Peace

“If you don’t believe in something greater than yourself you won’t do anything greater than yourself.”

This is a quote from a nun on Oprah. I seldom watch TV and even more rarely daytime television but I happened to be home when this was on and had heard about it. Having been raised Catholic and once upon a time wanting to be a nun (as perhaps most little Catholic girls) I wanted to watch.

I’d like to think that nuns actively do what the rest of us (Christians / spiritual people) claim and that is constantly growing to better ourselves as to the kind of individual we are…

What is the point of life if we are not constantly making that effort ~ activity moving forward in life ~ not with career or possessions but in improving the kind of person we are. I feel like my daughter genuinely does this more than any other single person I know.

My daughter does the kind of work the nuns do. Elizabeth graduated from Rice University at 20 years-old with a double major and being bilingual. She has done a number of different things including teaching for the exceptional program Teach For America. She is now finishing up her 1^st year of a 2 year program at Brandeis University. The program is a Masters of Sustainable International Development.  The degree will credential her to run programs to improve the quality of life in developing countries and work for organizations like the State Department and the United Nations.

I believe that her dad and I were her sparks.

Let us go forward and make it an exceptionally good day always working hard on self improvement ~ have people leave our home, our presence, feeling better for having been with us ~ through God all things are possible ~ Peace be with you ~

I had the most wonderful day yesterday ~ I will cherish & remember it for a long time ~ as what do we really have but our memories ~ even the old folk, with their scratched & dented minds have their memories.

The day was precious from the onset with the morning sky that looked like a baby blanket all soft blue with pink clouds ….the pond had that enchanting mist that happens once in awhile when the water is much warmer than the air…ah, that cold spring air in the 30’s that left me deliciously chilled was absolutely wonderful! I opened all the windows & put the attic fan on until the inside temperature was 55! I could never have done that if Bruce was home. I closed the house up when the day begin to get warm & it stayed cool all day without using any electricity!

I like getting up alone before dawn…while the house is still & hidden in the shadows… I like having so much of the day to use & I like seeing the dawn come in & savoring the cold morning while I sip hot coffee…sometimes I have deep thoughts & sometimes I just totally enjoy my senses in the moment without having to share any of me.

I got another cover letter together & another copy of my resume & sealed them with my husband’s & I bicycled to the post office to get it out on the morning pick up. Oh joy! Oh delight! I was bicycling in another green & blue day ~

Spring & I played ball. I answered e-mail & finished my part of our volunteer work. I worked on my current book & curled up with vanilla decaf & read my current book. I ate my lunch with my book in the sun. I cooked dinner & my potatoes (Bruce even made the positive comment about them) came out right. Bringing in our bath towels off the clothes line I shuddered at the perfect-ness of the day…

Bruce, Spring & I dinned in the sunroom. Elizabeth called as we were finishing up. We talked & laughed & shared & enjoyed each other in our mother-daughter bond. There is a special-ness that is just for us. Bruce, Spring & I went on a walk around the property; Bruce with hoe in hand to protect us now that the snakes are out again. I picked tiny bell shaped wildflowers. We saw bluebonnets blooming in new places. The evening air was delightfully cool again. I had my bath yet to enjoy ~ stretching out in my big tub with special soaps & oils…

Bruce & I enjoyed the stars together, called Spring in, knelt to pray, I read a poem & we kissed goodnight – twice.

Fully enjoyed days like this are rare. Elizabeth & I have spoken about this & agreed, if we only experienced joy we wouldn’t know what it was…clearly that is the case today as my husband has attempted to ruin so much about today, I write about & relive yesterday, savoring it again.