- Did the vast majority of my Christmas shopping in one quick stop at an unusual location this morning.
- had the surprise opportunity to get a ride to the grocery store, and am stocked up on frozen lunches for the next couple weeks of working
- A very sweet friend volunteered to chauffeur me around the city to a few appointments and social engagements today. It was delightful to have not only the break from the bus, but the fun of being with a friend and laughing and talking
- An appointment this morning that was very helpful in processing the latest crazy blows life has sent my way
- lunch with the friend who chauffeured me today, catching up without the "distraction" of driving
- Attending a baby shower for a very dear friend today
- getting to catch up with that friend
- getting to catch up with that friend's husband, sister, and mom
- great conversations all throughout the day
- much laughter
- sitting in a room that bubbled over with joy and conversation in two different languages - my mother tongue of English, and Spanish, the language my heart has been so drawn to, and longs to learn in a way that will truly allow me to communicate
- an unexpected ride home from the baby shower
- an evening spent curled up in bed, no pressure, just sipping tea and catching up on some reading, viewing, and writing.
- The latest episode of Grey's Anatomy - the monologue was particularly striking, and I think I've watched the episode three times in the last 24 hours (while working on other things). You can find a transcription of the monologue here.
- a weekend break
- croissants
Saturday, December 04, 2010
Daily 5 - Year 2, Day 111
Today's Daily 5:
Reverb 10: Day 4 - Wonder
Today's Reverb10 prompt:
December 4 – Wonder.
How did you cultivate a sense of wonder in your life this year?
(Author: Jeffrey Davis)
Wonder. Hmm...
Only two words into this post, and I'm using my favorite piece of punctuation, the ellipsis. Though, in the case of writing about wonder, maybe the trailing off pause that it brings is the most appropriate punctuation possible.
I wrote the other day that this has been the year of deconstruction. Deconstruction isn't the easiest playing field on which to cultivate wonder. Unless of course you're referring to the sense of completely overwhelmed "my life is a soap opera" awe that I've spent days and weeks bemusedly marveling at over the last twelve months.
I've learned to truly be in awe of the funny ways God works.
Of little things that confirm timing and place.
I've learned to embrace wonder by learning to embrace being me.
To embrace that I find wonder in things others are going to pass by.
That palm trees that grow outdoors, and standing in a driveway smelling the fresh floral scents I'd only ever experienced in an indoor botanical garden are things that are bound to make me giggle with delight.
That sitting and watching the gorillas at the zoo is one of my favorite peaceful spots.
That the embrace of a friend who has seen all the messy stuff and loves anyway is the best place to be.
That childlike stuff is a stress reliever.
That Disneyland can be an escape, even for an introvert who hates crowds.
That an anonymous gift at a time when there are finances, but they're tight - a gift just large enough to cover the vast majority of my (admittedly shorter than usual this year) Christmas shopping list - can be a remarkable blessing and reminder of being seen and provided for.
It's been the little moments in between major crises this year that have taught me to wonder. To find joy in the moments that might have passed by before the days got hard and I began to discipline myself to notice anything in my day that brought even the tiniest smile. And finding wonder in the little things makes the big things that much more beautiful to stand in awe of when they come around as well.
December 4 – Wonder.
How did you cultivate a sense of wonder in your life this year?
(Author: Jeffrey Davis)
Wonder. Hmm...
Only two words into this post, and I'm using my favorite piece of punctuation, the ellipsis. Though, in the case of writing about wonder, maybe the trailing off pause that it brings is the most appropriate punctuation possible.
I wrote the other day that this has been the year of deconstruction. Deconstruction isn't the easiest playing field on which to cultivate wonder. Unless of course you're referring to the sense of completely overwhelmed "my life is a soap opera" awe that I've spent days and weeks bemusedly marveling at over the last twelve months.
I've learned to truly be in awe of the funny ways God works.
Of little things that confirm timing and place.
I've learned to embrace wonder by learning to embrace being me.
To embrace that I find wonder in things others are going to pass by.
That palm trees that grow outdoors, and standing in a driveway smelling the fresh floral scents I'd only ever experienced in an indoor botanical garden are things that are bound to make me giggle with delight.
That sitting and watching the gorillas at the zoo is one of my favorite peaceful spots.
That the embrace of a friend who has seen all the messy stuff and loves anyway is the best place to be.
That childlike stuff is a stress reliever.
That Disneyland can be an escape, even for an introvert who hates crowds.
That an anonymous gift at a time when there are finances, but they're tight - a gift just large enough to cover the vast majority of my (admittedly shorter than usual this year) Christmas shopping list - can be a remarkable blessing and reminder of being seen and provided for.
It's been the little moments in between major crises this year that have taught me to wonder. To find joy in the moments that might have passed by before the days got hard and I began to discipline myself to notice anything in my day that brought even the tiniest smile. And finding wonder in the little things makes the big things that much more beautiful to stand in awe of when they come around as well.
A Full Sweet Day
I wasn't sure what to expect out of today. I knew it would be busy. I had an appointment to keep, time with a friend, and a baby shower to attend.
I wasn't expecting it to be the sort of day that is full of blessings.
A few weeks ago I'd mentioned to a dear friend that I had a day full of engagements on various sides of the city, and that I'd be spending hours on transit getting to and from those locations. Without missing a beat my friend offered to act as my chauffeur for the day. It was such a blessing to get to my appointment this morning more easily, have time to have lunch with her afterwards, and then get a ride to the baby shower I needed to attend.
I wasn't sure what the baby shower would be like. I really only knew the friend who was pregnant (and her mother and sister), and not any of the other friends who would be attending. And yet, it was wonderful. My friend has a unique gift of making friends in a wide variety of circles, and somehow managing to bring very varied people together and help them enjoy each other. She is from South America, so the party was colorful. I wish you could have been there to experience it - to watch these people from all aspects of her life, talking and chatting and just being women gathered together to celebrate the impending birth of a little one, in a totally random mixture of two separate languages! It was a wonderful afternoon that spilled over into evening. I had a number of wonderful conversations - with my friend, with her mother (a lady I've appreciated deeply for a number of years), with my friend's husband (when he showed up), and with a few complete strangers! Conversations about God and faith and life and changes. It was fabulous. And then, to top it off, one of her friends offered to drop me at a train station (to save me the walk to a bus stop, and the time waiting in the cold for the bus), and then suddenly, as we were driving, insisted on driving me the entire way home! Such a blessing.
It was not at all what I'd sort of expected in my head when I thought about the day before it began this morning, but it was full and rich and sweet, and I'm thankful for it.
I wasn't expecting it to be the sort of day that is full of blessings.
A few weeks ago I'd mentioned to a dear friend that I had a day full of engagements on various sides of the city, and that I'd be spending hours on transit getting to and from those locations. Without missing a beat my friend offered to act as my chauffeur for the day. It was such a blessing to get to my appointment this morning more easily, have time to have lunch with her afterwards, and then get a ride to the baby shower I needed to attend.
I wasn't sure what the baby shower would be like. I really only knew the friend who was pregnant (and her mother and sister), and not any of the other friends who would be attending. And yet, it was wonderful. My friend has a unique gift of making friends in a wide variety of circles, and somehow managing to bring very varied people together and help them enjoy each other. She is from South America, so the party was colorful. I wish you could have been there to experience it - to watch these people from all aspects of her life, talking and chatting and just being women gathered together to celebrate the impending birth of a little one, in a totally random mixture of two separate languages! It was a wonderful afternoon that spilled over into evening. I had a number of wonderful conversations - with my friend, with her mother (a lady I've appreciated deeply for a number of years), with my friend's husband (when he showed up), and with a few complete strangers! Conversations about God and faith and life and changes. It was fabulous. And then, to top it off, one of her friends offered to drop me at a train station (to save me the walk to a bus stop, and the time waiting in the cold for the bus), and then suddenly, as we were driving, insisted on driving me the entire way home! Such a blessing.
It was not at all what I'd sort of expected in my head when I thought about the day before it began this morning, but it was full and rich and sweet, and I'm thankful for it.
Friday, December 03, 2010
Daily 5 - Year 2, Day 110
Today's Daily 5:
- 1 year, 110 days of making these lists
- working with my brother for a bit today
- turkey and swiss pannini with cranberry
- coming "home" to mom and dad's after a crazy busy day at work and finding a chef salad, made just for me, waiting.
- bubble bath and reading a novel
Reverb 10: Day 3 - Most Alive
Today's Reverb10 prompt:
December 3 – Moment.
Pick one moment during which you felt most alive this year. Describe it in vivid detail (texture, smells, voices, noises, colors).
(Author: Ali Edwards)
I walked off an airplane and into a hug. Into the arms of someone I'd never met.
I spotted her as I was walking up above, before leaving the secure area. Nerves hit and I ducked into the bathroom for a moment to collect myself. One last whispered, "I hope this wasn't totally crazy, be with me in the coming week" prayer, and I emerged, descended the escalator with my bags, and walked into that hug.
I was dressed for traveling - jeans, a coral colored hoodie, my favorite white scarf, running shoes. Practical clothes. Comfortable and warm for an airplane environment that is never comfortable or warm.
I was in desperate need of an escape, and we'd become close friends via blogging and emails and a few gmail chats. When I wrote asking if she was up for a visitor, and she said come, I did. Booked tickets and packed a bag and got on a plane.
I don't do things like that.
I spent the flight figuring out new things. First international border crossing on my own. Navigating a new airport. Figuring out customs declaration forms. Convincing myself that the idea quite a few people around me had deemed crazy - getting on a plane to spend a week with someone whose voice I'd never even heard - wasn't actually crazy. And sorting out contingency plans just in case it was actually crazy. (I do do things like that. I'm all about the contingency plans.)
I've been hanging onto the memory of that hug and the week that followed. All of the laughter and tears and conversation it contained. It was a week that I hoped would lead to time to think and pray and make decisions. All of that happened, and my life has taken a positive turn because of it.
Because I got on an airplane and did something I just don't do.
Because I spent a week with a friend, laughing and eating and touring and getting to know the in person parts of each other, past the written stuff we'd spent the previous two years sharing.
That week, I felt alive. Walking through the mission gardens, standing by the water, riding "Pirates" at Disneyland, wandering the garment district, eating new foods - Mizithra, steak, Monte Cristo sandwiches, and Godiva cheesecake.
In a year that has been full of the miserable moments, that week is special. That week I had time to breathe and regroup. That week was the beginning of this whole new work that God is doing. His timing and hands were in it, and I'm so glad I went with the little part of my gut that said that getting on the plane - that thing I just don't do - was the best thing I could possibly do.
Pick one moment during which you felt most alive this year. Describe it in vivid detail (texture, smells, voices, noises, colors).
(Author: Ali Edwards)
I walked off an airplane and into a hug. Into the arms of someone I'd never met.
I spotted her as I was walking up above, before leaving the secure area. Nerves hit and I ducked into the bathroom for a moment to collect myself. One last whispered, "I hope this wasn't totally crazy, be with me in the coming week" prayer, and I emerged, descended the escalator with my bags, and walked into that hug.
I was dressed for traveling - jeans, a coral colored hoodie, my favorite white scarf, running shoes. Practical clothes. Comfortable and warm for an airplane environment that is never comfortable or warm.
I was in desperate need of an escape, and we'd become close friends via blogging and emails and a few gmail chats. When I wrote asking if she was up for a visitor, and she said come, I did. Booked tickets and packed a bag and got on a plane.
I don't do things like that.
I spent the flight figuring out new things. First international border crossing on my own. Navigating a new airport. Figuring out customs declaration forms. Convincing myself that the idea quite a few people around me had deemed crazy - getting on a plane to spend a week with someone whose voice I'd never even heard - wasn't actually crazy. And sorting out contingency plans just in case it was actually crazy. (I do do things like that. I'm all about the contingency plans.)
I've been hanging onto the memory of that hug and the week that followed. All of the laughter and tears and conversation it contained. It was a week that I hoped would lead to time to think and pray and make decisions. All of that happened, and my life has taken a positive turn because of it.
Because I got on an airplane and did something I just don't do.
Because I spent a week with a friend, laughing and eating and touring and getting to know the in person parts of each other, past the written stuff we'd spent the previous two years sharing.
That week, I felt alive. Walking through the mission gardens, standing by the water, riding "Pirates" at Disneyland, wandering the garment district, eating new foods - Mizithra, steak, Monte Cristo sandwiches, and Godiva cheesecake.
In a year that has been full of the miserable moments, that week is special. That week I had time to breathe and regroup. That week was the beginning of this whole new work that God is doing. His timing and hands were in it, and I'm so glad I went with the little part of my gut that said that getting on the plane - that thing I just don't do - was the best thing I could possibly do.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
