THANKFUL THURSDAY - Here Comes The Sun

You know, I've spent way too much time feeling overwhelmed lately by the chaos that seems to have invaded my life. And, I've gotta say, I'm a little sick and tired of feeling this way... Locked up in the house with sick and/or recovering kids has definitely taken it's toll on my happiness. But, as my smart little brother once prophesied so many years ago, the sun came up again today (yeah -- 70 degrees and sunny) and I felt a little less stressed than I did yesterday (45 degrees and rainy -- ugh). And I knew that I had finally turned the corner and was about to go over the proverbial hump. I just knew, somehow, that I was moving on to better days, to feeling good and to healing... Yup, just in time to prep for the next big hurdle... the boys' CPSE-to-Kindergarten transition meetings (show of hands if you've been there, done that)!

Trite as it may sound, all day long the song "Here Comes The Sun" has been running through my head and out my lips.... "And I say... it's all right!" (did you sing it?)

So, for what it's worth:

[1] I'm thankful for the beautiful 70 degree day we had here today on Long Island. It's December 3rd and that's about 25 degrees warmer than it should be. Surely, that's a sign... or, at the very least, it's just what I needed to pick myself up, dust myself off and get back in the game.

[2] I'm grateful for the recent realization that I have an opportunity to make amends for unintentional hurts I inflicted a few years ago. For the record, I heard this 'make amends' message three times recently. And, I'm proud to say I finally got it! While the gory details are really none of your business (LOL), I am hopeful that my forthcoming apologies might start a chain of healing for all parties involved.... them and me. I know this is cryptic.. but that's so maybe others might come to their own realization that it's never too late to say you're sorry. And, I am...

[3] I am grateful that the young man who accidentally rear-ended me today did so gently, at low-speed and at a point when I was NOT looking in the rear view mirror so I had NO IDEA he was about to hit us and didn't tense up on impact... No whiplash for me or my dear old Dad who was safely seat belted next to me. (Maybe it had something to do with that little fish on his bumper that said "Jesus"!) Anyway, no damage done. Apology accepted. A handshake and off we went. Then it occurred to me that it happened because he was so preoccupied with looking at what was behind him as he attempted to merge into traffic that he simply forgot to look ahead to see if the car in front of him -- namely, me -- had already merged. It was a message to me to stop dwelling on what's behind me and pay more attention to what lies ahead. I swear this was the second time I heard THIS message today! I must be thick or something... OK, I GOT IT!

[4] And, I'm thankful for my 10-year old, VCR-format yoga practices tape (and a barely working VCR to play it in). That morning regeneration routine is the best 15 minutes I've spent in a long time. And, it's a good start! That's all it takes... that and 2 or 3 reminders, apparently!

[5] A strange sense of calm has recently settled over my mind. Maybe it's the yoga. Maybe it's the healing (the boys and mine) or the counseling. Or maybe I got some sense knocked into me in that little accident today. A wake up call... Or just the winds of change? (Did you hear that wind howling last night?) Whatever it is, I'm grateful for the calm... Man, I hope it's not the proverbial calm before the storm ;o). But, even if it is, I'm grateful for it. The calm feels way better than the chaos it replaced any day of the week.

Time to go rest my weary non-whip lashed bones! And tomorrow, the sun will come up again...