Painted Days August 24, 2014

29 and 35. They would probably not be happy with me for what I’m about to share, but I know they’ll get over it (I hope). That is how young my forever mom and dad are, respectively. And, for the most part, they act their age. But that could not be said this weekend, as all sorts of silliness broke lose in and outside the walls of my beloved forever home. I’m not sure what got into the hearts and minds of my forever people this weekend, but I’ll tell you this much – it was fun to watch.

It started with an adventure making some sort of new (and delicious smelling) food on Friday night, followed by their acceptance of the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge later that evening. It didn’t stop there. Yesterday, it looked like a kindergarten classroom had taken over the basement. There was paint and clay and picture frames. And there was laughing. Lots of laughing.

From what I can tell, it was an attempt by mom and dad to preserve the ever evolving hands and feet of my dear little Carter, who will soon be eight months old already. Into the paint and clay his little hands and feet went, albeit not very neatly. Over and over they tried for the perfect hand and footprints to no avail. Eventually they gave up and settled for a couple of slightly smeared versions of his footprint to add to a collage of the family footprints for the living room.

As I sat by and watched it all unfold I couldn’t help but feel the slightest bit left out. That used to be me, I thought to myself. I used to be the center of attention. Sometimes I swear mom can hear my thoughts somehow because about three moments into my melancholy, she called me over and I got my wish. I got my right paw all messed with paint and in doing so I felt like the peace in my heart was restored.

Which is a good thing since I absolutely loved the youthful playfulness of this weekend around here. There were other things too, but these were the highlights. These were the moments I will never forget. I don’t need to be able to distinguish all the colors in the rainbow to know these are painted days.

To see the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge video, click here.

 

 

 

Advertisement

Love Play Live: Lighting Up Darkness January 18, 2013

Have you ever tried to piece a puzzle together without the box? I’ve been trying that lately with Simple Abundance. I was worried that I was going to start sounding repetitive with the whole gratitude in simplicity storyline and folks would get disinterested. But I did not disregard my daily commitment to reading Simple Abundance, whether or not I made it a main focus of my blogger thoughts this week. I do wonder if that hasn’t had a negative influence on my weeklong reflections…I hope not, but I welcome any and all feedback on the matter.

What I know is that today’s Simple Abundance challenge struck a special chord with me. Living in Wisconsin, a state that gets cold and snowy and the hours of sunlight are at an extreme shortage this time of year, the concept of light amidst the darkness speaks to me.

“Outside, winter’s darkness closes in,” Breathnach writes. “Inside, you have found your own light.” We find light in the little things that may seem otherwise insignificant throughout the day, like that special treat mom gives me before she goes back to work after lunch, or that bowl of peas dad gives me after he and mom share a yummy Friday night steak dinner.

So again I enjoy today’s daily prompt in coordination with my daily journey toward comfort and joy:

http://dailypost.wordpress.com/2013/01/18/daily-prompt-free-association/

Write down the first words that comes to mind when we say . . .

. . . home.

. . . soil.

. . . rain.

Use those words in the title of your post.

Love play live. When I think of home, soil, and rain, those are the first three words that come to mind for me.

…home = love: Mom, this one’s for you. We both love Phillip Phillips, but when I hear his lyrics to “Home,” I think of what you and dad did for me when you brought me home from the humane society. I picture these words coming from you, which fills my heart with so much love there really are no words to explain my thankfulness. Except for those set to beautiful chords by Mr. Phillips himself:

“Settle down, it’ll all be clear
Don’t pay no mind to the demons
They  fill you with fear
The trouble it might drag you down love
If you get lost,  you can always be found
Just know you’re not alone
Cause I’m going  to make this place your home.”

…soil = play: Dad, this one’s for you. All those times you we play around in the backyard when you don’t think mom is looking…those are some of my most favorite moments. I know sometimes I make a mess of the yard, and then I track dirt into the house, but you love me nonetheless. And I know you didn’t consider yourself a “dog person” before we met, so our quiet moments together without anyone else mean that much more to me. I love you, dad.

…rain = life: This one’s for my family. I know what its like to seek shelter in the rain without a warm, loving home. I would prefer not to sleep under a stinky green garbage unit ever again. Yet somehow rain is a reminder that I probably will never have to.  Because I have home and soil, I am thankful for rain. I greet the reminder of my blessings in life.

Inside, I have found my light.

Related articles

• the ingredients of me – home…soil…rain (thepigmentsoflife.wordpress.com)
• Everything, Rain, Gloom… (ayimas.wordpress.com)
• I’m A Child Of The Rain, At Home In The Soil (allthosesmallthings.wordpress.com)