Gratitude..Let There Be Laughter

It's been an interesting month..the ups, and some pretty big downs, just keep coming.  What to do? Well, I must admit, there were times when I literally curled up in a ball and wallowed. I didn't stay there for long because, to be honest, that just feels like dog doo doo!

There were other times when I drove across town to my friend's house- to have company, an ear to listen and just so as not to be alone.  Sometimes there was laughter, the kind of laughs that come over nothing. The laughter would come sometimes at the most inappropriate times, which of course makes it all that much better. But the laughter was soothing..It brought me out of the low places.

Other times it would be a series of texts from a friend far away..mostly poking fun and joking. Sometimes these texts had me laughing so hard, sitting all alone, that I couldn't breathe. Is there anything better than that laughter that simply wont stop? It cleanses and soothes and makes everything all better, even if for just that moment.

With this laughter, whether it was in person or through the words on my phone, I felt everything WAS getting better. I have an interesting habit of walking in the world and seeing humor in almost any situation.  Yet what I wasn't doing was laughing at my own situation...I was taking my own self way too seriously. It wasn't just about lightening up. It was about forgetting to see the fun and the humor in whatever life throws in my path.

I do not usually watch sitcoms..just not my thing. But one night I decided to give it a try..and it worked. The sitcom was so ridiculously stupid and silly that I found myself laughing out loud..and it felt good! Combine that with my phone pinging with crazy texts and I literally couldn't stop laughing.  For a time I didn't have a care in the world.

So, when life throws us curveballs, which it is bound to do, seek out the laughter wherever you can. Let the people around you know that you need it..trust me, there is always someone who is ready to provide the laughs. Laughter is like no other balm..it gives perspective and if someone is happy to provide the laughs to lift you up-trust me, you've got a great friend!


This post is dedicated to Cindy, Carol & Marissa-always ready to see how hard they can get me to laugh.

Grateful for the Questions Inside the Silence

Silence-it can be so disconcerting. How to fill it..should I speak? Turn on the tv? Listen to music? Talk to myself? Make a phone call? Turn on the volume on my computer? I was pondering this idea of our inability to just "be" in silence. As a society we are inundated with constant noise. We are numb, immune to it. I even turn on music during my morning "quiet" time, that time in the day that I have reserved for spiritual practice an d meditation. Granted, the music I play is soothing and uplifting. But even still, I wondered-why do I feel the need to immediately turn this sound on and have it fill my mind. What am I missing when I do that?

So, I stopped. I turned the music off and I sat. I sat in the chair given to me by two of my most loving friends. And I thought of them. I thought of how they got to this amazing place they are at in their lives. I thought about how much this little rocking chair that I sat in meant to them. I thought of their journey..it made me smile. Thinking of these two people brought a question to mind..what is my own journey? Am I on track? Whats next?  In the silence I let the questions sit. I did not demand an answer. I know the answer is already there.

In the silence, I heard my breath. I closed my eyes and waited for whatever questions, or answers, came to me. Maybe, I realized, there are no answers. It is all just a series of questions and our journey is just the exploration of these questions. It is a journey of seeking. While in this silence, I simply relaxed and let the silence wash over me. I was entranced by what I heard in that silence. Yes, more questions. But I knew in that beautiful, magical silent moment, that I could embrace those questions, for in the unknown is my journey. So, I am in gratitude for all of the questions on this road, for in those unknown moments IS my journey..and what an amazing life it can be when I embrace it all!

The Beauty Inside A Friendship

Ahhh..those moments when we feel so human, and oh so alone. Have you ever had one, or two, of those? Those searing, painful moments when you are sure that no one "gets" you...Yep, I've had a few of those lately. My mind and my heart conflicted, that awful feeling in the pit of my stomach, a sort of physical, bodily alert system.

And yet, I couldn't hear what my heart and my body were telling me. I was just feeling SO human. And just when I thought there couldn't possibly be an answer, the phone rings. A friend who doesn't just listen, but brings me back to who I am, why I'm here, why we are all here. I am reminded of how far I've come, and yes, how far I have yet to go.

I pondered the idea of friendship this morning and what it really means. There are friends who I see maybe once a year, or less..and yet I know, without a doubt, that at a time of need or a time of celebration, these friends are there, cheering me on, sharing the laughter and the tears with me.  There are new friends whose connection was immediate and intense. There is a knowing that we will be there and we will get through together. And there is the knowing of how fortunate we are to have a new being in our lives, to travel this journey with.

There is the friend who invites me to sleep over, because that's what girls do when they're up, or when they're down. There is chocolate and wine and long walks. Sometimes there is lots of talk, and sometimes there is silence, and it is all perfect. There is laughter and tears and the complete knowledge that either one is right in that moment. There is blunt talk and the pointed reminder again of who I am and what I am worth. How easy it can be to forget that truth.

Friendship is truth; friendship is love. Friendship is being there for whatever is needed. Friendship is calling me out when I put up my shield. Friendship is seeing my brilliance and reminding me of it. Friendship is a connection that pain and heartache cannot break.

I am so grateful today for friendship..As I walk along this journey, I thank the Universe for giving me the amazing people who have joined my path with all of its twists and turns..together the journey is even more joyous.