The Peony

My sweet neighbors always remember me when their peonies bloom. It is a Springtime tradition that began long ago and continued even after I moved away and one that I am so grateful for each and every year.

There is nothing like a clear beautiful vase filled with the sweetest smell of freshly cut peonies in a home, especially ones that are delivered with kindness. My house has been so aromatic for the last week that I couldn’t help but to grin broadly each and every morning as I brewed my first cup of coffee for the peonies greeted me on the kitchen island!

I don’t often get fresh cut flowers anymore unless I buy them, but even then, sometimes they aren’t as fragrant as ones from a friend’s backyard. These were truly spectacular and I wish we had a smellavision on the blog so you could have enjoyed them too!

I was talking with a friend recently and the phrase, ‘kindness doesn’t cost anything’ was part of our conversation. How true is that! I always feel strongly about kindness. Don’t you?

Anyway, being that it’s June first and it seems my bunny has found greener pastures, I just wanted to send you a little blog post to let you know I am thinking of all of you and hoping you’re doing well!

You know as a gentle reminder, I can’t help myself and say, Rabbit Rabbit!

Shine On!

xo

You Are Simply the Best!

“The more you praise and celebrate your life,

the more there is in life to celebrate.”

– Oprah Winfrey

This is my birthday week celebration and I want to share it with you ~ let’s celebrate, for we have today ~ let’s embrace The Presents of Presence as we feel gratitude for this day, for this moment in time that we share together.  Come join me in celebrating our lives, our connections and our friendships!  Let’s be grateful that we can enjoy this moment together!

I am grateful for so much in my life, even the hardships that I have endured.  I am grateful for the happy and sad moments for they have taught me well.  I am grateful for the strength that I have found within and the supportive friends and family who have helped me through many trying times.  I am grateful to God for every breath that I continue to have and for the blessed life that I have lived thus far and I pray that I have many more years of life given to me.  I am grateful for the willingness of myself and others to reach out daily through blogging, texting, phone calls, cards and emails etc. in order to support, love and connect with each other in order to increase the love in this world through kindness.  I am grateful for every prayer.  I am grateful for the angels who surround me and for meeting human angels along my path of life.  I am grateful for my feline friends as well who give unconditional loving fur therapy when most needed (and even when not needed).  There’s something about being loved by an animal which is precious as well.  I am grateful for my mind, soul, heart and body which have endured breast cancer etc. and continue to thrive daily, even under unspeakable circumstances.  I am grateful to Mother Nature for daily delivering such a beautiful dawn which inspires me, even when I feel under the weather.  I am grateful as I count all of the blessings, big and small, in my life.

So today, please celebrate with me ~ celebrate your life, yourself and your connections with others both big and small.  Celebrate your life well-lived and your present moment.  Choose to feel the tranquility of gratitude, the quiet reminder that you are here~ perfect, whole and complete and you are appreciated for who you are.

For I am grateful to all of you!

Shine On!

xo

 

Peaceful Serenity

Peaceful Serenity on the River

I awoke this morning at 5am.  Knowing me, that’s not too unusual since I tend to wake up early by my own inner alarm clock.  But the thought in my head was what I found intriguing.  You see, I woke up with a prompting to contact my deceased Dad’s pulmonologist.  Quite frankly, it’s been a long time since I’d even thought of him ~ probably since my Dad passed away 2 years ago, June 21st ~ the first day of summer ~ Dad’s favorite day after Christmas.

But I woke up thinking that I needed to hug this doctor who was friendly with our family and instantly became an even closer friend after 3 harrowing weeks of my Dad being in ICU.  I know it sounds odd because it sounds odd to me.  But I want to write him a letter, telling him that I want to stop in to his office to hug him.  Just to let him know how much we still think of him.  He tried every heroic measure possible to save my Dad and we appreciated how much he cared, how hard he tried and how he took 3 women under his wing while he tried to save the husband and Dad that they loved.

As I sit here with tears falling down my cheeks, trying to type as fast as my mind is whirring, I am bereft in understanding why I should be crying today after all this time.  It’s not an anniversary of his death nor any special day at all.  But as I sit here in my family room, the house all quiet, everyone sleeping peacefully and even the cat curled up by my side, I feel such an intense gratitude for this man.  Perhaps it’s the overwhelming realization of the amazing tenderness he showed to us, all the while trying to heal his patient who truly would never heal.  It was the simple human kindness which was given in such a caring way that I remember.  When I think back to those scary times, in my mind’s eye, I see Dr. R acting like a shepard and we, acting like sheep, holding onto his every word, praying for a miracle and hoping for a gift.

Maybe my prompting is for Dr. R and not for me.  Perhaps it is I who can give him some comfort now, let him know that we know he did his best and how much we appreciated him.  Surely it is not easy for a physician to lose a patient, especially a caring doctor like Dr. R.  I’ve had many doctors in my life and there are a few with whom I have such a relationship.  How can you not have a caring relationship when your doctor heals you?  There’s a special bond between doctors and patients, especially oncologists.  At least, that’s my experience, but that’s a story for another day.

Who know, maybe my Dad is reaching out from the Heavens this morning to me.  All I can tell you is that hot tears keep streaming down my face this morning and try as I might, they keep coming as I type.  So I let them flow with abandon.  There’s nobody to hear my occasional sniffle.  Only the cat to meow when I jostle her by getting another tissue.  By the time my family awakens, I will be ship-shape, but with this special moment tucked away in my heart.

Thanks for sharing this moment with me.  I don’t want to lose the feeling so I am publishing this post.  It’s that peaceful serenity that envelops my heart now.  The reminder that we may pass away, but our loving spirit remains.

Shine On!

xo