Day 2317: Signs of spring

I’m often looking for signs, including signs of the advent of spring (my favorite season).

The “sign” post I  just linked to in that signature opening paragraph — Day 1319: Subtle signs — has subtle signs that I wrote that blog post shortly before two major life signposts: my open heart surgery at the Mayo Clinic and the election of Donald Trump as President of the United States.

Since the 2016 election, I’ve noticed signs that I — and the United States — have somehow changed.  I see signs of that in every blog post I’ve written since then.  Of course, everything changes and everything changes us, although this saying

The more things change, the more they stay the same

is a sign that perhaps I should change my mind about that, also.

Here are some other signs on my mind:

• The tears in my eyes, as I write this, are signs of some unresolved grief about past events.
• Older people often look for the signs of dementia in themselves and others.
• When I procrastinate doing something — like writing a Letter from the President for a newsletter — that’s a sign that I need more information or need to resolve some fear about the outcome.
• We tend to look for signs, in the present, that replicate our experiences as children, sometimes ignoring richer, more diverse signs of a wider range of possibilities.
• I am making a concerted effort to be open to signs that conflict with my expectations.
• I’ve dealt with signs that I’m catastrophizing more than most people by writing a song about that (included in yesterday’s blog post, here).
• I went looking for actual signs of spring, yesterday.

Signs of spring remind me that I’ll be seeing Pat Metheny in concert this spring. Here‘s “Spring Ain’t Here” by the Pat Metheny Group.

 

I’ll be looking for signs of your reactions to this post in the comments section, below.

No matter what the season, you’ll always find signs of my gratitude — for those who help me write this daily blog and for readers like YOU — at the end of every post.

Day 1972: What other people say

“What other people say” is a topic that often comes up in my therapy groups.  What other people say may

• distress,
• reassure,
• anger,
• change,
• frighten,
• move,
• disappoint,
• gladden,
• worry,
• inspire,
• confuse,
• enlighten,
• disgust,
• support,
• frustrate,
• encourage,
• shame,
• enliven,
• disrespect,
• respect,
• betray,
• promote,
• enrage,
• surprise,
• concern,
• recognize,
• humble,
• condemn,
• accept,
• disconnect,
• connect,
• disorient,
• illuminate,
• silence,
• judge,
• forgive,
• blame,
• uplift,
• sadden,
• madden,
• touch,
• hurt,
• heal,
• condemn,
• save,
• annoy,
• soothe, and/or
• inform.

I wonder what other people would say about that list and about yesterday’s photos.

What other people say includes praise, F-bombs, and everything in between.  What’s more important is what we say or don’t say in return.

Here’s “People Say” by Don Diablo featuring Paije.

No matter what other people say, I always end with gratitude.