We all know there's plenty to be worried about but,
for today,
I'm not going there.
For today,
I'm going to focus on all the things that made me smile
and think
in the past few days;
and there were more than I could ever have anticipated.
I went to an amazing conference on the
Impact of Inter-generational Trauma
(and I will have more to say about that later, after some 'processing' time)
but the presenter showed us a quilt he had purchased
decades ago in Egypt
when he retraced his ancestors path through slavery.
It was stunning;
all hand stitched and pieced
It was easy to see why he had fallen in love with it.
"The Ancestors' were also on my mind
when family I love made a trip to LBI
(Long Beach Island, for the uninitiated)
and they sent back pictures!
They found our family cottage,
still standing;
maybe a bit worse for wear
but we all carry signs of what we've been through on our faces.
My grandparents bought the house in 1929,
right before the Depression.
It's been through SO many hurricanes,
including Hurricane Sandy -
but it's still there -
holding its ground
and I'm taking it as a good sign.
Some of my happiest memories were in that modest home,
surrounded now by McMansions.
The ashes of my grandparents, great grandmother and parents
were scattered at the beach at the end of 'our' block.
To see another generation of people I love
loving the same place
made my heart rejoice - and my eyes well with tears.
And, while this is NOT a picture of me from back in the day,
this little one is my soul sister!
(I found her in an antique store in MI two weekends ago).
It's on my mantel
as a reminder to embrace
whatever shape my body and hair are
on any given day!
Life is short -
smile and keep a life preserver handy!
There was also THIS happening this weekend
The St Louis Book Fair.
I tried to talk myself out of going;
honestly, I still have stacks of books waiting to be read
in nearly every room.
in nearly every room.
but I failed.
These are my treasures for this year.
I can practically hear Amazon executives sobbing now ...
they won't be getting my business anytime soon!
AND
in just 4 days,
I'll be headed back to the reservation
on a mini Mission trip
and for the Fair!
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