A Clean Slate

the promise of a new day...

“Life is amazing. And then it’s awful. And then it’s amazing again. And in between the amazing and the awful it’s ordinary and mundane and routine. Breathe in the amazing, hold on through the awful, and relax and exhale during the ordinary. That’s just living a heartbreaking, soul-healing, amazing, awful, ordinary life. And it’s breathtakingly beautiful.”

Just a few days ago a Facebook memory popped up and reminded me of my past life.

It was from March 14, 2020 and I was talking about preparations that had taken place at the school library where I worked. I wrote about how we checked out over 1,900 books to our students in a two day period, along with having my normal teaching schedule.

We were preparing for a temporary shut-down of a few weeks at the most, as the world grappled with a mysterious, new virus. So it was decided that all students should have five books each checked out to them before this temporary transition took place.

Little did we know how much our world would change. And we are still living with the effects of those changes today…

There are certain times in history where there was a clear “before and after” point and all you have to do is think about those events and, if you lived through them, much of it comes back to you…

The moon landing…the fall of the Berlin Wall… The Challenger explosion…September 11th…Covid-19…these are just a few examples…

And yet each date on a calendar can also signify something else - something more personal…the birth of a child, a wedding, a family reunion, a championship game, a graduation…

The connection that all of those events and dates have, whether they are monumental or more personal, is that they each give us the opportunity to reflect and to learn.

Each new day also gives us a chance to remind ourselves that we did our best within whatever situation we encountered. Sometimes we will succeed and sometimes we won’t but the key is to embrace the current moment while using lessons learned from the past.

Life is an ever-changing journey filled with opportunities to make a difference.

As the saying goes, your life is made of two dates and a dash. Don’t forget to make the most of the dash.

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Tranquil Moments…

I asked my niece, Jennifer Malphy, if she could share some of her nature photos with my newsletter audience. Each week I will feature a new photo. Here is this week’s:

Photo by Jennifer Malphy.

This week’s Smile video…

The way a young Idaho boy chose to celebrate one more trip around the sun made the day a whole lot brighter. Steve Hartman goes "On the Road" for the inspiring story.

#believe #smilevideos #spreadkindnessandlove

What I am reading…

This week I am reading Overground Railroad: The Green Book and the Roots of Black Travel in America.

Here is the Amazon summary: “It took courage to be listed in the Green Book, and Overground Railroad celebrates the stories of those who put their names in the book and stood up against segregation. It shows the history of the Green Book, how we arrived at our present historical moment, and how far we still have to go when it comes to race relations and systemic racism in America.

Published from 1936 to 1966, the Green Book was hailed as the “Black travel guide to America.” At that time, it was both dangerous and difficult for African Americans to travel, because Black travelers couldn’t eat, sleep, or buy gas at most white-owned businesses. The Green Book listed hotels, restaurants, gas stations, and other businesses that were safe for Black travelers. It was a resourceful and innovative solution to a horrific problem.

Candacy Taylor writes in her introduction, “The Green Book was published during a time when car travel symbolized freedom in America, but since racial segregation was in full force throughout the country, the open road wasn’t open to all. When Black motorists picked up a copy of the Green Book, they were greeted by the words ‘Just What You Have Been Looking For!’”

This eye-opening book was a very interesting read on a topic I knew little about.

What I am watching…

While reading this week’s book I was inspired to watch the movie Green Book.

When Tony Lip, a bouncer from an Italian-American neighborhood in the Bronx, is hired to drive Dr. Don Shirley, a world-class Black pianist, on a concert tour from Manhattan to the Deep South, they must rely on “The Green Book” to guide them to the few establishments that were then safe for African-Americans. Confronted with racism, danger—as well as unexpected humanity and humor—they are forced to set aside differences to survive and thrive on the journey of a lifetime.

This is a great movie and I hope you watch it when you get a chance.

Mind/Body connections…

This guided meditation helps to release that surface-level muscle tension by bringing you into a state of conscious relaxation and may also help alleviate symptoms of chronic pain caused by fibromyalgia, ehlers danlos syndrome, other chronic illnesses or injuries.

Comedy Lift…

I love to share funny cartoons or memes with friends and family. Who doesn’t need to smile? Here’s this week’s Comedy Lift…

Music Moments

Music inspires me in many ways. Here's Michael Jackson singing You Are Not Alone….Enjoy!

Quote of the week

Until next week. Please remember…Begin and end each day with a grateful heart…and always, always be kind….