I try to be positive. One thing that unnerved me was saying to myself I am grateful for and finding out often what I was grateful for would happen: surprise, surprise. There must be a lesson there somewhere? It is sort of what BD is saying that we learn to live with the next hurdle. Like an athlete training we have the skills to cope and move on.
Can losing bring gain? Most people would say no to that thought. Dealing with loss is part of the lessons life brings with it. If happiness is your goal in life you will find it fleeting at best. Finding a purpose, be it helping others or sharing your creative mind or like my brother sharing his love of music, then you have found triumph. If it is only for a particularly bad day your purpose may just be just to make it through. For me it can be going down the 7 stairs and letting my dog Sadie outside. Or for me it can be the same purpose as Sadie as I shuffle to the human receptical so to speak.
My grand kids elementary school in the youngest grades had a way to describe joy by saying that filled my bucket. They would envision a bucket inside their chest that could be filled by doing good things. Yesterday my bucket became overfilled being able to meet BD in person and FaceTime a loverly loverly, loverly visit with YaYa. I have always thought wouldn’t it be loverly to meet a chat friend in person. It was better than all the chocolate that you can eat like the song goes. However did not notice any green crayons hidden around. BD is one cool dude. Handsome even in his older age with the perfect gray white beard and a baritone voice like a string bass played by blue heron. Deep
as the nature that surrounds him. Like his commented that if you allow yourself to be quiet, really quiet you can listen to the symphony around you. Some reverberations can be a wood wind’s cacophony lightly trilling only to be interrupted by a bass drum followed by a cymbal. Then the tuba jumps in and it is as a riot of flowers in early spring. Some soft pinks, some red barn red yet they make natures purist form.
So I guess my new purpose is to fill that empty bucket with contemplation and be atune to the music
the birds in the birdhouse outside my window make as they wake. Enjoy the touch of sadie’s brown fur by petting her before she goes outside. Revel in the sounds from the elementary school children as their fun floats on the breeze. Stand a bit longer to view the sunrise through the pine trees behind my house.
Surround yourself with the things the world gives for free. The only cost is finding them for yourself. Use your imagination to create the world of smooth skies, finding the moon among the clouds, discover a color. a fragrance, a sound, the texture of tree bark. BD landed in heaven on earth. What an inspiration. So many of us lose that chance to just be. He teaches us what we need to hear in his kind, gentlemanly words.
Best
Ruthie
They do say simple can often be best. And the best things in life are free. Friendship tops the list.