Monday Smiles – 7/1/2013

I don’t feel like posting this morning.  Then don’t, you might say.  No one’s making you and it’s not like one post would be missed.   But it would … by me.  I invented Monday Smiles for days like this one, when I need a smile or two to start my week.   And it’s not like there weren’t numerous smiles during the weekend … I am just uninclined to look at them with certain dark clouds hovering on the horizon.  Monday Smiles is about taking the time to smile whether I’m so inclined or not, a weekly public gratitude list.   I went back and looked at my first Monday Smiles, posted back in September of 2009.  It began:

This is not my best Monday.    The Mountain of Too Much to Do is towering before me and family struggles just keep swirling.    Historically, I’m really good at breaking enormous tasks down to workable chunks and getting the impossible done so I know in my gut that I will this time, too.    The family struggles will pass with time, one way or the other, and I have no power over them anyway.    Still, it wears me down to the point where the days can be gray even when I take the time to be grateful for the many good things in my life.  I keep seeing Life is Good bumper stickers and T-shirt and hats, and I wonder … is there any market for a line of Life is Bittersweet clothing?    Is there any readership for a Bittersweet Blog?  That’s not what I want this to be. 

Yeah.  That’s what I’m talkin’ about.

So, that post was about our cats and how they’ve made me smile over the years, and sure enough, when I sat down at my desk this morning, Mr. P, my son’s Siamese was there waiting for me.  Smile. And I’m sitting here in our beautiful kitchen, watching the rabbits devour our flora and Muri make potato salad for company that’s coming tonight.  Smile.  When I got out of bed this morning, the sun wasn’t pouring in our bedroom window, which means that the marine layer has returned.   The heat wave is on its way out.  Smile.   Friday night, we had a lovely walk at the beach and got to watch one beautiful California sunset.  Smile.   Saturday I had an inspiring morning in the park and Saturday night, we had a delicious dinner at J.T. Schmidt Restaurant and Brewery.  Yes, with a nice frosty 22 oz. IPA.  Smile.   We saw a delightful tear-jerking comedy with a crowd of gray hairs at the artsy-farsty theater, Unfinished Song.   A story about a bitter old curmudgeon’s struggles to deal with the death of his wife through music, the film was a welcome relief from the computer generated mayhem and destruction at the mainstream theaters.  Smile with a few tears.   I worked in the yard for a while Sunday until the heat got the best of me, then settled in to watch two of the world’s top Futbol teams play in the finals of the Confederations Cup.   Brazil 3, Spain 0.  Smile.  After Sunday dinner, Muri and I went to see Monster’s University.  Unlike Saturday night, we were the oldest folks in the theater, which is fine.    We can be young at heart when we need to and the film was cute as … well, a green one-eyed monster.  Smile.

So, there you go … eight smiles.   My brother’s condition is improving and although he has a road ahead of him, he has lots of support.  Our latest family struggle seems to be waning.  I have a lot to smile about.  So, it’s Monday and, dammit, I’m going to be smiling whether I like it or not.

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Tags: curmudgeonly rants, feeling older, gratitude, humor, love and marriage, mindfulness, Monday smiles, movies, postaday

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