Day 3314: Inspirational Stories

Last night, I asked this question on Twitter:

Based on people’s responses to my question about inspirational stories, I’ve ordered the books I Heard the Owl Call My Name by Margaret Craven, Know My Name: A Memoir by Chanel Miller, and Unthinkable: Trauma, Truth, and the Trial of American Democracy, by Jamie Raskin. I’m looking forward to reading those inspirational and, I’m sure, difficult stories.

Do you see any inspirational stories in my other images for today?

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On National Chocolate Cake Day, here‘s what I find when I search YouTube for “Inspirational Stories.”

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I’m sure I will be inspired by any comments or stories you share, below.

Thanks to all who inspire me to blog every day, including YOU.

Day 3258: What’s a great gift for you?

Yesterday, when I was thinking of great gifts I’ve been given, I posted this on Twitter:

The answers I’m getting to that question are great gifts for me.

Do you see any great gifts in my other images for today?

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The greatly gifted Stephen Sondheim left great gifts for me and so many others. Here are Broadway stars sharing their gifts this past Sunday to sing Sondheim’s “Sunday” in Times Square.

This “Remembering Stephen Sondheim” piece from the New York Times is a great gift for me.

What’s a great gift for you?

I hope you accept my gift of gratitude for all the gifts you bring, here and now.

Day 2838: Just keep walking

Yesterday, I

• facilitated a Coping and Healing group remotely from my home,
• went to Tufts Medical Center to get my first echocardiogram since contracting COVID-19 in March,
• heard from my wonderful cardiologist Dr. Deeb Salem via email that there was no change in my heart,
• celebrated the great news by buying cream puffs from my favorite bakery,
• drove by a demonstration of Black Lives Matter people and Blue Lives Matter people,
• told my husband and son my good news,
• walked back toward the demonstration,
• visited the beautiful collection of painted rocks on the beach,
• Sharpied more Trump stickers,
• stood with the Black Lives Matter people as many more Blue Lives Matter people swirled around us with flags and loud noisemakers,
• asked one of the Black Lives Matter people whether the Blue Lives Matter people were supporting Democrats (whose national color is blue),
• explained to that person that I was kidding,
• was told by another Black Lives Matter person that I was awesome and my hair looked great,
• started walking back home,
• told a guy who passed me and started talking nonsense about the Black Lives Matter people, “I don’t agree with you so just keep walking,”
• got caught in a wild and windy rainstorm,
• just kept walking home for another 30 minutes,
• changed out of my wet clothes,
• had some cream puffs,
• ate a delicious swordfish dish made by my husband Michael,
• watched the Vice President debate with my husband and son,
• commented on a fly’s affinity for Mike Pence,
• ate more cream puffs,
• declared Kamala Harris the winner,
• dealt with our internet and cable going out during the debate analysis,
• put aside worry about it being restored in time for my groups today,
• went to sleep, and
• woke up in time to blog before my dental cleaning this morning at 8 AM.

Let’s just keep walking through my most recent photos.

I just keep walking through my Daily Bitch Calendar until November.

I just walked over to YouTube to find “Kamala” by Randy Rainbow:

Just keep commenting, below.

Thanks to all who help me keep walking and blogging every day, including YOU!

Day 2607: Life is short …

I wrote a short post titled “Life is short” about 1,160 days ago. (My calculations may be imperfect, but — hey! — life is short.)  But … is that the end of the story?

Apparently not.

Life is short …

… stop and smell the roses.

Life is short …

… eat mindfully.

Life is short …

… try to get your act together.

Life is short …

… accept that people will disappoint each other.

Life is short …

… learn the important differences.

Life is short …

… expect the unexpected (like those three photos on my iPhone).  Also accept the light AND the dark.

If life is so short…

… share what’s important to you (like music, travel, and love).

Life is short and your comments can be, too!

Life is short …

… thanks!

Day 2159: What’s allowed

Because I often think about what’s allowed in this world, I just searched WordPress for any previous posts I might have written on this subject, because that’s allowed.

I can now allow, aloud, that I was surprised that the only post WordPress allowed in that “What’s allowed” search was Day 717: Interrupting.  Four years ago, I allowed myself to write that looooong post (which features, doctors, cows, and lots of interrupting) when I was dealing with some very confusing medical issues.  Writing about those medical issues daily and receiving helpful and supportive feedback from my readers allowed me to navigate through them.  Thank goodness all that was allowed.

So, what allowed WordPress to find a connection between “What’s Allowed” and “Interrupting” today?   I am allowing myself to speculate that interrupting, according to WordPress, is something that’s allowed. Therefore, I’m allowing myself to interrupt this post to share my photos from yesterday.

According to those photos, it’s allowed to

• get irritated with technology (and other things),
• dress animals in outfits,
• be welcoming,
• gobble until you wobble,
• use cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia,
• make it all work,
• spend four days in Fenway, and
• appreciate Prince …

… but it’s NOT allowed to go into stores with animals and bare feet (although maybe bare other things are allowed).

Sharing music is allowed, so here’s Prince with I Would Die 4 U.

While I wouldn’t exactly die 4 u to comment, I hope u know that all your thoughts and feelings about what’s allowed are allowed in the comments section, below.

Gratitude is always allowed here, so thanks to all who allowed me to create today’s post and — of course! — to YOU.

Day 2124: Space

Do I have space, here and now,  to say what I want to about space? Will I space out and repeat what I’ve already written about space in Day 1648: Personal Space,  Day 1166: Take up space!!, Day 871: What’s taking up space in your head?, Day 838: It fills the space, Day 459: Time and Space, and Day 460: Time and space continued?

I do have the space to explain what inspired today’s title.

My phone has space for that ukulele app and I have space to tell you that, six months ago, I never thought I would need or have a ukulele space.  There was space in my life for a ukulele, even though I never imagined a ukulele in my space.

What am I trying to say in this space? Something that somebody had the space to say in a therapy group yesterday: “You never know.” I have the space to say that a different way: “Expect the unexpected.”

There’s space for my other photos from yesterday.

Forget trying to find a parking space near Fenway Park yesterday.

There’s always space for puns here at The Year(s) of Living Non-Judgmentally.

One of my patients had the space yesterday to recommend that children’s book about mindfulness.

There’s space where I work for that painted mural. Yesterday’s blog space included this photo:

My boyfriend Michael and I often occupy space in pet stores.

I’m sorry, we don’t have space for a trendy house for Oscar or Harley.

Is there space for my photos of cupcakes?

Last night, Michael fixed the TV — which takes up a lot of space —  with a new lamp, which fit perfectly into its space.

Then, I had the space to drink tea, eat cake, and watch the second game of the World Series.

As always, there’s space for great music here.

There’s space for me to repeat this photo to ask for comments …

… and to express thanks to all who helped me create another post in this space and — of course! — to YOU.

Day 2117: Unprepared

I often feel unprepared, so I was unprepared to see this on a white board yesterday:

I erased “unprepared …” to prepare the board for the topics raised by the members of the Wednesday morning therapy group:

Are you unprepared or prepared for television, the paranormal, travel, gratitude, hope, sleep, pain, noise, too much, too little, what’s going on, advertising, commercials, cold weather, fortune telling, preferences, traffic, reasons, relatives, pros, cons, expectations, art, self care, care of others, falling, keeping people in check, the news, banks, food, nourishment, referendums, cars, healing, what people say, what people don’t say, work, tests, the hospital, where you are, tears, laughter, psychics, the future, the past,  or the present?

Unprepared for my other photos from yesterday?

Are you unprepared for fall, for a cinnamon fig latte, or for seeing a duck in the clouds? What are you unprepared for, here and now?

I am prepared to say that when I am unprepared, I fake it until I make it.

I was unprepared to stay up this late on a Wednesday night, but the fourth Boston Red Sox/Houston Astros Playoff game is still going on at 1:09 AM.

I was also unprepared for Andrew Benintendi’s spectacular game-ending catch that preserved the win for the Red Sox.

Does this YouTube video show an Unprepared Psychic, as advertised?

Here‘s Another Song Called “Anthem” by UnPrepared:

Are you prepared to sing or say that “tomorrow will be better” like UnPrepared does there?

Even if you feel unprepared, consider leaving a comment.

As always, I am prepared to express thanks to all who helped me create this post and to you — of course! — for reading it.

Day 1970: Unexpected Appearances

Yesterday, on my way to work, I encountered my first unexpected appearances.

I didn’t expect the appearance of geese on the sidewalk. Did you?

There were more unexpected appearances throughout my day.

The appearance of that duck in front of a local bakery was unexpected. Maybe that duck expects the appearance of bread crumbs.

Expect the unexpected and the appearance of two more photos today. Here’s the first of those now expected photos:

That cat made an unexpected appearance last night at a party where my old friend Lawry and his family made wonderful appearances. (I expect I’ll add links to Lawry’s appearances in previous posts after I publish this one.) (Like this one and this one.)

In two days, my son will be making an expected appearance back in Boston. I expect to appear very happy about that.

This video made an unexpected appearance when I searched YouTube for “unexpected appearances.”

I expect the appearances of unexpected comments about today’s post, below.

Finally, here’s the expected appearance of gratitude at the end of this blog post.

Day 1818: Children

Almost exactly three years ago, I published another post titled “Children.”    ‘Tis the season, I suppose, for visions of children to dance in my head.

Also, I saw this yesterday:

Are visions of children dancing in my other photos from yesterday?

That’s my only child, Aaron. When I was a child, I was told it was not advisable for me to have children because of my very unusual heart.   I doubt that outdated advice is in this book …

….which my child and I saw yesterday at a local library.

Children are good for a happy, healthy heart. So is music like this:

Thanks to all the children and adults who helped me create today’s post and — of course! — to YOU.