...be without clouds and other little things

Clouds...clouds...clouds...those mashed potatoes in the sky (that's what I have called them since I was little)...those floating cotton balls...they're absolutely wonderful. There is an organization called The Cloud Appreciation Society. You can go to their website and see different pictures of clouds. It's quite amazing, actually. Whenever we're fortunate enough to have weather where I live, I will always look up at the sky and watch the clouds. Don't you remember being a kid and watching them go by as they change formation? We've all seen dragons and angels and bunnies somehow. Many artists include them in their paintings. What is it about these spits of love that Heaven throws out to us? Why are so many intrigued by their power and subtleties? For me, they've always brought a feeling of excitement about life.

There was a movie way back when I was a kid that just set me over the moon and drove a stake of passion for the sky, and all that is in it, into my heart. "The Boy Who Could Fly" made me want to fly so bad! After seeing that movie, I would always go out to my backyard, sit in the grass, and watch the sun set with the clouds in prime fashion. What made them even more effective with me was feeling the wind blow. They're so ethereal. Rightly so, they're made by an intricate and surprising Maker. Who wouldn't fall in love with them?

Raindrops water us. They add growth metaphorically and literally. They bring out the best of pine trees - the smell! They wash the bird poop from our windshields and give us an extra boost of energy when we go jogging in their downpour. They help us save on our water bills by taking care of the grassy yard and flowers. They're quite versatile!

Post-it notes are one of the best inventions "since sliced bread". Post-its are platforms for subtle reminders - once you write it down, you take care of the task, you throw the post-it in the trash, you've gone about your business. Simplicity at its finest! Post-its can be used to prioritize items in a business meeting, to easily create a seating chart for a classroom, and to designate what pieces of furniture you might want to throw in the yard sale for when you move. I have tried using formal planners with their labeled sections so many times, and don't get me wrong, there are some really cute and very functional planners out there, but they just don't do it for me. And this is coming from someone who is VERY detailed and thrives on structure and order! Post-its are just easier. I usually have a nice little running pile stuck together that I stuff in my purse in a certain pocket. When I do that, I know that there are some important things I need to tend to, and they're right there, conveniently located so that I can just whip them out like James Bond whips out his pistol. Plus, they come in some really pretty colors.

NEXT WEEK: The art of being happy

...worry about how long your life will be

Key word: worry. With as many age-defying creams out there and "cosmic" elixirs that are sure to add years to our lives, what do we have to worry about? Is that where our fountain of youth is found? What if I told you there really is no fountain of youth, or more so that it's not found in forever creams and neon drinks? The bible says, "Grey hair is a crown of splendor, it is attained by a righteous life (Proverbs 16:31)" and "Remind me that my days are numbered (Psalm 39:4)". Would that make any impression on you about life? Would that grant you a different perspective about the kinds of choices you would make for yourself? I don't know about you, but there is a reason I am getting grey hairs on my head and wrinkles on my face, and I can guarantee it's not so that I can contribute to the insatiable feeding of the cosmetic industry. I am quite simply...living. I don't live in tomorrow anymore. I used to live in many fantasies about what I wanted for myself in my future. I used to live in my future. It was my escape from my present. I used to wonder how old I will be when I die, so that I can plan my days out before it happens.

The more I lived in my future, the less I lived in my present, and the less I lived in my present, the more I got away from reality, and the more I got away from reality...well, surely I missed something. I couldn't tell you what it might have been because I was too busy thinking about my future! I was sitting around waiting for my future to show up, when IN reality, the future did not and does not exist. Do you catch what I'm trying to say here? Worrying about how long your life will be only takes you out of the now because what are you thinking about? You are thinking about the future. I came across a quote that really made a light bulb turn on for me. It goes like this: "We must let go of the life we have planned so as to accept the one that is waiting for us". How simply profound. We have no control over tomorrow, that is, if we're fortunate to be given one. When it comes, what shall we do with it - wish we had yesterday back? Speaking for myself, I prefer to savor what is in front of me. Right now, it is one minute until one of my favorite food shows comes on, so I will sign off and enjoy it. Hey, I may get a great cooking tip!

NEXT WEEK: Clouds and other little things

...worry about broken dishes

I got this week's idea from a colleague of mine, and though I didn't get her reason why she came up with this in particular, I will venture to say that she meant life is too short to worry about something that won't keep us from falling apart ourselves. So why bother fretting over something that is replaceable? There is a deep connection people have to objects. Many people have great emotional ties to dishes, in particular. To be even more specific, many find deep meaning in plates because that is what they used for a special, pivotal event in their lives. They ate meals on their special plates when they had their parents over for dinner to announce a new pregnancy, or they ate off of their special plates because they joined together to comfort one another after the funeral of a loved one who died.

For whatever reason dishes are held in high regard to people, there is one underlying norm: identity and internal value is found in them. I had a set of blue plates that I bought myself and stored away a long time ago for when the day would come when I would live on my own. Since blue is my favorite color, the plates obviously spoke to me. The pattern was simple yet trendy, kind of like my own style and personality. I felt those plates really spoke of who I was and it somehow gave me some purpose and internal value because of what they represented to me. They were a symbol of freedom to come. Understandable enough, right? Of course. I was the one who picked them out, nobody else. I didn't have to check with anyone for approval. It was all me. It was fun. I looked at them many times over and just dreamed of me and my plates and the life we would have together someday.

When I finally did get my own place, the plates made their home in the cabinet. And that was it. It's not that I didn't like them anymore because I truly did, but they became a PART of something I had made for my life. THEY didn't make my life. They simply became a lovely thing upon which to eat food with people I loved. That's all. I don't even have those plates anymore, and I'm not really sure what happened to the whole set! I just know that they alone had no value, but what I did with them brought the meaning to my life - the experiences of sharing food and time with others.

I didn't pay a lot for them, I don't see the point in doing that. If one chooses to pay a lot for plates, I hope one understands that the value is not in the plates themselves, but for the reason they were made: holding food while you make those important connections with other human beings.

NEXT WEEK: How long your life will be