Day 3731: Favorites

Last night, when I was having dinner with three of my favorite people — my son Aaron and my 1st and 2nd husbands — at a favorite restaurant of three of us, we talked about how some people think in terms of favorites and others don’t. It seemed like I was the only one at the table who liked to ask and answer questions about favorites.

Deliberately reaching for an awkward moment, I said to my son, “For example, who’s your favorite parent?” My favorite (and only) son smiled.

Do you see any favorites in my images for today?

It’s easy for me to act happy today because my favorite season is Spring!

Before I go to my favorite job ever (working as a group therapist at a major Boston hospital), I’ll look for “favorites” on YouTube.

You probably know that my favorite way to end every blog post is expressing my gratitude for YOU.

Day 3729: It all worked out

It all worked out when I married my second husband, Michael, who responds “It all worked out” whenever I tell him about my latest ups-and-downs adventure.

Here and now, I’m trying to work out the different way I’m saying “it all worked out” to myself these days, so I can communicate that to you.

For the first time in my life, I really believe it all worked out because

• against all odds, I made it to the age of 70,
• my son has what he needs to lead a good life,
• I’ve made a positive difference in this world with my therapy groups (and maybe other things too),
• I love and am loved,
• I know that the daily hysteria of the news media is fueled by marketing strategies,
• I don’t have to work so hard any more, and
• no matter what comes up in the future— catastrophe, triumph, or anything in between (and most of them are in between) — I know it all worked out.

It all worked out when I gathered these images for you today.

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Even on Awkward Moments Day, it all worked out.

I know it’ll all work out when I search for “it all worked out” on YouTube.

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Thanks to all who help me know it all worked out, including YOU!

Day 3581: Any good news lately?

Because there’s been so much bad news everywhere, I decided to ask people yesterday if there had been any good news lately.

It doesn’t hurt to ask, even though I didn’t know what the answers would be. And while many people have responded “no” and “not really,” there’s been a lot of good news, too.

Knowing about good news gives me some hope about the future, which I definitely need these days.

Is there any good news in my latest images?

The good news is that there are lots of great food trucks out there.

Here’s what I find when I search YouTube for “any good news lately?”

Any good news lately where you are?

Thanks to all who help me focus more on the good news, including YOU.

Day 3474: Could haves and should haves

I could have named this blog post differently but I didn’t. I should have enough experience after blogging daily for almost 10 years to know that the title doesn’t make or break a post.

I could have written a different opening paragraph, but that one is good enough.

Yesterday, in a therapy group, I told people that today was National Toss Away the “Could Haves” and “Should Haves” Day. I could have said more but I didn’t need to, because we often talk about tossing away unhelpful thoughts in order to live more in the moment.

Do you see any “could haves” or “should haves” in my images for today?

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I could have gotten my first dog last year but instead I chose to adopt Joan. No regrets.

This is what I find on YouTube when I search for “could haves and should haves.”

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I could and should express gratitude to all those who help me blog every day, including YOU!

Day 3470: What cheers me up

What cheers me up includes:

• blogging daily,
• people I love,
• work I love,
• knowing I’m not alone,
• cats,
• games,
• positive reframes,
• group therapy,
• self care,
• good weather,
• fond memories,
• making new memories,
• learning new things,
• reconnecting with an old friend, and
• finding out what cheers up other people.

What does NOT cheer me up is doom-and-gloom news, including some unasked-for news alerts on my phone I’d like to block.

Done.

Taking action cheers me up, too, and so does sharing photos with you.

National Simplicity Day and Cow Appreciation Day are both cheering me up, here and now.

Music cheers me up and here’s some great music from somebody with different colored eyes:

What cheers you up?

Thanks to all who cheer me up, including YOU.

Day 3430: Keeping Up

I’m having trouble keeping up with many things these days, including

• changes in technology,
• the news, and
• responding to all the wonderful people who engage with me through social media (here and on Twitter).

Let’s see if I’m keeping up with the latest definition of “keeping up.”

Keeping up with the first definition and with my role as a psychotherapist, I keep telling people not to keep comparing themselves with others, because that keeps them feeling bad about themselves. If you want to keep up with definitions of comparisons and other cognitive distortions (which I keep calling “automatic and unhelpful thoughts), I’m keeping those definitions here.

I’m keeping up with blogging every day by sharing my thoughts, my feelings, and the photos and other captured images I’m keeping up on my phone (which may explain why my phone is slowing down and having trouble keeping up with me these days) (but that’s not keeping me up at night).

Do you see keeping up in my images for today?

Today I’ll be keeping up with the National Days by seeking out my favorite flavor of ice cream, Rocky Road. Keeping up with National Leave the Office Early Day is challenging, since Thursdays I work late until 8, but I’m working from home (which I keep doing, except for Mondays, when I’m keeping up with work at the hospital).

Keeping up with the theme of irresistible dance music, here’s “Everybody Walk the Dinosaur” by Was (Not Was).

If you comment below, I’ll try keeping up with you by answering as soon as I can.

I’m keeping up with my tradition of taking photos of thank you’s so I can express my gratitude every day for all those who are keeping up with me, including YOU.

Day 3169: What we can learn from cats

I believe there’s a lot we can learn from cats. The trouble with cats is that they’re not talking, so we have to figure out these lessons for ourselves.

As I observe our two cats, I learn to be more in the moment, letting go of regret about the past and fears about the future.

Lately, I’ve been watching our cats rather than watching TV.

I also learn that very territorial creatures can somehow work out differences and coexist in the same place, without bloodshed.

Can you learn anything from my other images today?

Maybe we can learn something from the song “Everybody Wants to be a Cat.”

What do you think we can learn from cats? I know I can learn from your comments, below.

I am grateful to all the cool cats I learn from, including YOU!

Day 2569: I’m so done

Yesterday, after I was so done creating my daily blog post and reading the latest news, I decided “I’m so done” with

• politics as usual,
• war,
• worry,
• paralyzing fear,
• insomnia,
• shame,
• guilt,
• personalization,
• catastrophizing,
• assumptions,
• negativity, and
• other unhelpful thoughts.

I searched the internet for “I’m so done” and found these:

Apparently, I’m not the only who is thinking “I’m so done.”

I’m so done sharing other people’s images in this post, so here’s a bunch of my “I’m so done” images from yesterday.

I’m so done with the glittery nail polish from our wedding on December 27, but I can’t get it all off,  no matter what nail polish remover I try.

I’m so done caring about stupid little things like that.

What are you so done with?

Here‘s “I’m So Done” by Lain Roy:

 

I’m never done expressing gratitude to all who help me create these daily posts and — of course! — to YOU.

 

 

 

 

Day 2109: Breaking

Breaking: I keep getting emails and seeing headlines that start out with “Breaking”.

What’s breaking out there? Is it news? Norms? Records? Hearts? Rules? Wills? Wind?  Spirits? Words? Bread? Bones? Bad? Dreams? Fevers? Expectations? Bonds? Barriers? The bank?  Ranks?  Connections? Contact? Contracts? Legs? Eggs? Promises? The dawn? Silence?

What’s breaking for you?

Breaking: Here are some photos, which I’ve been taking without breaking a sweat.

 

I was breaking into a smile while taking one of those pictures,  while other things were breaking.

Here‘s how things were Breakin’ in 1984:

 

I’ll be breaking my you-know-what trying to get to Physical Therapy, work, and medical appointments on time today.

 

Breaking: I’m grateful to all those who helped  me create this breaking blog post and — of course! — to YOU.

 

Day 1991: Untold stories

I’ve told many stories in this blog over the years, but many remain untold.

We all have untold stories, including Boston’s Public Garden.

In my profession as a group and individual therapist, I hear many previously untold stories.  Because of patient confidentiality, those stories remain  untold outside the room (unless the story is mine).

Every picture tells a story, I’m told, but there are many untold stories in my pictures today.

 

 

 

 

I know there are untold stories in the news these days, but hope, respect, joy, peace, kindness, patience, healing, inspiration, comfort, and love seem to be missing in the stories that are being told.

Here‘s “Untold Stories” told by Sinead O’Connor:

 

I look forward to reading some untold stories in the comments, below.

My gratitude — for all who help me create these posts and for all who read them — is not untold.