Chapel of Hope Stories

Dear Reader:

I remember as a child hating going into old antique stores with my aunts and great-aunts. It was their favorite thing to do but at seven or eight…those stores smelled musty and moldy and dusty to me. I spent most of my time sneezing while this or that aunt oohed and aahed over this “rare treasure” that “so and so” must have…simply “must.”

I would stare at the object…usually some kind of chair, table, or ottoman and think “Has Great-Aunt Eva lost her marbles?” ( “That is the most uncomfortable chair in the whole store and that table would take up the whole kitchen and then some???”)

I wanted to go to one of the ‘modern’ department stores with new shiny toys in the windows…all fresh-smelling and sparkly…along with wonderful perfume aromas coming from certain floors as we rode the elevator up to each one….that was so cool!

In Mark Nepo’s first popular, award-winning book (The Book of Awakening) he chooses a completely different formation for his idea of a “rare treasure”...human beings. 

*(Title Photo) Eva Cate was four when little brother Jake arrived on my birthday (September 24)…and the family was a little concerned that Eva Cate would have a hard time adjusting to new competition after being an only child for so many years… but she surprised us all!

She was mesmerized by her baby brother and wouldn’t stop holding him and just staring in his face like it was the most wondrous thing she had ever seen…Nepo would say she experienced a moment of “awakening.”

… Nepo continues: “There is a Buddhist precept that asks us to be mindful of how rare it is to find ourselves in human form on Earth. It is really a beautiful view of life that offers us the chance to feel enormous appreciation for the fact that we are here as individual spirits filled with consciousness, drinking water and chopping wood.

It asks us to look about at the ant and the antelope, at the worm and the butterfly, at the dog and the  bull, at the hawk and the wild lonely tiger, at the hundred year old oak and the thousand year old body of water. It asks us to understand that no other life form has the consciousness of being that we are privilege to.  It asks us to recognize that of all the endless species of plants and animals and minerals that make up the Earth, a very small portion of life has the wakefulness of spirit that we call “being human.”

...But we are blessed – in this time, in this place, to be human beings alive in rare ways we often take for granted.

All of this to say, this precious human birth is unrepeatable. So what will you do today, knowing that you are one of the rarest forms of life to ever walk the Earth? How will you carry yourself? What will you do with your hands? What will you ask and of whom?

…Today we are precious and rare and awake.  We are ushered into grateful living. It makes hesitation useless.  Grateful and awake, ask what we need to know now. Say what we feel now. Love what we love now. We have the wakefulness of spirit.”

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Guess who came yesterday and surprised me? Michael! And what a fabulous job he did…after showing you the “natural” path yesterday…he cleaned up all the paths leading to the back…sidewalks, driveways…it really looks so good…after months of leaves and fallen branches, twigs, and pine cones.

Thank you Michael…what a blessing you are to me… helping me keep this big yard and garden up…I couldn’t do it without you and your hard work!

*Luke sent these photos of Belize and Chelsey -who looks like a model… while Belize looks like Utopia! So glad you are having fun Luke & Chelsey! Safe travels!

Dear Reader:

It has taken me almost a lifetime to fully recognize the importance of staying on my own, unique natural path in life..not the high maintenance kind where every leaf, bush, and tree is in place.

What got me thinking about this… was  a text from Michael Salvo, my fireman/lawn maintenance workman extraordinaire yesterday. *You might remember I told you he fell shortly before Christmas leaving his arm in need of surgery and months of physical therapy…very similar to Brooke’s situation.

When he came over before Christmas to bring me a holiday plant he apologetically said it might be months before he could return full time to the lawn maintenance part of his work…according to his surgeon. I reassured him that it was fine…take as much time as he and his arm needed. The yard wasn’t going anywhere.

During the dormant winter months many of the plants hibernate and rest up for spring…others ‘give up the ghost’ and still others pop back up whether they have been maintained during the winter or not. They are the “pioneer stock.”

Michael hopes to start back by the end of this week or early next week…which means there might actually be some sun out…we are predicted to have almost a week of sunshine…I hate to admit it but I am slightly skeptical…we haven’t gone that long without rain for…(well)..ever! 🙂

And even though Michael will get lots of leaves off the driveways up and out…along with weeds and other cuttings…we all know yard maintenance is temporary…it only last a few weeks before it is time to cut, weed-eat, rake, and blow debris away again.

But that is what I like about it….I would tire easily of perfect drive-ways and manicured lawns…the fun is watching nature return and the constant interaction between man and nature. (Nature always wins! 🙂

If we are staying true to ourselves then we must live a simple life that is close to the heart of nature!

Metaphorically…with my health issues at a head in January and February… leaving me feeling ‘bare and dormant’ like my garden… I, only, wanted to stay nestled deep down in my recliner with blankets around me…similarly to a seed staying snug deep down in the warm earth waiting to return to life with the signals of heat from the sun.

So until tomorrow…I now feel ready to return again as life emerges and the flowers and blooms greet me once again from their long hibernation. We are both rested now…let life begin to re-fill and fulfill both of us!

“Today is my favorite day”  Winnie the Pooh

What is so exciting now is that new flowers will pop up that weren’t there before…I will find some new flowers to plant and each year the garden looks just a little different than the year before…nothing stays the same. A lot of “something wonderfuls are about to unfold!”

Dear Reader:

Haven’t we all known people in our lives who seem to have not gotten the message that they, themselves, don’t have to save the world?

I remember grandmother shaking her head when a certain woman would arrive from the little country church they attended to stop by and read scripture or drop off some cornbread or  say a prayer over uncertain events in the upcoming week. Then she would dash off “to save the rest of the world” before collapsing, surely, in her own bed by nightfall. It must have been exhausting the save the world daily all by herself.

Grandmother would mutter under her breath as she waved good-bye to the ‘lady from the church’ that someone somewhere along the way, perhaps even a preacher, forgot to tell “Miss So and So” that she, alone, didn’t have to save the world!” Then Grandmother would start laughing and just shaking her head…apparently the hardest part of “Miss Do-Gooder’s” visit was keeping a straight face.

Today children’s imagination about someone powerful enough to save the world originates back to 1938 when Superman first made his appearance on the scene. If you think about it…these were the scary years preceding World War II and the very real threat of world dominance by Hitler and Germany. We needed a tangible superhero who could bring hope through stories of heroism beyond mere human capacity.

Superman was so popular that other superheroes flooded the market, following in suit (literally) and soon children all over the world wanted to imitate and dress up like their caped crusaders. After all who doesn’t want to “save the world?”

Quinn Caldwell, popular author, preacher, and theologian adds his own unique tongue-in-cheek observation to the often mis-interpreted passage of scripture.

“If you’re like the rest of us, you will do (or have already done) the resolution thing for 2020. A couple I know spends every January 1st doing what they call “Healthy, Wealthy, and Wise.” Together, they make one commitment that will help them be healthier, one that will help them to use their wealth in better and more faithful ways, and one that will educate them or otherwise improve their wisdom. It is a worthy way to spend the day.

Resolving to do things that will improve our lives and improve the world is certainly a good practice. But before you do it this year, allow me to make a suggestion. Take a few minutes and read through all of John’s vision in chapters 21 and 22 of the Book of Revelation. Take time to imagine what the world will be like when this vision is fulfilled. Imagine what it will look like, what it will taste like, how you will feel. Bask in the goodness.

And then just before you begin resoluting, remind yourself of this very important point: It is not your job to save the whole world; Somebody Else has already made that resolution, and that particular Somebody is guaranteed to keep it. “

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So until tomorrow…

“Lord, I thank you that you are God and I am not. Help me to trust that you are saving the world even as we speak, and give me the grace and the resolve to recognize and play my small, unique part in it. Amen.”

“Today is my favorite day”  Winnie the Pooh

*Mollie just sent me the latest “Eloise” Swinger photo! I love you Eloise! Boo Boo

Dear Reader:

Yesterday I had lunch out with friends and as I was paying my bill…I noticed the sign (above) on the wall adjacent to our booth. Immediately…my thoughts transferred  ‘tender steaks that have aged’  to a different direction and concept. What about us aging with tenderness and gentleness?

Andy Rooney nailed this universal aging paradox!

“It’s paradoxical that the idea of living a long life appeals to everyone, but the idea of getting old doesn’t appeal to anyone.”

(And as much as we like the idea of taking advantage of old age by saying what we think whenever we want to say it, or dressing crazy, or being the zany, feisty Aunt Lulu who can’t remember her name, much less where her car keys are…most of us also like the idea that aging gracefully can be a metamorphosis for  aging tenderly and gently in our snippets of wisdom we pass on…especially in dealing with others.)

To me…aging gracefully with dignity… is a belief in the goodness of what we are experiencing daily and then sharing. It is tender, gentle affirmations that honor our being, our amazing journey of  life thus far, the countless experiences, the “Ah-ha” moments, and especially our beautiful memories that are the essential fabric of our being.

We need to remember to pay homage to ourselves…to honor both our journey, and our being. .  We should pay reverence to the life we have lived and, most importantly, believe in the beauty that lies ahead for us.

The art of graceful dignified aging truly begins with affirmation.  We must honor ourselves, dismiss the foolish notions of physical aging put forth by society…instead replacing these societal notions with an inner conviction in the beauty of our journey…not our faces.

This will be the point at which we truly learn how to age with dignity, grace, and the kind of beauty that matters.

So until tomorrow… Dear Father…“Keep me reasonably gentle and tender. I do not have the ambition to become a saint –besides it is so hard to live with most of them — but a harsh old person is one of the devil’s masterpieces.”

― Margot Benary-Isbert (“Prayer of an Anonymous Abbess”)

“Today is my favorite day”  Winnie the Pooh

Vickie and I went over to help send off “the kids” (Luke and Chelsey) yesterday…I had the cutest picture of the couple but suddenly the rain started and the iPhone went all fuzzy. Chelsey has a new wonderful job that they are celebrating…and they are off to Belize for a few days.

Vickie is checking on Gertrude, the amazing hen, and Reese the cat…we got a tour of their new home and cottage – rental/ (Air B&B. ) Both the house and cottage look like something out of Southern Living…only cuter!

Here are a few snapshots I was able to get before the raindrops fell.

The last photo is a door that was built for the original home…so cute!

Dear Reader:

A book sure can be a life-saver, can’t it…when it arrives at just the perfect time! This happened last week. Brooke told me about a book some friends gave her…a fictional story set on Edisto Island in the mid- 1980’s. She thoroughly enjoyed it and thought I would too. On the way home from Pawleys she told me she would try to get it off to me to read while waiting on the results of the CT Chest scans.

Remember that those were the long three rainy, dreary days between last Monday and last Thursday? When the book/package arrived Wednesday afternoon I was so excited! I desperately needed a good book to become completely immersed in and get my mind off the impending test results the next morning. This book did the job!!! 🙂

I called Brooke to thank her and tell her it had come …there was  silence on the phone…”Today…you said it came today…Boo?” I just got it in the mail late yesterday afternoon and was told hopefully it would arrive Thursday…unbelievable…it was surely meant to be.”

(And it was… since I couldn’t sleep Wednesday night but instead stayed up a good portion of it happily reading away as the rain fell in torrents.)

One of my personal reasons for enjoying this book comes from the author’s thorough island history… she took time to research  while writing the story. For example, in one conversation between two of the main characters…one life-long resident of the island asks the newcomer (Claire)….

“Do you know why Edisto still has those lovely big oaks draped with Spanish moss all along the highway ?” 

Claire responds: “I never really thought about it. Is there a reason?”

“There is indeed and it was because of a woman. In the early 1900’s, one of the Wilkerson girls (Jean) was engaged to the engineer building the new highway into the island. She told him flat out if he cut down the live oaks along the highway as initially intended, that she wouldn’t marry him. She held fast to her stand, too, so he changed his plans and kept the trees.”

( She grinned…”You think of that plucky woman every time you drive in and out of Edisto from now on. A strong, determined woman can do about anything she wants to if she sets her mind to it.”)

And I am going to do just that from now on-remember the “plucky woman” who saved the beautiful tree-line highway….What makes Edisto so unique and why the Ya’s and so many other residents and tourists love this island is because Highway 174 leading into Edisto is lined with live oaks with Spanish moss all along the highway.

When you go to other barrier islands around Charleston… sadly trees have been destroyed and replaced by palm trees or some other designated tree placed precisely so many feet apart….very structured and detailed…but a loss of natural charm at the same time.

The other wonderful difference between Edisto and the other more commercialized islands is that no hotels are allowed on the island or big chain restaurants, stores, amusement parks or sky scrapers of any kind…it has remained basically an island of beach homes for rent or permanent residence. A quiet family beach …one of the last of its kind along the South Carolina coast.

The real joy of going to Edisto is the trip there… over the gorgeous old Dawhoo Bridge (William McKinley)  with miles and miles of beautiful marshes, historic preservations to visit like Botany Bay and Steamboat Landing…everything is kept with its natural beauty in tact.

And of course…Edisto Island will always be special to my family since Cypress Trees was the location for John and Mandy’s wedding…May 3, 2008! Absolutely beautiful!

So until tomorrow…Let us never take natural beauty for granted. In many cases dedicated citizens have risen with voices intact to preserve their home, their island, and their way of life worth fighting for…such is the “grit and determination”  of Edisto Island.

“Today is my favorite day”  Winnie the Pooh

P.S.

On a chatty note…I was talking to Brooke about Edisto and the story of the  woman who ‘saved the live oaks and Spanish moss‘ so Highway 174 is still lined with this beautiful canopy of fanned branches covered in beautiful seasonal foliage .

There was a pause in the conversation…and Brooke said…”I agree during daylight hours Boo…but I had to return to the island late one night (pre-cataract surgeries) and it was as scary an experience as Icabod Crane’s headless horseman chase at the end of the Disney movie!”

“Every oak tree seemed to be jumping out in  front of me around each bend in the road with the Spanish moss looking like fingers dragging me closer and closer  to the next tree. It was terrifying… I have never again driven  to the island once darkness descends  and I never will…that experience left me traumatized!

Dear Reader:

The human memory never ceases to amaze me…like Carol Poole remembering the little story of the bird with limited wing capacity but plenty of song left in her. That story would have been lost forever in my memory bank if Carol had not shared it with us all. And what a precious memory it is…the best gift of all Carol!

Yesterday morning when I went out on the front porch to turn off the porch street lantern…it was still at freezing temperatures. The sun was just beginning to spread its light farther down the street…but the open field next door was so beautiful…the lowcountry’s snow…frost. (As close as we get!)

As I went to get my iPhone to take the picture…the words popped up immediately in my mind….”Born on a frosty morn.” Puzzled I repeated the short phrase and then the memories galloped in. President’s Day in elementary school.

We always studied Washington and Lincoln, of course, and each year the reading for Lincoln’s birth (February 12, 1809) always started with….”He was born on a frosty morn.” 

I have never forgotten that line and never forgotten the connection to Lincoln’s birth in his one room log cabin. Isn’t it funny what phrases or memories survive childhood education?

As I took in the exquisite beauty of our own “frosty morn”…I wandered around to the back deck. Looking up into the beautiful flowering pear tree blossoms that hang over my back roof/deck was a feast for the eyes!

Then something caught my attention high up in the branches…some kind of nest…figuring from its large size… probably a squirrel’s nest…impressive!

It was while I was still squinting at the nest …that some bright color captured my attention…it couldn’t be! Yet it was! Sammy the red cardinal was high up in the tree staring down at me as to wish me a happy frosty morn!

I knew the chances of enlarging a picture at that distance would cause all kinds of fuzzy issues but I had to try….and the chances that Sammy would remain on the branch while I fiddled with the focus was probably nil to none…yet it happened…I got the picture! Perhaps a little distorted but not enough that I wouldn’t know it was my  special good luck Sammy staring down at me as if protecting me with his sheer presence.

*** Okay…Let’s see how good your eyes are. Go back to the first pear blossom tree picture in the today’s post…the one I took before I realized Sammy was in the tree staring down at me….see if you can find him without the enlargement I added to the last photo above.

So until tomorrow…the next time you wonder what to get someone you care about who seems to have everything…why not a memory? Why not share a memory with a big red bow around it…is there any better gift?

“Today is my favorite day”  Winnie the Pooh

*I just saw this on Pinterest and loved this additional idea…give a friend or loved one a memory box you made or bought with a handful of precious memories already hand-written in it and then each special occasion…add another memory as your gift.

*** This morning (Sunday morning) I suddenly remembered I had washed a small load of clothes on the other side and forgot to bring them in to put in the dryer so I could wear a pair of pants to church. After everything that happened last week I wanted to return to church (minus finally my croup cough) to give a special prayer of thanks to God for the medical report.

As I started across the yard once again frost covered the landscape…thicker than yesterday…just beautiful…our last “frosty/snow” day for awhile as the weather warms up…thank goodness. Big Red is ready to return to the porch!

* My Christmas tree holder I had left on the deck had filled up with all the rain water earlier in the week and was now completely frozen.

BURR!

Dear Reader:

One of the nicest things about people following one’s stories through the form of a blog post…is that some of these amazing people… who played such distinctive and memorable roles in your life…remember parts of your own story that you, yourself,  have long forgotten.

Carol Poole’s remembrance (yesterday) came in the form of a missing piece of a puzzle through an adorable story she shared with me soon after my diagnosis…along with her own personal prediction…more accurate than the doctors…it turns out. Curious…I sure was! Here it is!

I am praising God for His infinite love and care for you, my precious friend. Several people in my current class of teachers know you. They asked about you yesterday and we had a good talk about what you have been through and how you have been doing. I am so happy to be able to give them this update.

Do you remember the book, The Wing, that I gave you when you first got your diagnosis? I said to you then that I saw you healed. Like the little bird, you can no longer fly freely through the trees, but, Oh Lord, can you sing!!!!

You sing your joy and comfort to all who know you! And you sing your praises to a Loving God who has guided you, comforted you, challenged you, and saved you so that your life is a powerful inspiration and blessing to others. I love you, my friend, and I thank Jesus that our paths have intertwined. Sing, Becky.

Carol

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I tried to find the book Wings and/or the author unsuccessfully but with time I slowly started to remember that day Carol visited me and told me the story…a great metaphor on life.

Carol held my hand, looked into my eyes, and said “I see you healed.” (This following my surgeon’s four year prediction)

She went on to explain that this disease might end up clipping my (wings) ability to go as freely as I was used to….but one disability taken would be replaced by another  passionate ability …I was to use my voice to sing God’s praises.

I knew Carol didn’t mean “sing, sing” since she had heard me and it was definitely something one wouldn’t want repeated…but that I would, somehow, use my voice to continue telling my stories through God’s blessings and guidance to an unknown audience at the time.

It was still two years before Chapel of Hope Stories.com would become a reality.

And it appears now Carol’s prophecy was and is right on target. The side effects from my latest cancer medicines/treatments are definitely slowing me down physically…the stamina I once had has dwindled due to low white cell count and other low hemoglobin side effects.

So my wings are a little more “clipped” now…but this doesn’t affect my ability to write stories and share daily discoveries with all of you…if anything this love and passion has only increased.

Carol…if you ever quit teaching…which I hope you never do…you can always be a fortune-teller! 🙂 🙂 🙂 !!!!!!

Below: A picture of Carol and I interviewing the amazing Miss Minnie Kennedy in the History of Georgetown project we worked on for several months together in Georgetown. Fun times Carol! 🙂

So until tomorrow…

“Today is my favorite day”  Winnie the Pooh

I made it to the store yesterday and was so proud of myself…first time in quite awhile…but I missed Janet Bender coming…she had made me a little  lavender/rice pillow case to help me sleep and/or nap…I love it Janet…you are something else…so sorry I missed you while I was at the store…I took a picture of it leaning up against the flowers…trying it out tonight.

Gin-g stopped by with soup and cookies and we had a chance to catch up …she is one busy lady right now…working at different schools! So good to see you Gin-g!

I was able to use my strength to get Big Red in and the other porch plants since it will be in the twenties this morning….couldn’t take a chance with my beloved geranium.

Dear Reader:

Many of you probably suspected that my post yesterday on beauty and bravery might have been hitting  pretty close to home ….it was.

I was so antsy yesterday I couldn’t sit still long…so that is what drove me outside between showers to take pictures of nature and blooming bushes and flowers…it does really perk me up to concentrate on the beauty around me and get my mind off imminent medical reports.

You might remember that I got a CT Chest Scan Monday and yesterday, Thursday, was my monthly appointment with Dr. Jeter to go over these results, as well as, all my blood work to date.

Periodically about twice a year… Dr. Jeter orders the CT Chest, Abdomen/Pelvis scan for me. Up until the last reading…nothing had shown up…which was always such a relief!!!

I remember I had to leave Edisto and the Ya’s to go get the results of that particular scan a few months back and when I returned…I told the girls everything looked good overall…except…something showed up that hadn’t appeared before.

It was a spot on my right lung…that really caught me off guard. I was half-expecting some stomach issues to show up from the cancer medication I am on…but something in my right lung? Dr. Jeter reassured me it was quite small and could be a number of  innocuous things…however we certainly needed to follow up on it in a few months and that was what lead to yesterday.

I  had been able to put it on the back burner until Monday when suddenly everything thing seemed a little too “real” inside the machine. Especially the possibility that the nodule in the right lung might have changed or enlarged or be something that might require a different treatment….even the scariest notion of lung cancer completely shut me down. Living with breast cancer is challenging enough…my little brain just couldn’t go there too.

Three days to wait it out…in such lovely weather…(being sarcastic) was lonely and frightening. God and I had some long conversations…on strength and where it would have to come from since January’s cough and congestion had laid me as low as I have been since the very start of my journey twelve years ago.

I was up at the crack of dawn getting ready…and wore “Big Blue” the Ya Ya jacket for good luck and because it was frigid yesterday morning! (Ya’s…Phyllis and all the girls at the office loved my coat!)

I had an early good luck sign when (after checking the blog post) I checked my bank balance and my federal tax return was in my account! I gave God a high five and off we went.

Secondly…I expected pouring rain weather and heavy traffic but there was only light rain and even lighter early morning work traffic. Another high five!

As soon as I got there I was called back (ahead of time) for my lab blood work…that almost never happens…the lab is where the appointment process usually jams up.

However, then it did slow down…as lots of names were called but not mine by Vanessa… Dr. Jeter’s nurse. And then even when I did go back for weight and blood pressure procedures I was told Dr. Jeter would be in soon. (Apparently the patient before me required extra attention which they certainly should get so I had memorized one magazine by the time she apologetically entered a half-hour or so later.)

By then I had been alone too long and my mind was going in all kinds of  crazy directions…but she entered with a copy of my “report card” (cat scan results) and told me I got an A+!  🙂 🙂 🙂

She then slowly read (with a grin on her face)…Update Report on Lungs: “The previously documented right upper lobe nodule has resolved.”

She stopped and waited on my reaction…I must have given her a puzzled look because she said “resolved” as in gone, disappeared, no longer in your right lung! I was jumping up down and hugging her so tightly. The only thing that had shown up concerning my chest was a nonspecific finding that is associated with “viral and atypical infection.” (In other words..the last vintages of my long drawn-out cough and congestion!) 🙂

I practically ran out to my car…the fastest I have moved in a long time…made some calls and texts…not realizing my hands were still slightly shaking. As I came into Summerville it was turning 11 and for the first time in a long time I was hungry…I wanted soup on this raw, cold rainy day and I knew exactly what soup I wanted!

Five Loaves” Cheese, Broccoli, Potato” soup! I plopped down in the bar (where you order take-out) and ten minutes later I was heading home …so filled with happiness I could hardly drive!

I can not even begin to thank so many people (family, friends, readers) for their on-going prayers and support of me and the blog post. Without you…I would be lost.

As I waited on my soup…I glanced at one mural on the wall and gave God one last High Five!

So until tomorrow…God I am completely “positive” of one thing…I LOVE YOU!

Oh…and I forgot…I did give God one other “High Five” and that was for heated car seats. I didn’t even know my new car from last year  (December 2018) had heated seats until I returned from Maine where I first experienced them.

Particularly Thursday with very chilly temps and rain…being able to warm one’s car seat is a luxury beyond anything I could even have dreamed up or imagined…definitely a life changer in comfort. Thursday it was another “surcie” in celebration of good medical news. Hot soup and hot seats! 🙂

“Today is my favorite day” Winnie the Pooh

Dear Reader:

Life’s messy and unpredictable. You don’t have to like every moment of it or every circumstance you find yourself in. However, by being willing to accept that you can’t change the moment, you are adding to your growth and level of self-acceptance.

I have discovered throughout my life that I am most content when I accept the fact that some things are simply beyond my control and must be turned over to a higher power than me. If I have given the situation the best I know how to do and still come up short…so be it.

I think the people who continue to stress out are the ones who listen to the ‘nay-sayers’….who think “Doing your best is a cop-out cliche…after all was it really your best?” That kind of ridiculous outlook is bound to keep someone in the throes of self-doubt and fear throughout their lives.

So many of our fears date back to childhood or how we were raised by our parents or other adults…even distorted memories. The loved ones I always gravitated to were the openly accepting adults who reassured me that “I gave it my best” and something good was surely coming my way. And it always was.

I realize now that saying “yes” to life just as it is…is crucial to happiness. Life is full of experiences, some that we enjoy and others we dislike. When we push away or attempt to avoid feelings of sadness and pain, we also diminish our ability to feel joy.

So until tomorrow…I think the nicest thing anyone can tell us is “You matter.” Things aren’t the same if you are missing from a family gathering or you are told nothing seemed the same without you at a particular celebration….That is all we need to hear…we simply need to feel that we are always still needed. We matter.

“Today is my favorite day”  Winnie the Pooh

Beauty and bravery do go hand in hand…so yesterday I took pictures of nature while the rain fell…to bolster my courage.

Poor Sammy just couldn’t hold on to the suet cage yesterday morning in the rain and get any food…so I got some more bird seed and spread it on the ground…soon he was back and so happy to have something to eat.

Dear Reader:

Some of you, probably like me, watched the conclusion to the Hallmark American Rescue Dog Show Monday night. It is obviously unlike most dog shows since “Sugar,” the beautiful dog on the left, won and his category was reacting to best belly rubs. 🙂

Another “huge” favorite was Goliath, (right) in the senior category, who threw his gigantic frame against his “Forever Home” father as if thanking him again and again for saving him and giving him a loving home in his final “golden” years. He was a lovable ‘tear-jerker’ for everyone watching at home.

After listening to  different authors appearing on talk shows lately…especially “Self-Help” books (the most popular genre these days) or “How To” categories…I made a delightful observation. One author was saying that we all have the ability within each of us to bring joy and daily happiness to those around us.

The author then began his list ( I will spare you the whole list) but basically things like 1) Giving someone else your complete, undivided attention 2) Express facial delight into bumping into a friend or stranger and promote positive feelings within your conversations 3) Show another the importance of tactile movements like spontaneous hugs and pats….after all humans are basically social creatures and we are happier when surrounded with physical contacts as well as emotional…

Then last night as I watched each of the 10 categories the rescue dog participants were involved in….Best Wiggler, couch potato, belly rubber, senior, snorer, etc. I had to chuckle to myself. Everything this author was promoting in his self-help books to stronger friendships was being done automatically by these adorable rescue dogs.

Think about it…dogs go nuts when their owners get home every day…smiling, barking, jumping, kissing, hugging…they want emotional and physical love and lots of it…but basically they just want to drop everything else to be with their owner for whatever precious time they get together.

Don’t you think so many of our human problems would vanish…like troubled relationships…if spouses, girl or boy friends, live-ins, whoever…gave each other all this time and adoration every time we saw them?

Think about it…one of our favorite Bible stories from childhood is always the story of Noah and the Ark. But do you remember how it really ends…not just with a dove and a rainbow…but a covenant?

Then God said to Noah and to his sons with him, “As for me, I am establishing my covenant with you and your descendants after you, and with every living creature that is with you, the birds, the domestic animals, and every animal of the earth with you, as many as came out of the ark.” – Genesis 9:8-17

We mortals like to look on covenants as legal documents…it helps if each party can read and write or at least place an X in the blank…but God made a covenant with animals? Obviously a covenant with God is definitely different than with humans.

Quinn Caldwell, theologian and author…adds his own unique brand of humor to this line of scripture….

So what is the birds’ quid to God’s quo?  What is it that God needs, or even wants, enough to make a contract with zebras?  What could dinosaurs or dolphins possibly do that’s enough to pay for God’s offer of a future?

It turns out that what your dog can offer God for his salvation is just what you can offer: exactly nothing.  It turns out that covenants with God aren’t quite the same as covenants with everyone else.  It turns out that with God, it’s not so much a quid pro quo as a quid pro nil.   It is God’s  promise, the salvation, the future on offer to every living thing and it is free…there’s nothing you or your dog can do to earn it, or to lose it.

So why don’t you go find an animal you know, and celebrate?

*Prayer (best said while holding or snuggling your favorite animal)

So until tomorrow….God, I thank You that in You, through You, and with You, the world, the animals, and I have a future. Amen. (And maybe I should name every pet “Grace”?)

“Today is my favorite day”  Winnie the Pooh