1986 13th Commonwealth Games open in Edinburgh, Scotland
Yesterday, my day in the life included work that I love, meeting up with my old friend Isaac, an incredible Mexican lasagna made by Michael, and many facial expressions.
It’s true that, in my work as a group therapist, I focus on making it easier for people to get in touch (with themselves and with others). However, I doubt that adding a phone number to Oscar the cat’s Facebook page will make it easy for people to get in touch. Oscar doesn’t answer the phone, although by touching my iPhone yesterday he somehow managed to delete four important apps: Waze, Wallet, Google, and Notes! Thank goodness it was easy to get in in touch with Apple support and recover those apps.
Soon after getting in touch with Apple support, I supported people in a Coping and Healing group getting in touch with thoughts and feelings about positive feedback. Here’s what I touched on yesterday as I filled out my own Positive Feedback worksheet.
Are you in touch with
how you tend to respond to compliments and other types of positive feedback?
positive and appreciative things people have said about you?
positive things you have recognized in yourself?
It’s time to get in touch with my other photos from yesterday.
To help us get in touch with what we wanted to say at the Board Meeting last night, I transformed that F-bomb into a “Farewell” bomb that people could touch as they were speaking.
Five hundred and seventy-eight little days ago (but who’s counting these little things?), little ol’ me wrote a little blog post, Day 1790: Thankful for the little things.Yesterday, I was a little perturbed by many little things when I was writing yesterday’s little post, so I sent Michael this little email:
Hello my darling,
I would say we have an infestation of ants . This is based on many of them crawling on me this morning while I was blogging, which is a new experience for me here at Squanticello. Let us research kind ways to invite them to leave.
Much love,
Ann
When I got home from work, Michael was more than a little freaked out at the not-so-little size of the invaders, which turned out to be carpenter ants. He said, “Usually I don’t think of insects as animals, but these enormous winged things are definitely animals.” Michael spent many little moments yesterday identifying the big ants’ little points of entry and applying spray that is kind to little things like children and pets.
I didn’t take any pictures of those little things, but I invite you to spot the little things in today’s little photos.
I don’t see any little or large ants as I’m creating this little post, so I’d say that Michael’s efforts paid off, in a big way.
Here‘s “The Little Things You Do Together” from a little musical called Company:
Here are the great lyrics to “The Little Things You Do Together” by that musical giant, Stephen Sondheim:
It’s the little things you do together
Do together
Do together
That make perfect relationships.
The hobbies you pursue together
Savings you accrue together
Looks you misconstrue together
That make marriage a joy.
It’s the little things you share together
Swear together
Wear together
That make perfect relationships.
The concerts you enjoy together
Neighbors you annoy together
Children you destroy together
That keep marriage intact.
It’s not so hard to be married
When two maneuver as one
It’s not so hard to be married
And Jesus Christ, is it fun.
It’s sharing little winks together
Drinks together
Kinks together
That make marriage a joy.
The bargains that you shop together
Cigarettes you stop together
Clothing that you swap together
That make perfect relationships.
It’s not talk of God and the decade ahead that
Allows you to get through the worst.
It’s “I do,” and, “You don’t,” and, “Nobody said that,”
And, “Who brought the subject up first?”
It’s the little things…
The little things, the little things, the little things
The little ways you try together
Cry together
Lie together
That make perfect relationships.
Becoming a cliche together
Growing old and gray together
Withering away together
That make marriage a joy.
It’s not so hard to be married,
It’s much the simplest of crimes.
It’s not so hard to be married,
I’ve done it three or four times.
It’s people that you hate together
Bait together
Date together
That make marriage a joy.
It’s things like using force together
Shouting till you’re hoarse together
Getting a divorce together
That make perfect relationships.
Uh uh
Kiss kiss
Mmmm mmmmm.
I’m greatly looking forward to all your little comments, below.
Gratitude for the little things helps me deal with all the little and big things every day, so big thanks to those who help me create this little blog and — of course! — to YOU.
Soon after publishing this post, I made up some new little lyrics for that song, more relevant for tall Michael and little me:
It’s battling ants together
Making sure you dance together
Keeping the romance together
That make perfect relationships.
That “SPECIAL ATTENTION” tag is from a dry cleaner, informing me that they gave special attention to a stain on a silk skirt but were unable to remove it. When I picked up the skirt yesterday, I said to them, “Thanks for giving this special attention. We all need special attention sometimes.”
When you pay special attention to that last sentence, do you agree that we all need special attention sometimes? When do you need special attention? How do you get that special attention when you need it? Do you ask for it? Or do you hope that special people will know that you need it without your asking?
I’ve been giving special attention to my second letter from the President for my professional organization’s newsletter. I’ve been working on that special letter for days and no matter how much special attention I give it, I don’t like what I’m writing. Maybe I’m giving it too much special attention.
When I have special trouble writing or completing other special tasks, I especially take breaks and turn my attention elsewhere. Which of my latest photos deserve your special attention?
My first loud action in today’s blog is to share this photo of five words:
I’m just now noticing that “louder” is the quietest word in that sign.
My second loud action is to share many words about when to shut up!?
Are the actions in my remaining photos louder than the words?
This might take several minutes to listen to the words and music in “Nobody’s Perfect” co-written by almost perfect social work intern Nat Shirley and me. Last night, Nat and I took the action of loudly performing our act at an Open Mic.
I look forward to your words and actions about today’s post.
Now, it’s time to take the action of loudly expressing words of gratitude to YOU.
Even though I’m up for anything these days, sometimes I get exhausted, especially on Thursdays, when I
work from 10 to 9,
facilitate two therapy groups,
orient new people for my groups,
see several people for individual therapy,
go to a meeting of social workers,
have about 20 minutes for lunch,
try to decide whether to look at or avoid the news,
practice my latest song, and
practice self-care.
In one of those therapy groups, a person exhausted by a major and unexpected loss shared that she practices self care by taking breaks, even if it’s a break for a moment. I wasn’t too exhausted to hear that she had learned that skill in my groups.
I was so exhausted by the end of the day that I added a new emotion to the emotions chart on my door:
Here and now, I’m exhausted by the possibility that somebody might tell me that “exhausted” is not really an emotion.
Here and now, I’m NOT too exhausted to share my other photos from yesterday.
I hope you’re not too exhausted to share what exhausts you and what energizes you, in a comment below.
