Shortest Day of the Year

I'm watching, and feeling, friends and family experience some chaos in their life and reflecting back to some chaos in my life, the hurt, angst, tears and despair. All past. Somehow. The days you couldn't stand or breath.

It is truly amazing and humbling what humans are capable of surviving. The world turns, we stand, we continue to breath. We smile, laugh, have babies and continue to live. This is a lesson.

An important lesson on the impermanence of situations, experiences, of life. We get another job, another home, another husband or divorce. We move on. All the shades of darkness pass, again and again and again. What I'm trying to say as the past dims and disappears is all of life is now. As I stir the pot, bake another cookie, talk to friends, gather the mail, think about Christmas and breath is all of life is ahead, not behind. And wonderful things lie ahead whether you are having a bad hair day or not.

So, how are you going to spend the shortest day of the year. I have a dusting of snow and am imagining a view of the mountains, a magnificent full moon, and a day of work.

All in a days work: I had calls from a Josephine, a Jean and a Norma. Names I get pretty frequently, but seldom all in the same day. Then I followed an Oklahoma license plate all the way down Mukilteo Speedway as I drove home. Little things like that pleases me, makes me smile, connects me to ones I love.

As a call center agent I divide the world into two types of people -- those who think call center agents are stupid and those who don't. How many people in the world do not know that 85% of communication is visual not verbal? The cast of an eye or a small shoulder shrug aids the verbal. The customer who if you make a mistake thinks it is just this side of the greatest sin on Earth, and if they make a mistake it's "ha ha, how silly of me." I really really want to tell them it isn't the end of the world as we know it. That this too will pass, that this isn't the worst chaos, they will survive this, they will continue to stand, and breath and live the rest of their life in a fairly benevolent world.

And now a word about Connor:

I had so much fun with Connor on our play date. I took him to the bicycle shop to let him buy daddy a present. He was adorable. It took him about two seconds to spy something red and he was done. He had no idea what it was but something clicked. Then the clerk started chatting with him, asked him what kind of bike daddy rode. Does he really need a red water bottle holder. Does he ride road or mountain. Does he ride often. He was directing him to some other products that included lights and bells and Connor abandoned the red item and was off on a negotiating session with granny. "This one for daddy and this one for me." No, I said we are shopping for daddy. So he switched the items and said "Okay this one for daddy and this one for me." He finally settled on two items for daddy, but he still has lust in his heart.

I had fun with Connor at the bicycle shop then we went home and I had to play Legos for the next two hours, now that was exhausting.

Shortest day of the year or the longest day of the year life pulsates.

Hey, Jeff, what are you bringing to Greenleaf next year? I hope Nora brings mimosas.