They are in there.
I promise.
You might have to train yourself to look at things differently.
Some bright spots may require a little effort on your part.
Some bright spots just happen.
Once you notice them, savor them.
- Perfectly steeped tea, toast with the right amount of seedless raspberry jam, a good magazine and a few quiet moments to read.
- A Jackson Browne song, followed by a Bonnie Raitt song, followed by Fleetwood Mac on the radio as you’re driving down a tree-lined street under a canopy of red, yellow and gold.
- When the kids enjoy working together to build a ginormous pile of leaves for jumping in; and the sound of their caring, cooperative voices laughing and happy.
- A canceled dad visit.
- An email from a friend that simply says, “I was thinking of you today.”
- The cat jumping into your lap, simultaneously warming you and slowing your heart rate.
- When she finds the perfect leaf engraved with the mysterious zig zag and sets about pressing it in waxed paper between two heavy cookbooks, and doesn’t ask for help.
- When he yells, “Thanks for washing my clothes, mom!”
- A long, hot, uninterrupted, steamy shower with time to apply rosemary-scented pumice foot rub on dry cracked heels.
- Spontaneous hugs and whispers of “I love you” from the child who didn’t use to be so demonstrative.
- When she says, “Mom, can I fold the towels? Please?”
- When, at 4:30, you call and invite someone for dinner at 6, and they say, “Yes! And I’ll bring the wine!”
- When you stop raking for a second, realize that it’s not windy, and you can hear the train rumbling along the tracks down by the river and the high-pitched sound of the wings of the Canadian Geese as they fly over head.
- That first sip of Merlot when the spaghetti sauce is simmering gently, the kids are outside rolling in the leaves and Dean Martin’s version of Sway comes on the iPod.
- That delicious place at the end of the day when all the doors are locked, the kids are tucked in safely, you lay back on a new pillow, open up a new book, and realize you have the freedom to read for as long as you want.
- The moment when you realize that all your choices have brought you to this place in time, and you discover that you are right where you want to be.
Tags: in search of self, life, proactive, survive
I LOVE the way you write. And I love where you are right now. (I was going to say “stay there,” but we should never stay where we are. We’d miss the bright spots.)
Pat,
And we are going to soak up every single second of this good place we are in right now.
p.s. I love the way that you love the way I write. thx ;)
Cheers to many more bright spots in your future :).
Kira,
Same to you!
I’m not trying to suck up, but one of my bright spots is checking in here to see what you and the rest of the crew have been up to.
You. Are. A. Big. Bright. Light!
Donna,
As are you, dear! ;)
p.s. Nothing at all wrong with a little well-directed sucking up, IMHO.
Donna, I couldn’t have sucked up any better myself. :)
Jesse, did you write Ima ho? lol. Is IMHO an inside joke? Or am I dense today? Not the brightest light on this blog, am I? ha.
Z,
You crack me up. I’m usually the last to get the shorthand in texting and such.
IMHO = in my humble opinion.
The Ima ho thing probably wouldn’t fly at this point in my life… or any point, for that matter. ;)
Nice disclaimer…IMHO! lol…