Day 3665: Awareness

Last night, in a Coping and Healing group, someone expressed gratitude that I had suggested breathing in awareness during the mindfulness exercise.

Let’s practice awareness as we look at a definition and quotes about awareness.

(I have no awareness of why “well-informed” is underlined in that definition.)

I have an awareness that this is Congenital Heart Defect Awareness week …

… and an awareness that I don’t like the word “defect.”

Do you see awareness in my other images for today?

Here’s what I find when I search for “awareness” on YouTube:

Here and now, I have awareness of my gratitude for all who help me create this daily blog, including YOU!

Day 3533: Balance

Yesterday, as I was trying to balance my needs with other people’s needs, I

• balanced providing individual and group therapy at the Boston hospital where I work,
• helped prepare my two wonderful co-workers who will be covering three of my groups while I’m on vacation for two weeks,
• had the delicious macaroni and cheese at the hospital cafeteria for the first time since the beginning of the pandemic (because they only serve it on Fridays and I usually work remotely from my home on Fridays),
• met with my new electrophysiologist/cardiologist, Dr. Peter Zimetbaum, at the hospital where I work, and
• felt very relieved about how knowledgeable, encouraging, and willing Dr. Zimetbaum was to collaborate with my long-time cardiologist, Dr. Deeb Salem, who works at a different Boston hospital.

On balance, it was a terrific day.

Do you see balance in my images for today?

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Leave it to today’s Daily Bitch to have the last word on balance.

Here’s what I find on YouTube when I search for “balance.”

I also find this:

Balanced thanks to all who help me keep my balance every day, including YOU!

Day 2672: Incredibly profound

My incredibly profound friend Deb, who is social distancing in Florida, sent me this text yesterday:

I found it incredibly profound that Deb sent me that photo of her wearing her “Left the house before I felt ready” tee, which I created after publishing Day 166: The Year of Living Non-Judgmentally Merchandise: T-Shirts.

Is it incredibly profound that I texted back “That’s going in the blog tomorrow. If I had any energy I would market it”?

It’s incredibly profound that

• we’re all experiencing this coronavirus pandemic together,
• there are so many unknowns about the virus,
• the news is frightening, and
• nobody knows what the future will be.

Are any of these other images incredibly profound?

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Is it incredibly profound that I wrote this song based on the t-shirt Deb is wearing?

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I LEFT THE HOUSE BEFORE I FELT READY

I left the house before I felt ready.

I’m wrinkled, distracted, a little bed-heady.

Don’t know where my phone is, one glove, or umbrella.

My water bottle’s probably somewhere in the cellah.

Here on the outside I’m sort of unsteady

When I’ve left the house before I felt ready.

 

I left the house before I felt certain

What clothes to wear, should I tuck my shirt in?

Should I eat a banana, a cookie, a peach?

Do something productive or go to the beach?

With indecision I’m strugglin’ and hurtin’

Because I left the house before I felt certain.

 

I left the house before I was sure

Of what I could tolerate, face, or endure.

Should I stick to what’s safe or try something new?

Taking risks — tsk tsk tsk — not the right thing to do?

I might meet someone sweet or step into manure

If I’ve left the house before I felt sure.

 

I have left the house, I can recall,

To work, to sing, to shop at the mall.

If I waited until I was sure not to fall

I’d never leave the house at all!

 

I left the house before I felt ready,

I’m vulnerable, present, and reasonably steady.

I’m glad to be here even if it’s not home.

Even if my hair needs a brush or a comb.

I’m not totally sure or secure, this it true.

But I’m certain I’m ready enough to meet you.

© Ann Koplow, 2018

 

I look forward to your incredibly profound comments about this blog post. Even if you don’t think your thoughts and feelings are incredibly profound, I do.

Incredibly profound thanks to all who help me create these daily blog posts, including YOU.

 

Day 2652: What’s essential, anyway?

During another essential day, I noticed this online article in the Washington Post:

What’s essential, anyway? It all depends on who’s deciding.

Here and now, I’m deciding that what’s essential, anyway, is sharing my latest photos with you.

What’s essential, anyway, is my letting my Facebook friends know that I am “a face of the coronavirus (recovered)”

Here‘s an anyway essential song from the late Bill Withers:

Please lean on me by leaving a comment about what you think is essential, anyway.

What’s essential,  anyway and every day, is gratitude, so thanks to all who help me create this essential-to-my-sanity blog, including YOU!

Day 2110: The Real Story

With all the conflicts among stories and among people out there, how do we figure out the real story?

Yesterday, I saw a magazine that promised to tell the real story …

… but I didn’t have the real time to read it.

Do you see the real story in any of my other photos?

 

I think the real story is different to those on the outside and those on the inside. Harley probably has a different story about last night than I do.

Also, what’s the real story with this?

Every picture tells a story, don’t it?

What’s the real story, according to you?

The real story, according to me, includes gratitude, so thanks to all who helped me create today’s post and — of course! — to YOU.

Day 2056: Into the Unknown

As we enter into the unknown of another day and another blog post, I will tell you that the theme of the 2018 Edinburgh Festival Fringe is “Into the Unknown.”

I especially like that cover photo for “Into the Unknown” because many of my known photographs include my feet, like this one:

That reminds me that I went into the unknown yesterday with my son Aaron and his friends to try a highly recommended macaroni and cheese sandwich in Edinburgh, wearing my macaroni and cheese socks. Photos of that sandwich and other Edinburgh meals will remain unknown to my readers because my son extracted a known promise from me that I do NOT take pictures of food when I’m with him and his friends.

Before this visit, my son Aaron’s Edinburgh friends were unknown to me. They are unknown no longer.

That drawing of Aaron’s friend Jago was done by his known and long-time friend Cameron, who is known to my readers.

The known Cameron is on the right and the previously unknown Jago and Michael are on the left. When we went into that unknown grocery store to get spinach, which I’m known to need because of my known heart condition and medication, it was unknown to us that no photos were allowed there. The security guard told us that unknown rule so we would know not to take more photos there.

I hope it’s known to you that I’m known for taking photos everywhere I go as I venture into the unknown.

Those last few previously unknown photos show us going into the unknown of the amazing Neal Portenza’s latest and (I hope!) NOT final Edinburgh show, despite his poster.

I plan to be going into the unknown of more Fringe shows today.

Do you know what helps you find the courage to go into the unknown? For me, it’s known that blogging helps a lot.

Now let’s go into the unknown of today’s blog post ending.

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.

Day 1963: A Remarkable Journey

I find it remarkable that in this nineteen-hundred-and-sixty-three-day blogging journey,  I’ve used the word “Journey” in only one other title — Day 1463: Sea Journey.  It’s also remarkable to me that I’m writing “A Remarkable Journey” on day 1963, because 1963 has been the most remarkable year in my personal, remarkable journey.

On my remarkable journey yesterday, I saw the inspiration for today’s title.

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I did call 617-895-4085, pressed 103#, and learned about the remarkable journey of the remarkable bonsai trees at Boston’s Arnold Arboretum.

Learning about the Larz Anderson Bonsai Collection was only one part of my remarkable journey yesterday, when I walked 27,358 steps/12.95 miles, starting with a single step.

I got those remarkable macaroni-and-cheese socks in NYC last weekend. Notice that my remarkable journey of healing my torn rotator cuff continues at ATI physical therapy.

It’s truly remarkable to me that I took all my photos on my remarkable journey yesterday thinking that the name of today’s post would be “Fancy Colors.” 

As I was on my remarkable journey yesterday, I heard the remarkable “Fancy Colours” by Chicago.

Next month, I will be taking a remarkable journey to Chicago with my son.

Any remark you make below will make this remarkable journey even more remarkable.

While every remarkable journey starts with a single step, every remarkable blogging journey here ends with gratitude.  Thanks to all who help me with all my remarkable journeys, including YOU.