Kindness Comes from the Kind-hearted
A lovely couple, from two doors down, welcomed us to the community with a platter of warm, loving cookies-and have remained consistently kind-hearted, available, and interested. To me, this is both humbling and remarkable. People often present as “friendly” for the sake of the optical but are often simultaneously disinterested and unkind.
I am definitely not a friendly person by nature. But– I have learned to be kind–not to be confused with: being social, people pleasing, or willing to hustle for my worth. Lacking a need to be perceived as friendly, people concerned with appearances are threatened confused by me. Trusted Others –recognize this: Not always wearing a smile, I will help any person in need, without being asked and regardless if I like or “approve” of them. (more…)
“Vulnerability sounds like truth and feels like courage.
Discovering loyalty, which, fingers crossed, will come bundled with learning to forgive betrayal- is a BIIIIIG part of my journey. 
Not stoic 
Thank you, Joel Osteen, for a reminder that life is about making memories. Shared experiences and connections….rather than required and posed photos with others in close proximity. I have too many photos suggestive of good times and connection and have been often saddened that the lack of posed photos in recent years is proof of the opposite. Truth, I hide from the camera because pictures can lie…or worse, they can tell the truth! For OUR 2016 Thanksgiving, however, it would have been nice to have someone snapping pictures on the down-low, of us just doing our thing, laughing, playing, being who we are. Journalistic photos are my fave. Posing genuinely 100% pains me. I wouldn’t mind some photos of us, in action, enjoying 
An article about the “practice of gratitude” was shared with me–starting by acknowledging each of the people whose efforts and jobs contribute to the ease and comfort of my life. I woke too early this morning and gave it a try. First, my soft jersey sheets, thinking of those who planted and picked the cotton, those who packed it and shipped it, those who cleaned it and dyed it beautiful red, those who turned it from fiber to cloth, cut and sewed it into sheets…and of course those who made it available at Target. It is infinite to think of every pair of hands that went into the making and buying of my lovely sheets. I intend to make this a practice and to model it for my children. It is an simple idea and a fantastic way to be intentional and mindful of gratitude-offering a direct path out my headspace when it is unwholesome. Often times, a trip to Target is the only thing that soothes me from troublesome thinking. Seriously.
First mellllllllow Thanksgiving ever: Greg and I grimaced over the 7 menu items actually requiring work, imagining the stress of those with a vision for exactly how the grand feast must be presented and received. Probably, easier done without consideration for children and individual preferences. We were relaxed about our “plan”, and still– managing timing the dishes to be throughly cooked and hot -at all at once, felt challenging. S1 announced that he was “starving” before the meal was fully prepared. So, he ate his meal in courses, while S2 and Greg’s son played outside-before the official Feast time.
Today’s post is for those who are suffering; doubting their worthiness. Nothing like special occasions to revive the myth that we, the unlovable, must hustle for our worth- that there are pre-requisites for unconditional belonging and nurturing love. There are those among us who understand and embrace our responsibility to share our experience and courage to Change the Things We Can.
