Dear Reader:

When I came across this expression, while reading a novel a few days ago… it made me stop and remember times in my own life when I experienced and then acted on a hunch. Webster defines the term hunch as a belief or idea about something that is not based on facts or evidence. In a nutshell… a gut response.

I found this following true episode fascinating. A clinical psychologist was called to give assistance to a wealthy client’s son who was mired in a depression and seemed lost with no direction. The father and his two children were still suffering from the loss of both wife and mother to a fatal disease. The son , particularly, seemed the most affected by the sudden loss.

As the psychologist began meeting with the young boy each week… she noticed that most rooms looked pretty normal, typical… except for the ” living” room. This was the room where they met weekly… it was dark and gloomy compared to other areas of the house.

One day… she noticed that as soon as she left… the father scurried back in the same room. Later that night the hunch came bright as light. It wasn’t the son as much as the father who needed some extra help… to be connected to the world again… to feel affirmed.

The hunch came in the form of the thought -” Living WITH life.” The father was in a deep depression-he just covered it up better but his inclination to hide in the dead and dreary ” living” room revealed the source of the problem.

After counseling to help him cope with his grief… a dramatic change took place. It started with bringing light, air, into a freshly painted ( bright color) living room… the father began socializing more, dating and eventually remarried. The whole family began living again once the father took the initiative to model his new response to change.

Spiritually speaking ” lucky ” hunches are more than luck. It is our Creator opening our eyes and minds to new paths and perspectives towards others and ourselves.

In retrospect most of my hunches deal with personal impressions …that the person I just met is open and willing to be there for me… ( someone I feel I can trust) as in bankers, nurses, doctors, plumbers, builders, lawyers, etc. I am either very ” lucky” in the people who form a circle in my life or God’s radar is getting through to me loudly and clearly.

So until tomorrow… I have a hunch it is time to end this post… and ask anyone who has a good ” hunch” story ( they would like to share) to please do so.

Today is my favorite day-Winnie the Pooh

Beth Brewer wondered if the bird I saw was an anhinga water bird sometimes called a snake bird or even ” devil bird.” It looks mighty close to me… any thoughts?

Our ace reporter, Eva Cate, said that they had saved the Washington National Zoo for the last full day ( yesterday) but it was so crowded it wasn’t fun. She much preferred Colombia’ Riverbank Zoo… a tribute to our state zoo. Sometimes bigger isn’t always better… just more crowded! A good lesson in life to learn!