Day 2551: Kind of a Big Deal

It’s kind of a big deal

• that Michael and I are getting married tomorrow and
• that my kind and kind-of-a-big deal niece Julie gave me this t-shirt for Christmas:

  It’s kind of a big deal that Julie wants to use the lyrics I wrote four days ago for her 10th annual Women’s Getaway Weekend on March 21 & 22 in New Hampshire.

It’s kind of a big deal that

• The Year(s) of Living Non-Judgmentally is still going strong here at WordPress after seven years of daily blogs,
• my boyfriend/fiancé/soon-to-be-husband Michael  supports me in so many ways  (including being my substitute blogger after my open heart surgery in 2016),
• my therapy groups are thriving,
• I’m President of the professional organization that’s been sustaining me and many others for decades,
• I’ve performed at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe (and may be performing there again next year),
• I gave a speech at the 45th reunion of Harvard’s class of 1974,
• I’m happier than I’ve ever been in my life,
• I no longer worry about bragging and many other things I used to worry about,
• there’ll be a Presidential election next year in the USA,
• my son’s girlfriend will be visiting us from Jordan after the first of the year,
• my son will read every post I’ve written after I’m gone and (I hope) realize this blog is a love letter to him and many others, and
• YOU use your precious time to read this blog.

It’s kind of a big deal that I took all these photos yesterday:

It’s kind of a big deal that I won that book at Michael’s family‘s Yankee Swap.

Here’s somebody else saying “I’m kind of a big deal.”

Here’s a big deal number from a big deal musical:

If you leave a comment, it’s kind of a big deal because YOU are kind of a big deal.

It’s kind of a big deal that there’s so much I’m thankful for this holiday season.

Day 2242: Stress balls

What are stress balls?  Are they squishy balls that you can squeeze when you’re stressed?

Are they creatures who are feeling lots of stress?

Harley does not look like a stress ball in that photo, but usually he stresses and runs away when I try to take a picture of him.

Even stress balls, like Harley, can relax at times.

I’m a stress ball today because I have to do many things (including giving a presentation about my therapy groups, singing songs in meetings,  running a board meeting, preparing for a trip to L.A., planning a dinner in L.A., and more) all while dealing with a bout of insomnia and some ambivalence about possible choices.

What helps when you’re a stress ball, besides squeezing a stress ball? My niece Julie, of The Joy Source, suggests changing the words “have to” (see previous paragraph) to “get to.” So, it’s not that I have to do many thing (including giving a presentation, etc.) , it’s that I get to do many things (including giving a presentation, etc.).  That shifts me from being a stress ball about too many obligations to being grateful about having the opportunity to do all those things, connecting me with confidence in my skills to get things done adequately enough.

I don’t have to share my other photos from yesterday, but I’m glad I get to share them with you.

Here‘s what YouTube gives me for “stress ball song”:

 

Somehow, I’m not a stress ball any more.

What helps you be less of a stress ball?

Thanks to all who helped me stress less by stressing all the things I stressed in this “stress balls” post and — of course! — YOU.

 

 

Day 1647: Realize how good you really are

Yesterday, I realized, again, how good my ex-in-laws really are. The really good Julie and Kevin

hosted a really good July 4th party. I realized how good Kevin — who challenged my boyfriend Michael to a future cook-off —  really is at preparing food and also protecting his clothing.

Julie is really good at helping people realize how good they really are . (If you click on that really good link, you’ll be connected to her really good site, the Joy Source.) I’m sure Julie chose this really good sign for her really good home.

Julie and her family also realize how good it really is to have lots of cats.

I would like to realize how good I really am at taking pictures of really good parties.

Later, I realized how  good our new home by the sea really is for viewing the Boston July 4th fireworks.

For a long time, I’ve realized how good the Boston fireworks really are.

 

If you are very doubtful about how good you really are, please join with me and Julie in realizing it, once and for all.

I realize how good expressing thanks really is, so thanks to Julie, Kevin, their cats, the city of Boston, everybody else who helped me realize this post, and — of course! — to you, for how good you really are.