt...and then when I came to visit, I found even more to stoke that fire. I am deeply grateful to all of you who've written and asked for more. It warms me to my toes knowing that my offerings are helping folks...and THAT, my friends, is what it's all about. I thank you ALL.

Rather than getting into the details of my disappearance, I will, instead, share with you a few things that I discovered while absent. Among them are the great riches that abound in my world. All too often we think of riches in terms of dollars. But riches are far more than printed currency. Riches, in my world, come in many flavors. Kinda like Baskin Robbins, ya know?

Friends who love you in spite of your flaws top the list for me. Those people who stand by me, regardless of where I am or how I'm 'acting'. When I am reclusive, they allow me that space without laying some kinda guilt trip or chastising. When I am all agog with some new discovery, they let me go on and on (and on and on!) about it, without attempting to stop my rantings. I tend to do that...rant, that is. And my wonderful friends (whom I call "Tribe") are always in my corner. How can that not be counted as 'riches'?

Then there are those people who may not be part of the Tribe, but who make the days sparkle with their smiles and little courtesies. You know the ones...they see you in the market and give you a smile for no reason other than to smile. Or they let you cut in line because you only have 3 things and they have a cart full of stuff. Or they slow down to let you into traffic when there are zillions of others who will cut you off without mercy. Those 'strangers' who actually LIVE kindness. Are these not riches?

Being able to buy food and fill your cupboards/fridge with good things to nourish your body. Do you know how many people in this world cannot do this? Do you realize that there are millions of people on this planet who do NOT eat a meal each day? Many do not have clean water to drink. Or a place to call home. They have no 'extra' clothes or electricity or indoor plumbing. I can't even imagine what that must be like. Nor do I care to try. I just know that I have all these things and so much more...and I consider all of them riches.

I sit here now, in a beautiful office in my home, with a dandy computer, a speedy internet connection, food in my belly, a hot cup of coffee, a comfortable chair, a gorgeous desk, and all the pretty things that are my treasures. Crystals in the windows. Wind chimes just outside. Plants and pictures and books and fountains. All these things make up my lovely world...and they are my riches too.

I have come to a place in my Life where I can see, all day.. every day, just how rich I am. I am so blessed to have these people in my world. All the love. The laughter and sharing and support. The many conveniences that we all take for granted all too often. There isn't a thing in the world that I NEED right now. I have it all. This, my friends, is what it means to be 'rich'. And I am basking in the glorious warmth of gratitude.

It's GOOD to be alive!

the riches of our lives ~

In those moments when things seem to get all clouded up with ickiness, there is nothing that brings you back to joy faster than a good friend. The kind of friend who will let you cry, and listen with love, without trying to solve anything for you. The kind of friend who loves you in spite of your silliness. The kind of friend who can wrap her arms around you, all the way from Nebraska.

It is in those moments when you realize just how rich you are. You can see, even through your angst, that yours is a world full of treasures, full of love, full of all things good. And somehow, just being able to let go of the angst with such a friend makes the treasure even more valuable. As if the world has expanded just because of this friendship.

It's a beautiful thing.

What's even more beautiful is how you don't get those feelings of inadequacy or embarrassment when it's all over. You don't wake up the next day feeling stupid because you were such a basket case the day before. You feel neither shame nor remorse. Rather, you feel that love wrapped around you still, warming you all the way to your bones...and beyond.

Yes, these are the riches of Life. These friends who hold us when we are being the child we are. They hold us without judgment. They hold us in their Love...large and endless.

Such a beautiful thing.

vascillation ~

there's nothing like a little perspective to get you off your butt, ya know? 'specially when you think you're having a less than stellar day...and then, you hear someone else talk about theirs. yep. makes ya really aware of what you have...and you can see it with grateful eyes. good stuff.

it's not always easy. i know. sometimes, regardless of how hard i try, there's that icky black cloud following me around, threatening to drop hailstones on my head. big hailstones...like the kind that'll dent your car. scary stuff. but the thing is, when i remember that the cloud is there cuz i formed it, i can unform it just as quickly. if i want to, that is. back to the whole 'turn the other way' thang. perspective. perspective. perspective.

yesterday, i had this feeling, all day long, that my friend was not having a very good day. just a feeling in my gut. so, after a while, i called to see how she was doing. the moment i heard her voice, i knew my instincts were right on. (as usual). i also knew that she was trying real hard to NOT tell her 'sad story'...cuz we practice that sorta thing all the time. but in the end, she did...and i was so glad for it. cuz, by the time we hung up, she was feeling better and so was i. funny how that works. more and more i see that one of the best things to do when my day is kinda icky is to call someone else and offer up some sunshine for their day. ya know, it works every time. listening to someone else's stuff takes your mind off your own stuff and pretty soon you're both whoopin' it up and laughing at how silly you're (both) being. that ick? well, it's just an illusion anyway. just like the black cloud.

it's the moments in between...the vascillation...that makes ya crazy if you let it. sheeesh! it's not like we don't have the 'tools' to change our perspectives, or our attitudes, or our moods in general. cuz we do! all of us do. question is, how often do we use them when we need them most? cuz the way i figure it, it's pretty easy to be happy when everything is honky-dorey. it's when the poop hits the pavement that we think it's hard to be happy. but if ya boil it all down to THIS MOMENT...and you look around for just a minute...you can always find something to make you smile. something to be grateful for. something to make your heart do a little dance. if only you'd take that moment, ya know?

i'm pretty sure that all this crapola is temporary. i'm also pretty sure that soon, VERY soon, it'll all be a distant memory...something for me to remember (or not!) as a time when i was asked to look inside and see just how much i have...and how much i CAN...and how many options abound for me to live the best life ever. tell ya the truth....i am SOOOOOOOOOO looking forward to that (distant memory)! for now, though, i'm just gonna keep laughing about it. cuz the only other option is to cry. and what good would that do?

HAAAAAAAAAAAA!