Today in North Idaho it is overcast with a high of 52°. I’m back at the library this morning where I have chosen to wait for my daughter and her family to pick me up so we can all ride out to a funeral for a family member.  A dear uncle who passed from cancer.  A truly courageous man who believed in the power of positive thinking.  The world is a little less bright without his presence.

My daughter brings with her my youngest grandson who inspired this blog.  I adore this little family and I’m truly excited to see them!  The wonder of the world never ends and today is no exception.  As one light passes the next begins and so on and so on.  Again I see the comfort in a process and the knowledge that there are things we can always count on even if it is life and death.  I feel this urge to live a fuller life and be a better person because there is an end ahead and I always like to look back and draw on that energy that I did it right.

This evening at nearly midnight as my little town sleeps, I will be boarding the Amtrak for a little getaway.  I am marking off one of the items on my bucket list which was to pay the extra money and purchase a roomette.  My voyage will be an overnight putting me at my destination the next morning around 11:00 a.m.  Between wanting to sleep comfortably, getting a little time to watch the countryside go by when I wake, and taking advantage of the meal included with my fare, I pulled the trigger!  I am super pumped to have this experience and will, of course, share a photo tomorrow of my travels with you.

I adore living in a small area and the feeling of community.  I love all of the known factors like who owns what shops, where the best food is, who has my favorite warm socks, when people are in need, where the high school graduation is every year, when the fair is, who is good at what and that they are generally accessible to give advice or direct you to someone who can give advice, etc.  Of course when it is your turn to stub your toe those same people step up and offer their support and encouragement which eases the burden and lightens the load.  Thank goodness!!

But sometimes it is good to get on the road and see what the world does outside of my day to day life.  See how other people live.  I love to talk to people on the street which believe me is accepted differently from place to place.  If I am at home and downtown I will talk to pretty much everyone.  And they wave back hello!  I don’t need to know them.  I think it is just being in this small place in the world.  I smile and say hi or good morning and try to make eye contact.  Spreading the love in a single word and look.  Try that in a big city and WOW!  People look at you like you need a one way ticket to the psychiatric hospital.  It makes me laugh.  What happened to these people that they take umbrage to friendly human contact?  Seriously!  We are all connected and yet we are afraid to make contact.  I feel like a telemarketer making robocalls and the person who answered had the worst day ever.  Hello!  Don’t hang up! I’m spreading goodness and it is your lucky day… crickets… click!  I’m smiling as I type this.  It reminds me of a saying, “Sometimes the dragon wins”. Well,  there is always the next person and I do sometimes get a smile in return in the big city.  All the feels!!

So today I invite you to take pleasure in the little things.  Yes, there is plenty of reasons to put your head down and not make contact.  You have the choice every second to lift your head and smile at the world.  If you lead with that foot and keep on walking you will either pop out into the sun or you will admire yourself for making the journey.  And that builds on itself again and again, and becomes less like a chore and you receive joy during the process.  This is no joke.