Life is fabulous.

Today- I work.
Tonight- I play.

The weekend is destined to be filled with fun and entertainment- not to mention the fact that I am getting out of town. What more can a girl ask for? Don't get me wrong- I love Boston. I love living here and I love all that it has to offer. But I also love exploration. The opportunity to get out and see the rest of the world. This weekend it is NYC and CT- with old friends and soon to be new ones. It will definitely be a weekend that I will not forget.

Growling dogs, happy cats, phone calls, and neighbors.

The other night I had decided to go for a walk while talking with a friend on the phone. This is actually a common practice these days as I live with 5 other people...walks are the best way to find privacy, but that is beside the point. As I was walking back to my apartment, while still talking on the phone, I passed a woman with a very small dog. He was small and black and snarling. Now most people who cross a dog who is verbally annoyed will continue past that dog. But I was curious. I stopped to ask the owner..."is he always like this". Her response was "no he just growls inappropriately". So I thought...well maybe he isn't an angry dog. He came up to me, still slightly agitated but calming as time passed, and put his little front paws on the front of my legs. I leaned down and started petting this small furry creature that had decided to invade my space. As I was talking to him he once again became agitated and jumped up trying to bite my hand. Luckily he didn't catch the skin but did catch my thumb and I walked away unscathed with the woman yelling at her dog in the background and me chuckling to myself.

The next encounter that I had was with a neighbor of mine. A very nice gentleman who was standing on his front porch and who had witnessed the whole thing. I stopped and chatted with him briefly asking if that dog was always like that. He said that usually the dog was growling at him but tonight decided to be nice. I guess I must have been on the blacklist that night.

Although the next two cats that I ran into were quite pleasant. One attempted to follow me home. The second decided to lay himself in my path demanding attention- how could I resist?

All in all it was a very eventful evening.

Mind you I was on the phone the whole time....I was being quite rude to my friend. I hope I am forgiven.

Gratitude

I think that I need to take a moment to seek a sense of gratitude in my life. Most days this comes as a very simple task, most often naturally with little thought. But today it comes as a struggle. I think that when in the midst of trying to make decisions I become overwhelmed, seeking a very large hole to crawl into. A friend recently made a comment to me about he tries to live his life being proactive rather than reactive. It is something that made me stop and think. I had to really honestly ask myself how I live my life. I found that it is a combination of both. Sometimes leaning more to one side then the other. I remember a favorite Bishop on mine one saying that life is 10% what happens to us and 90% how we react to it. This is the same principle, is it not? So where do gratitude come into this equation? For now it will be in the simple fact that I have remembered a principle that was taught to me long ago. Maybe as I begin to think a little more about this I will seek my hole a little less until eventually it will be nothing more than a passing thought.

I've missed you....

Dear Blog,

I have missed you. I am sorry for my long absence. I apologize for walking away. Please know that you were thought of often. Many a story has been written to share with you, many a thought stored away for the perfect time to place it here- where you will keep it safe. I am back, my dear blog and I will do my best to be diligent and dedicated to keeping you as an active part of my life. Thank you blog for not forgetting me and for remembering the things that I have shared. Thank you for keeping them safe so that I can come back and be reminded of the lessons I have learned.

Fondly and gratefully yours,
me

A lesson.....

Life is short.
Time goes by quickly.
Tomorrow may be your last day on earth.
Or it may be today.

As a child I was taught how to love unabashedly. I was taught to give of myself freely, without restraint. I was taught to express love often. To laugh always and to share that laughter with others. I was taught loss. I was taught sorrow. I was taught regret.

As an adolescent I decided to change. I didn't want to experience loss in the same way. I wanted to walk without regret. I wanted to be free.

As an adult I have chosen to express gratitude quickly without reserve. To love freely. To live each day knowing that I have done all that I can. I have chosen laughter and joy over sorrow and sadness. I have chosen sincerity over insincerity. I have chosen, quite simply, to be me.