As I’ve mentioned here before, one of the richest memories of my life is how I used to get up at 5:30 in the morning with my dad.  It was our time.  We’d eat GrapeNuts and tell each other about the miracle(s) we’d seen the day before.  I still try to like GrapeNuts and I still try to look for miracles every day.

Finding the miracles has been harder for me latley.  I might notice (my word for 2015) lovely people, places, or things, but I’ve allowed circumstances, over which I feel powerless, to cloud my ability to recognize them as miracles.  That’s gotta change.

Here’s how I’m going to change it.  Yes/And.  I completely accept the reality that YES there are many things going on the world, over which I have no control.  AND while I continue to attend to what I can, I’m going to focus on the light, the good, the possible, along with the people doing the light, good, and possible.

YES, the divisions, gloom, fear, and darkness will still be around.  My focus, however, will not be as glued to it, as it has been lately.  I’m going to focus on the power of miracles.  When I find myself tempted to dwell in the negative longer than is necessary, I’m going to seek out AND people, places, and things. AND people, places and things are the miracles Daddy and I used to share with each other daily.  I’ll share some of them with you here.

Earlier this week, I was with Mom in her favorite doctors’ waiting room.  As usual, we held hands, while she napped.  Her hands were weak. Her grip was strong.  

YES, it’s tough to be a witness to Mom approaching the end of her life AND her weakly strong hands have:

• held school supplies, as she walked to school in London during the Nazi blitz bombing;
• held my dad’s hands,  at a dance, when he was stationed in the UK with the Canadian RAF;
• waved goodbye to her family and home country, as a war bride;
• opened to a new country, as she became a US citizen;
• scrubbed, planted, and cooked to prove herself worthy to her new US neighbors;
• held and loved my sister and me;
• kept books for a Havelock car company for many years;
• created magnificent clothing and draperies;
• loved preparing tax returns:
• shopped with bargains in mind;
• and always, Always, ALWAYS try to fix my hair, with no luck.

YES, this is a sacred and tender season with Mom AND I am grateFULL for it.

YES, AND you’re welcome to share your own YES, AND experiences here.