Yesterday I felt melancholy because....
My feminine hormones were playing their monthly mischief
and
I hadn't slept well
and
there is a whole bunch of stuff
our family has faced
and is facing
and will continue to face
that just overwhelms me
and
the economy is tanking
and the world is going to hell in a hand basket
or so it seems if you read the news too much
and
I spent hours doing laundry
and cleaning the kitchen
and tidying up the dining room
and I just know someone is going to come along
and mess it up again and again and again
(they already have, by now)
and
my kids need more help with their home school assignments
than I would prefer to give them -
and we have to turn it all in at co-op classes on Monday
and
my hands and feet hurt from arthritis
and my back hurt from life-in-general
and
not everyone in my house was even attempting
to be kind with their words and actions
(that would include me, of course)
and...
(there's more, I'm sure, but lets not dig)
 |
| {melancholy indeed} |
and so...
What did I do about it?
I cut myself a lot of slack
and
lowered my expectations
and
locked my door and told the kids
they were better off staying away from me
for a little while, at least
and
took a nap
and
thought about a song we sang on Sunday
and
wiped away my tears
and
played my turns on "Words with Friends"
and
hugged and thanked the teenage son
who told me several times
that I was "a good mom, really"
and
tried to think nice thoughts about God
(with whom I am sometimes angry)
and
took another nap
and
prayed a few little prayers
the "Lord, have mercy!" kind
and
went on the web
and read a poem
and watched a video
that my smart daughters mentioned on Facebook
and
by Addie Zierman
who always puts it into words my heart gets
and
wiped away my tears again
(thanks for that, Addie)
and
made dinner for my family
avoided watching the presidential debates
(I hate politics)
and
called a close friend
who faces many of the same challenges that I do
who prays for me more often than I pray for anyone
and who helped me think even more nice thoughts about God
(with whom she, too, is sometimes angry)
and
went to bed
with grace in my head
and didn't wake up until morning
and yes!
I am feeling much better now
thank you very much
 |
| {jolly indeed} |
"Love Came Down"
by Brian Johnson
If my heart is overwhelmed and I cannot hear Your voice
I’ll hold on to what is true though I cannot see
If the storms of life they come and the road ahead gets steep
I will lift these hands in faith
I will believe
I remind myself of all that You’ve done
And the life I have because Your Son
Love came down and rescued me
Love came down and set me free
I am Yours I am forever Yours
Mountain high or valley low
I sing out remind my soul
That I am Yours I am forever Yours
(There is more, so listen here: Love Came Down)
Note: The photos in this post were all edited with Picasa. I used the "heat map" feature for the first one, "HDRish" for the second, and a combo of "holga-ish" and "cross process" with the last one. And of course I used a little creative cropping for all of them. The P52 Photo Project theme for the week is "Sad" and my first photo is my submission for that.
