*My neighbor was so kind when I was sick, and had a grandchild over as luck would have it, and fed my child with her grandkids and it might a fevered night much easier.
*I learned a trick for keeping my kitty from pooping in the tub (keep the tiniest coat of water on the bottom of it)
*The laughs at a neighborhood holiday party I was not in the mood for.
*The friend who called to make sure I was going to the party.
*The fun, laughs and appreciation I had at the party. There were two women in my neighborhood who had been in longer marriages than my own, one with kids and the other without, who managed and who held on to their homes, finances, sanity and health. One is remarried and the other is an active artist. I don’t know a dang thing about why either marriage ended but I was happy to see evidence of them, to chat yoga and pets and financial independence, etc.
*for the tree in my living room which is SO pretty and has glorious new-to-me bulbs as well as some old favorites.
*that I was able to wrap all gifts today, paid not on credit, and which I can give without worry this holiday season even if I cut WAY WAY WAY back on who I purchased items for.
*for child who said, “I asked the eight-ball if you’d like your christmas gift and you will,” which makes me smile all over.
*for child’s glee in wrapping the cat’s toy and filling her little stocking with treats which she helped pay for with some of her own money earned from caring for our neighbor’s pets pretty much every weekend.
*for a segment from NPR’s on-being today about Rumi and how we all just “forget” that we are connected and all these human love relationships with lovers, friends, our children and our families are practice and learning and necessary and small mirrors of that HUGE love the beloved has and the interesting and soothing places it took my spirit which doesn’t have to know EXACTLY what I BELIEVE to feel a sense of “agh…”
I would like to hear that segment on Rumi, one of my favorites. So much good stuff here on your list. The wrapping of the cat’s toy is really neat. We give gifts to the dogs and they to us–have done that for years. Merry Christmas!