When I tell stories about things that happen to me, often people will doubt they occurred. I also get, “How is it these things always seem to happen to you?” The truth is that for some reason they do. I want to share something that I experienced today and it still is making my mind spin with inexplicable mystery. Let me preface by saying that this past week, I have felt down. Every now and then it hits me that I am growing older and I question if I have done all the right things, made the right choices and lived life as fully as I could have. I start feeling sorry for myself. I believe that regret is probably the most painful thing to experience as time marches on. This is probably why people make bucket lists! During these times, I often tell myself to just give up chasing new dreams or continuing with things that I think I want and seem to be going nowhere. I decide during these personal pity parties that I should just become quiet and dull and fade into a simple way of life with no challenge. It would be easier and less complicated. Now for the story!
My wife was making a flower arrangement today and she needed one more flower to fill a space to make it look more complete. She asked me to go out to the garden and find a peony that was still fairly fresh. These flowers have been blooming for a while now and are beginning to fade. It was a challenge for me going from one bush to another to find the right one. Finally I did. It was right at the very bottom of a fence. I bent down to clip it and as I did, there was a tiny green booklet lying on the ground under the bloom. I picked it up intending to pitch it in the garbage. Looking at it more carefully, the writing on the front of it made me stop. It read “KATE SPADE” . A closer look revealed it was a handbag care card. I turned it over to find two words on the back. They read, “LIVE COLORFULLY”.
It was indeed a very strange thing to find in light of the past week’s events. I am sure it was something that had blown into the garden on garbage day. Perhaps someone had thrown it away or lost it. But there it was, right under the flower I was cutting. Was this message for me? Another Blessed Blending moment?
So here I sit tonight, with a smile on my face knowing that living colorfully is my best option when I get down on myself. Life is too short to waste on negative or self-defeating thoughts or moods. And, yes…….these things always seem to happen to me! Carpe Diem!
Jim Dunn
Blessèd Blending
June 14, 2018
