Monday greetings, folks!
Or at least I think it is Monday…can someone confirm?
Oh, and happy Fall too!
I’m not going to lie…writing this week’s blog post was a challenge.
Like…writer’s block kicked in.
There are weeks when I know exactly what I’m going to write about and the words flow on the screen as I type furiously on the laptop.
And there are weeks when I literally stare at the screen and can’t think of the words to share with you.
Well, it was one of those weeks.
I spent some of the Sunday afternoon driving around in my car trying to find inspiration.
I stopped in at my full-time job’s office and sat at my desk thinking inspiration would magically come to me.
I walked around the office building doing laps several times hoping the words would start spilling from my mind to my fingers.
Nothing.
And, here it is, 10:31pm on a Sunday evening, and I’m lying on my bed with my laptop currently writing what you are reading.
And that was after staring at the screen for 30 minutes as the cursor flashed in front of my face.
So, let’s get on with it.
I won’t keep you long.
Earlier today when I was driving around in my car, I started to cry.
It was impossible to hold back the tears though I tried to keep them from flowing down my cheeks.
Just last week I was crying with Pastor Angie in her office…and here I was…crying again uncontrollably in the privacy of my car with the tunes playing from my phone as the sky around me started to become dark with storm clouds.
And I can honestly say that I had no idea what I was crying about.
It was like a combination moment of both feeling lost in the world while also feeling disheartened by its events.
And after driving around for about 45 minutes, I saw the sun ever so slightly peak through above me.
It was beautiful.
It was like God and the world telling me to pause…inhale…exhale.
Pause.
Inhale.
Exhale.
Let go of the negative shit and move on.
And with the letting go, make sure to take moments to find comfort in the plain and simple.
Take that extra scoop of ice cream from the carton.
Embrace squeezing the pillow on the nights when you feel scared.
Smile at the sunshine in the sky.
Have that extra cocktail with your friends at the bar and stay out past your bedtime.
Embrace the peace and darkness of your bedroom (or other room) and sit with your eyes closes for 5 minutes.
Enjoy the sensation of soap cleaning your hands as you lather away the germs from life.
Wrap yourself tighter in favorite blanket that offers security from all the insecurities.
Stand in a hot shower for an extra minute as you breathe out the toxicity of whatever it is that is grappling your mind.
Smell that fresh bouquet of flowers from the side-road stands you pass on your drive to work.
Take a drive in the Countryside with no agenda or time constraints.
Cry.
Plain and simple.
I hope that each of you will take just a few moments to find comfort in the plain and simple of life.
Today, tomorrow, and each day after.
Sprinkle sunshine always,
JP!
Mr. Sunshine Smiles 