there was a movie, to gillian on her 37th birthday…. but, twenty years later one learns, from is often more important than to.

It has been a kind of tough week here with our kitty hospice plan, one that is about offering whatever favourite foods, windows, sunbeams and snuggles make our boy comfortable and happy. It is sort of what we want for everyone we love in closing days. We recognize Izzy is time limited, and it gives us the moment to reflect on the obvious, all of us in fact are. We just do not all know the expiry date.

That said, I think a good policy is to take the wonder offered you, whenever it comes your way and this week I have had some lovely kindness shown to me and for that I want to say thank you.

I am usually big on birthdays. Everyone’s including my own! This year I made my wish early and asked if it would be okay to just be real with what is in the moment and if that is happy, or if that is sad, to just be with it absent the need for a timed celebration.  Today is  pretty good here and that is a bonus gift. I get as well celebrations are for all of those involved and I am sorry to have been a wet blanket, be forewarned next year, game on!!!

I have spent a couple of hours weeding and puttering in my garden, I have been in and out in a normal summers way following the always good advice whenever you can stop and pet the cats  ;).

Lots of notes and a few phone visits found me in nice moments, and a guest stopped by for an afternoon snack,

My sweet niece and great nieces and nephew offered me a mid day celebration, which I could not make work, but it does not wholly matter because I feel it to the tips of a very big smile. So, from Judy, (sorry for the third person voice), on her 57th birthday….. my wish for all those in my world and in my memories, take the love that is offered you, give the love you can.  Try not to be afraid of risks, if it is not the outcome you imagine, maybe it is still a plan in progress.  Let go of self consciousness, we are each absolutely fine the way we are this very moment.   Be your own best self. Be your own real self. My choice today was no big dinner, no cake, no candles – take out pizza will be on the menu, a glass of wine so a toast instead of wishes.  This is an amazing life, on its hard days, on its grand days, it is ours for the moment. Jump into the deep end, don’t worry about the splash! And as always, walk softly, it is a world of fragile things, amazing and precious ones -each of us included.