17:52 {laugh}

When you have nothing to laugh about, laugh anyway. Soon you'll feel the healing power of joy and laughter bringing new energy and life to your weary, frustrating day.

-Thelma Wells

Kids.  Kids, keep me laughing; at work and in my social life.  In fact this very blog was started in 2009 with the funny things kids said to me either in the therapy room or in everyday life with my nieces and nephews.

Picturing the things that can brighten a dull day often is difficult because what is it that makes us laugh?  How do you photograph the funny things kids say and do without sharing the story?  How do you picture a child telling you in the middle of a therapy session, "me nee- -ug: translation "me need hug" with me saying "Sure I can give you a hug."?  Only to have the same child tell you at the end of the session, "Close your eyes" so you quickly blink because you don't know what they are thinking, only to open your eyes to see them leaning in to give you a BIG SLOPPY KISS on the face.  

You simply cannot capture that on SD memory cards.

What you can capture is faces of challenging times and laughing faces...

Challenging times

It's difficult to be maintain sanity and feel happy when multiple days are filled with rain, wind, and cold weather.

Nadia would prefer not to share her feelings about having to be 'stuck' inside due to the weather.

LAUGHING FACES

Miss Ella Jo laughs most for her Daddy Kasey

Garrett is happy about something...

in respond to Diana trying coconut water

After, learning that coconut water actual does taste like "smelly socks"

I asked her to 'laugh your head off"

Mia claimed she couldn't just laugh but promptly did at perhaps the absurdity.

And for those such as myself who live with chronic disease which is nothing to laugh at, laughter is often appreciated and helpful.  

Linking up to GLORIA

16:52 {certain success} ?

Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time.

-Thomas A. Edison

Seattle, WA

I love this quote for those of sound mind.

It does nothing for those who struggle with mental health.

If all it took was for this man (yes, man) to succeed 

was to just stand up and try one more time,

I believe he would have.

Success in and of itself is indefinable.

What success is for me, is not and should not be, what success is for you.

Success for one may be 'trying' 5 times instead of 4,

and for another success may be 'trying' until the end.

Perhaps success for this man was putting on the red coat 

and finding a place to sit for the day.

I cannot imagine the amount of strength it takes

to be homeless.

Or perhaps, he isn't homeless and

succeeded in fooling me.

Linking up to GLORIA

15:52 {caring}

When someone cares

It is easier to speak

It is easier to listen

It is easier to play

It is easier to work

When someone cares it is easier to laugh

-Susan Polis Schutz

We all have those friends in which we could share everything and anything.  Those whose caring hand helps to guide us when we lose sight of life's boundaries.  Whose hand points out that life really is a laughing matter, despite the many times we may need each other to listen.  Recently, I was fortunate enough to spend a number of days with a close friend.  Listening, speaking, and goofing off, is always easier when someone else cares about you for you.

Living life and laughing is easier when you are in the company of those that care about you. 

Linking up to Gloria

14:52 {harvesting}

Always do your best. What you plant now, you will harvest later.

-Og Mandino

I harvested the beautiful sight of this flower.  Some living thing, human or otherwise at some point in time planted a seed with this flower as a result.

Learning to clam for the first time.  Teaching children the beauty of "harvesting" the seed of any nature is of high value.  Here my niece is learning the enjoyment of clamming.

This is the result of the harvest.  I however, as an adult reserve the right to NEVER eat clams again.  Although I'd happily harvest them for others.

Head on over to Gloria's page to see what she harvests.