The sleep post that Dr. Ted and I are working on is a work in progress. It is going to be quite awhile before we are even close to wrapping it up. I do appreciate those of you who chimed in with sleep questions and wisdom.
In the meanwhile, I am going to shift my attention to a different topic..
It was my birthday this week.
For those of you who incorporate doing the Wordle as part of your daily routine, the answer for the word on my birthday was CURSE (thanks wordle, but I refuse to accept that. Nope. Not even close!
The world does seem to be full of horrible things. But there are fabulous things as well. The problem is that the horrible things are the ones that create most of the noise, capture our attention and of course, make the headlines. It is pretty easy to forget to notice the wonders that are around us.
It is hard to remember to find moments of joy when you are aware that so many people are having really difficult times. It is also human nature to not really pay attention to things that work the way they should. Like most people, I tend to notice when they are broken or not working.
It brought to mind a quick story of how we take things for granted.
Many years ago, I was walking our beloved golden retriever Java. This was when she was pretty young and exuberant. I was holding the leash in a very foolish manner and it was wrapped around my little finger. (Lesson to dog owners…don’t do that!) As we were going down some steep steps, Java started to pull me. She may have spotted a squirrel and she was off and running. As I jerked back to avoid being pulled down the stairs, my pinky snapped. Ouch indeed! Anyone who has suffered an injury to a finger or toe knows how especially painful those can be.
The reason that this tale of woe is at all relevant is to illustrate a point. I was much more impacted by a broken pinky finger than I ever could have imagined. I had never given much thought to this particular digit. Of course it was my right and dominant hand. Without the ability to bend that finger, I was not able to hold a pen, or more importantly since I was still actively working in my job as a nurse, I was not able to give shots for many weeks.
Go ahead and try to pick up a pen and write something while your little finger stays straight, It’s exceedingly awkward.
My lesson today is first of all to be mindful of all the things that are working well. If you don’t have a headache, sore throat or congestion, hooray! Can you walk without pain? Pay attention. We usually only notice when there is an issue.
Secondly, if you are dealing with tough stuff as many of us are this year, don’t let the difficult things completely eclipse the lovely stuff that is still surrounding you. Listen to music, go someplace and be wowed by nature
This week I decided to focus on my personal corner of the universe, and give some appreciation for things that I can sometimes take for granted. How lucky am I to have a warm and loving family! It warmed my heart that old friends and acquaintances reached out with birthday wishes
It is fun to be methodical and to go through a little checklist of my senses. What brought me joy?
Seeing: Spring blossoms. So many gorgeous colors.
Hearing: My grandsons laugh and giggle. The sound of music as Lauren and I actually had a peaceful moment to play some piano duets.
Smell: The aroma of the ‘birthday’ cookies that Elliot helped make.
Taste: Yes… they were delicious
Touch: Snuggles
Things to look forward to: My husband and I have some exciting trips planned.
When people ask me how I am doing these days, my response is, “My micro world is really lovely”
There is good stuff. You can find it. You just need to pay attention. It can be something as simple as taking a page out of my sister-in-law Barbara's book and grabbing a martini and watching reruns of the Big Bang Theory
While you are at it, pay a bit of homage to that all important pinky!
And the bad stuff? Remember to differentiate between what is in your control and what is not. Even small, positive gestures and kindnesses can help move things in the right direction.
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