Whiny/Wonderful Wednesday

If misery loves company, does happiness prefer to be alone?

I've always wondered.

I've got two bloggy friends that I've met in real life and love like they were my sisters who are both going through a real time of crisis as single moms... and both are without the amazing support network that I am so blessed to have. I want to take them both in. I'm sure Pop wouldn't mind two more women, four more kids and a half dozen more animals living with us, right? We love strays, don't we?

It is so easy to be discouraged on days like today. There's a major front coming through which makes the parts of me that already hurt from this nasty old dirty word - arthritis - and the f word - fibromyalgia - weather fronts make it so much worse. 

But I have to keep perspective and know that even though I'm hurting, we (and by "we" I mean "me" but I'm just not used to being an empty nested single person and forget that I'm no longer the head of a group of people... I'm just me.) we/me won't go hungry. In fact, it's much more likely now that my kids will feed me... since Cody lives next door and is an excellent cook and often brings over his leftovers... or my co-workers will feed me since they are such a loving and generous bunch of ladies... or my dad, who always makes sure that me, mom, grandma and a half dozen fur babies are fed and happy. 

It's infinitely easier to survive/thrive when your basic needs of food/shelter are taken care of.

I just wish I could do this for my friends who are hurting/stressed/worried/alone. Nobody should ever have to feel that way. I'm praying that God will put people in their paths who will make a way for them. I'm praying that they never fear for their safety and well-being and for that of their kids/furbabies.

I mentioned the other day about a cashier who was unkind to me because of my race. I neglected to mention the sweet girl at the Krispy Kreme store who smiled and wished me a good day. Or the girls at the drug store who used to be sort of discriminatory but have learned that I always smile and thank them for their hard work and acknowledge the fact that they have a very short lunch hour and work long hours and in return have come to be kind and welcoming to me. Overall, there is much more kindness in my world than meanness. I hope that people see me as a source of kindness. 

Out of the many, many lives I cross path with over the course of a day... between home and work and cyberspace and the travels in between... the large majority of them are blessed, divine appointments. When you are already distracted and distressed by disability... (which I have decided to rename my "less ability" and not disability in my case because I am partly abled... I'm not completely unplugged from life)... when it takes all of your energy to push on... it's important that every encounter be otherwise unencumbered by unpleasantness. That's always my goal... that I don't make anything harder by having a nasty attitude.

That means that once I get through with my pouting and feeling sorry for myself here, in the blogosphere, I make myself presentable, put on my happy face with the help of cosmetics, and go forth and conquer. I was teary and prayerful on the way to work yesterday, certain that I should just turn around and go home and get back in my nest... but I knew that we were already short-handed and several others were not feeling well... so I was determined to hold up my end of the bargain and keep going. 

So I wiped my tears and walked in the door and was greeted with a "we are so glad to see you... how are you today?" and that cheerful greeting gave me the courage to do what I needed to do. I answered with "just peachy!" even though I wasn't ... but saying it made me want to live it... and so I worked my very intense five hours and went home and melted into the nest where I stayed for the rest of the day until I went to bed... and enjoyed breakfast for dinner, courtesy of Pop... and shared my bacon with Little Kitty... which made him happy and in return made ME happy.

I know it's not always that easy. I know that there are a lot of people who aren't greeted cheerfully, who don't have breakfast for dinner in the nest, who don't have a short little five hour work day... because not so very long ago, that was my life, too. And although the pain has become gradually worse over the past two years... and although on days like today it really, really sucks to be me... I am still way, very much better off than I was. And even though today will be hard - my hands are swollen and stiff - my back has a searing, hot pain - walking is an unpleasant chore - the more I hurt, the more I will try to be cheerful, with the prayer that everyone I encounter will mirror my attitude and that my attitude will be worthy of mirroring.

Which leads me to the point of all of this which is... in all the divine appointments in your life today... you may not know what burdens the other person may be dragging along with them on their journey... and although you probably can't take those burdens from them, you can definitely not ADD to their burdens by making your encounter with them unpleasant. A little kindness is a balm that with soothe an aching soul. 

I'm so grateful that I worked yesterday. I needed the hours on my paycheck... I needed the sales numbers... I had some really good leads... I helped a few people... I participated in the 3 dimensional world... I enjoyed a laugh or two with my wonderful co-workers. It was worth the pain, it really way. And since I worked yesterday, instead of facing three days of work and two days of weekend ahead of me... I'm facing TWO days of work and three days of weekend! 

It's a Wonderful Wednesday. It really is!