I Have A Clicker And I Know How To Use It.

As is the case after tragedies like the one in Oklahoma, there seems to be a constant barrage of news reports and coverage detailing every aspect of the situation.  All this attention certainly doesn't improve the conditions for those going through the event and I find, after a while, it really starts to affect me.  At the beginning, I feel sick about what has occurred, but after a while I almost feel numb.  It's like after hearing the same terrible story for the 20th time, I no longer have that pain in my heart, it just becomes a mere fact.  And I don't think it's really healthy to hear so much bad stuff that it no longer gives you a physical response.

I think it's absolutely important to bear witness to these terrible events.  We need to be aware of what happens and listen to those that are sharing their stories - we need to feel their pain and put them all in our thoughts and prayers.  We need to donate money to help if we can.  But listening to the same sound bite, until it's background noise, isn't right.  That's when we need to step in a turn off the T.V. or radio or cell phone.  Personally, I don't want Brian Williams to be a major part of the soundtrack to our lives at home.

Home needs to be a place that nurtures us.  Light candles, even during the day.  Listen to more music and less MSNBC or other news stations (are there others?).  Sometimes even try quiet.  It's amazing to me how noisy nature is - although it may just be that we have the bird equivalent to the Glee cast living outside our house.  But it's nice.  Even traffic noise can be more soothing than a constant stream of tragedies, complainers and bickering politicians.

We have the ability to control a lot of things in life.   Of course, we can't control tornadoes (although required safe rooms in schools seems like a no-brainer), or random contact with bad people, but what we can control we should.  Pick up your clutter, light candles, turn on some music and open the windows.  We are alive and should be filled with conscious gratitude for that fact alone.  Let's try to make our aliveness beautiful in all ways.  Not just in what we say or do, but in the environment we create for ourselves and the ones we love.

I'm wore this today (note the past tense as this post is more than a little late in the day).

The necklace garnered many a compliment today.  And I'm wearing jeans over freshly faux tanned legs.  At my age, I just can't seem to incorporate shorts into any activity not involving youth sports or yard work.

gratitude:  the sound of silence, my home, evening light, morning yoga

thanks and love.