Day 2198: Oh what fun

Oh what fun

there is today,

If we see things in this way.

Walking by the sea,

Writing bad poetry,

Swearing up a storm

About how it’s getting warm.

Noticing a new fruit

and animals so cute,

Enjoying what’s almost funny

And focusing less on money.

Living for today

in your own special way,

Knowing you’re amazing

Even when others are not praising,

Deciding to just dance

 

When ever there’s that chance.

And singing along

To an “Oh what fun” song.

Expressing gratitude

For readers, songs, and food.

 

 

Day 1786: For now

“For now’ is something I often say, for perspective, for clarification, for hope, and for an invitation to live in the moment.

For now, Michael still hasn’t sent me those photos he took on Saturday.

For now, I’ll keep reminding him until he remembers to send them.

For now, I have only three new photos to share with you.

 

For now, I’m placing a “Thank you” photo in the middle of a post, instead of at the end.

For now, I’m feeling some measure of peace despite all the chaos surrounding us.

For now, I’m sharing these two videos (playing, for now, here and here on YouTube):

 

For now, please express any thoughts and feelings you have for today’s post.

For now, I’m expressing gratitude for all who helped me create this post and — of course! — for you.

 

 

Day 1699: No worries

“No worries” is a phrase that originated in Australia. I have no worries, this morning, about …

• writing my third blog post titled “no worries” in four and a half years of blogging,
• linking to those previous blog posts here and here,
• people with great expectations perhaps preferring my earlier posts to this one,
• taking my time responding to others,
• remembering to take my medication,
• losing things,
• being on vacation, and
• snapping photos wherever and whenever I can.

 

 

 

 

 

I have no worries that one of the excellent comedians shown above has a congenital heart condition and that we showed each other our open-heart surgery scars in public.  I also have no worries that two of the lovely people portrayed in the photos above are from Australia and say “no worries” instead of “you’re welcome.”

I have no worries about giving you more details in this blog post because

the end of this post is nigh.

No worries about including this music today.

Thanks to all who help me create this daily blog and — of course! — to you, whether or not you respond “no worries” in a comment today.

 

Day 1588: When will the good times start?

If you’re like most people, you probably believe the good times will start when

• you have more money,
• your living situation improves,
• you’re healthier,
• you look more attractive,
• the political situation changes,
• more people agree with you,
• your relationships get better,
• your job gets better,
• you’re doing more interesting things,
• other people alter their behaviors,
• you alter your behaviors, or
• something else changes in the future.

Last night, the good times started when I got this fortune:

Okay, everybody!  Let’s count to 3!

1 ….

2…

3.

According to that good fortune I found last night, now that we’ve counted to 3, the good times have started!

How shall we celebrate these good times?

1…

2…

3.

 

When will the good comments start? 1… 2… 3. Let’s look below and see!

Finally, how shall I express good-time thanks to all who helped me create the good times in this post and — of course — to you?

1…

2 …

3.

Day 1458: We’re still alive

Yesterday, in a therapy group, somebody said, “We’re still alive.”  Since that phrase felt very alive to me, I wrote it on my white board, where it still is.

I heard and wrote that shortly  before I found out that Carrie Fisher was no longer alive, when I  read this on Facebook: “We lost a Jedi.”

I still believe it’s important,  every day, to remember we’re still alive, because eventually every one of us will be still.

Here‘s the best song for this post —  Stephen Sondheim’s “I’m Still Here” from Carrie Fisher’s Postcards from the Edge:

 

I often sing that song when I walk around, still alive,  and see scenes like this:

Which images are still alive, for you?

I’m very grateful we’re still alive as I thank all  who helped me create this post and you — of course —  for still being here.

Day 1401: What is the inspiration?

What is the inspiration for today’s blog post title?

It’s this card, which the inspiring Carla from cardiac rehab wrote for me, yesterday:

That is the inspiration for me to share this definition for “inspiration.”

in·spi·ra·tion
ˌinspəˈrāSH(ə)n/
noun
1. the process of being mentally stimulated to do or feel something, especially to do something creative.
“Helen had one of her flashes of inspiration”
synonyms: creativity, inventiveness, innovation, ingenuity, genius, imagination, originality
2. the drawing in of breath; inhalation.

As you draw in your next breath, pause a minute and think about this:

What is the inspiration for you?

That question is the inspiration for me to list some inspirations, here and now:

1. My late parents.
2. My son Aaron.
3. My boyfriend Michael.
4. My family.
5. My friends.
6. Other kind people I encounter, every day.
7. My work.
8. My patients.
9. The beauty I see all around me.
10. Music.
11. Things that make me laugh.
12. Bravery in others.
13. Writing.
14. My readers.
15. Delicious and healthy food.
16. Self care.
17. Nature.
18. Animals.
19. My doctors.
20. Hope for the future.
21. Acceptance of what is.
22. Faith in myself and others
23. Learning new things.
24. Home.
25. Taking time to heal.
26. My iPhone camera.

One thing I photographed yesterday was the inspiration for Carla from Cardiac Rehab to talk, non-stop, for several minutes. Can I inspire you to guess what inspired her so?

Carla’s inspiration was …

.

.

.

.

.

.

 

… Mort, the hedgehog, who is riding high in a surgical mask, who always wears that hat, who gets dressed up in various outfits,  and who, one morning, was all packed to go to Las Vegas but “he missed his flight.” Nevertheless, Mort is the still the inspiration for many inspiring people who attend cardiac rehab at Mount Auburn Hospital.

What is the inspiration for my musical selection this morning?  I just searched YouTube for “inspiration music” and found this:

I’m hoping this post is the inspiration for you to leave a comment, below.

For all the inspirations who helped me create today’s post and for you — of course! — here’s one more inspiration from yesterday:

Day 1374: The near future

Whenever you’ve had a harrowing experience, it helps to plan for the near future, especially if you focus on what you adore.

For example, exactly  two weeks ago today I had major heart surgery which was, honestly, pretty harrowing. So it’s helping me to plan for and focus on the near future, which includes:

• My college roommate, Maria, whom I adore, flying in from Portland Oregon, which I adore,  to stay with me and my boyfriend Michael, whom I adore,  for eight days.
• An appointment this afternoon with my Primary Care Physician, Dr. Laura Snydman, whom I adore.
• Getting a ride to my doctor’s visit this afternoon from my sister, Ellen, whom I adore.
• Seeing Mel Brooks, whom I adore, in person in a few weeks, accompanied by my neighbor Karen, whom I adore.
• Attending a performance of “An American in Paris,” which I adore, the following week with my friend Barbara, whom I adore.

It also helps to look at the near past, especially when my progress is so encouraging, which I adore.  For example, last night — for the first time since my surgery — I went for a short walk outside alone, which I adored. Here’s what I saw:

In your near future, you could plan to adore this post even more, as I show you other pictures from yesterday of things I adore:

Here‘s the music I am listening to as I write this near-future post, which I adore:

Is there a comment in my near future, which I would adore?

I adore everybody and everything that helped me create this near-future post and also you — of course! — for including me in your near future.

Day 1255: Turn Yourself Around

Because I’m a psychotherapist, every time I turn myself around I encounter somebody wanting to turn themselves around, towards health and a better life.

Yesterday, I turned myself around at work and saw this:

Later that day, during a turn-yourself-around therapy group, I turned myself around to describe how our lives turn around and around and around, while we grow and learn. (If you want to turn yourself around to learn more about that, turn yourself to the sixth blog post I turned out here — The Ascending Coil.)

Then, I turned myself around to meet my boyfriend Michael, and we turned ourselves around towards Norfolk, Massachusetts to attend a memorial service for his late mother.

When her five children, nephews, nieces, and grandchildren turned themselves around  to remember and honor her, I turned myself around to take a few photos:

That’s Bobby, my boyfriend Michael’s nephew. When Bobby turned himself around to ask me if I was still blogging, I turned myself around to answer, “Every day.”

Would any of my other photos from yesterday help anybody turn themselves around?

 

I am now going to turn myself around, towards YouTube, for some turn-yourself-around tunes for today (here and here):

 

 

Now I shall turn myself around to thank all those who helped me create this turn-yourself-around post and you — of course!! — for turning yourself around towards here, today.

Day 1249: I love

I love

• my son,
• my boyfriend,
• my sister,
• my late parents,
• my extended family,
• my friends,
• my ex-in-laws,
• our cats,
• group therapy,
• blogging,
• laughing,
• making people laugh,
• all human feelings,
• wordplay,
• singing,
• dancing,
• walking,
• animals,
• jazz,
• books,
• movies,
• flowers,
• bright colors,
• nature,
• Boston in the spring,
• home,
• travel,
• Edinburgh,
• the Fringe Festival,
• Jane Austen,
• Pat Metheny,
• Mel Brooks,
• Gene Kelly,
• Fred Astaire,
• Shakespeare,
• the Beatles,
• Robert Browning,
• stand up comedy,
• musicals,
• Singin’ in the Rain,
• The Band Wagon,
• This is Spinal Tap,
• Neal Young,
• Stephen Stills,
• Kind of Blue,
• pasta,
• chocolate,
• salads,
• going barefoot,
• being in the moment,
• my own heart,
• other people’s hearts,
• life,
• love,
• those who love others,
• you,
• happiness,
• quality,
• signs,
• creativity,
• openness,
• starting lists,
• finishing lists, even if they’re incomplete, and
• taking photos.

What do you love?

I love choosing music for this blog.

By the way, I also love comments.

Love to all who helped me create this post and to you — of course! — for being here today.

Day 1243: Today I am exactly where I am supposed to be

When it was exactly 907 days prior to today, I wrote a post titled  Day 336:You are exactly where you are supposed to be.

Yesterday, when I saw this …

… I knew it was up to me to write today’s post.

Today I am exactly where I am supposed to be because I am

• home in Boston, after consulting with Dr. Carole Warnes at the Mayo Clinic about my very unusual heart,
• getting more used to the idea of heart valve replacement surgery in September back at the Mayo Clinic,
• with those I love,
• ready to go back to work, and
• writing my daily blog post, with my faithful cat Oscar on my lap.

Are these photos from yesterday exactly where they are supposed to be?

 

I am exactly sure that my name is misspelled above, but Ann Koplow is still exactly where she is supposed to be.

Are you exactly where you are supposed to be?

Now I am exactly at the end of this post — where I am supposed to thank all those who help  me blog (including you, of course) — so I shall