Saturday, October 31, 2009

Happy Halloween

Sometimes, you just appreciate being normal, even when you want to kill the dog. I was having the most wonderful dream this morning. Snuggled in my bed with my heating pad strapped to my belly, my husband snoring beside me softly. It was barely light enough to make out shapes of furniture and I was in that blissful stage between waking and sleeping when you can halfway direct your dreams like you are Stephen Spielberg.

Scarlett would have no part of my blissful dream of buying a complete new wardrobe in Paris after achieving my goal weight. As I walked the cobblestone strips scooping up Prada and Dolce, my ears were ringing with the far away sounds of pitiful whine.bark.whine. My shopping trip was over.

We trudged outside in the misty fall light of a Halloween morning to a light rain and a swirl of orange in the air. The leaves were falling like snow but it wasn't cold. The air was crisp and fresh and I turned my face to the overcast sky and just let it wash away the past. We stayed outside for probably 45 minutes. I cleaned up most of the cardboard recycling piled on the back of the deck. Set out the plastic chairs and tables around the deck, took down the window boxes and straightened some potted plants.

To continue the feeling of renewed energy and starting fresh, I cleaned my kitchen (again) and made a pot of chili, started some more laundry and took a nap cuddled with my now happy and pee-free pups.

I think sometimes we forget how to live. We forget what we live for, what we work for. We don't live just to procreate but to contribute to the cycle of life, the seasons of the earth. We have friendships, families, loved ones. We have holidays, parties, events, and meetings. We have work, yardwork, house maintenance, and bad times. Things that consume us when it deviates us from our plan.

There is a book by one of my favorite Authors who wrote back before, during and after the World Wars. She wrote of life in upper class America. Of how they continued to live every day to the best of their ability while assuming Red Cross Duties, Air Raid Warden positions and encouraging the youth of America to be upstanding citizens. One of her books, Spring Always Comes, ends a period of strife and conflict in the heroine's life with the first signs of Spring and renewel. Why wait for Spring? Even in the darkest days of winter, you can find love and peace and a continued effort to make life happen. Whether you are religious and believe in God's plan or not, there is always a feeling of being on a journey. At certain times by the universal plan or God's design, you are meant to be in a certain spot for a certain reason. It's not always about YOU but may be about influencing someone else's life. Bringing yourself through tragedy gives you the strength to provide it for someone else who may not have had enough of their own without your aid.

It's hard to admit we do not have control and we often cater to the perverse things of life: that new roof we have no choice but to buy, that expensive tune-up on a foreign car, a whiney dog needing to pee on a comfortable Fall morning, a baby crying at 2 am when you have the flu. It's not always easy even when we get what we want but taking the time to enjoy what is around you each and every day while getting to each destination along the way: Priceless.

I wish you all a Happy Fall Day full of love, compassion, strength and smiling Trick or Treaters. Happy Halloween.

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