Enough

"A word I've come across a lot during the years is 'abundance'. Self-help books encourage us to welcome abundance into our lives. If we think abundant thoughts then abundance will automatically grace us.

The dictionary tells me that abundance is, 'an extremely plentiful or oversufficient quantity or supply.' In these difficult financial times, is it realistic to expect abundance? Do we really need an 'oversufficient quantity'? 

I'm coming to feel pretty fond of the word 'enough'. Enough is saving the washing up water and putting it on the roses. It's appreciating every melting moment of a square of bitter chocolate. It's chanting for an extra half hour, even though you're dying for a cup of tea. It's having a terrible morning and then noticing those red berries on a walk to the post-box. Those red berries!" --Fiona Robyn

Another quote (the first one is here) from one of my favorite bloggers, Fiona Robyn. This one feels like something I have wanted to say for YEARS, but have never found just the right way to say it. Fiona did and I am grateful.

Especially right now as I contemplate Christmas and all the gifts I have to? Need to? Want to buy? It makes me wonder.....what is enough? 

Is it enough to get my kids a few books? Or do they need the latest gaming system? Is it enough to get my friends a nice card? Or do I need to get them "a little something" to go with it? What is necessary? What is expected? What is enough? 

The thing is, of course, that neither I nor my kids nor my husband nor my friends nor any of my close relatives really NEEDS anything. We have everything we need. We have food. We have clothes. We have books and games and amusements galore. We have enough. 

What do you get for the person (people) who already has "enough?"

I would love to do a "no gifts" Christmas sometime. Just holiday cheer, appreciation and gratitude for what we already have. Maybe a nice meal together. I think that would be enough for me. 

Happy Thanksgiving

"Love the life you have..." --Ethan Hawke from his book "Ash Wednesday"

Because today is about giving thanks, I have selected one of my favorite gratitude quotes to mark the occasion. I have always imagined that Ethan Hawke is deeper than people give him credit for based on his movie career alone. I like to think that this quote is confirmation of that. So thanks Ethan and Happy Thanksgiving to all!

Smiling not Crying

"Don't cry because it's over. Smile because it happened." 

--Dr Seuss 

As I make my way through my first week post-quitting my job I am trying to live this quote. 

I smile as I remember the good times with my co-workers, the laughs, the goof-ups, the pranks and the conversations we had when things were slow and we were just shooting the shit. 

I smile as I remember the special moments with the members who I always looked forward to seeing, the ones who touched my heart in one way or another. I think of them carrying on without me and my heart aches a little.

I smile as I sit on the couch - my new home for my "work" in the world - typing away on my keyboard, checking email and Twitter, snuggling up with my boys and reading a good book, knowing I am where I need to be right now. 

What are you smiling about this week?

And the net appears.

"Leap and the net will appear." 

--Zen saying, on a clothing label

I have heard this Zen koan batted around a few times since starting to pay attention to that sort of thing. It's one of those that I heard, liked, wrote down, and didn't assimilate into my being at all. Until recently. 

When I was making the decision to quit my job, it was one of the quotes that kept rattling around in my brain, nagging at me. "You SAY you believe this. Are you willing to put it to the test?" 

And that was part of the reason I said, "YES!" to taking what felt like a leap off of a tall building into the great unknown. I wanted to leap and see if the net would appear. I wanted to see if everything I believe is true. I wanted to really trust the Universe and have it come through for me.

I am happy to report that it did. 

Just days after I gave my notice we got a call from our brother-in-law asking if he might be able to use our kitchen for a commercial shoot he was working on. They needed an "average kitchen" (read: no granite counter tops, stainless steel appliances or cherry cupboards). 

We said, "Sure!" And with that, the first net slipped into place. We got the commercial and with it enough money to cover my salary for the next two months.

A few days after that I was emailing with the marketing manager at my job about my last blog post for them. She asked if I might want to continue blogging for the credit union as a "member blogger" instead of an employee blogger. 

I said, "Sure!" And with that, the second net slipped into place. 

I had my first writing job and I hadn't even left yet. 

As I continue to walk my walk I am noticing more and more opportunities all around me. The Universe is throwing up net upon net upon nets to support me as I leap into the unknown of this new life. And I am grateful.

When have you leaped and had the net appear? I would love to hear your stories in the comments.

The Luckiest Girl in the World

"Do you know how lucky I am just to be sitting in this room on the wrong day? There are millions of actors around the world, in this country, who would love the opportunity to just sit in this couch on the wrong day and not see Ryan Murphy. Just to have the script of Glee in my hands. I was able to have a nice drive with my wife today, she's lovely, a good companion and now I get the opportunity to have a nice drive with her again tomorrow. The way I figure it, I'm the luckiest man in the world."  

--Stephen Tobolowsky from The Tobolowsky Files, episode 16 "Dating Tips for Actors" 

I think it's safe to say that I am hooked on The Tobolowsky Files at this point. I listen to at least one episode a day and write down multiple quotes from each episode. I could write for the rest of the summer using only quotes from Stephen Tobolowsky if I didn't think you would get sick of hearing about him. 

Nonetheless I am writing about him today because I loved this quote so much. He is writing about a day in which he went for an audition for the part of Sandy Ryerson on Glee only to discover when he arrived that he had been sent to audition on the wrong day. 

Instead of getting angry and taking it out on the PA whose job it was to inform him of this fact he turned it around and looked honestly, objectively, at his situation and found that he had more to be grateful for than not in this seemingly negative situation. 

I often feel the same when someone around me is lamenting about how bad things are. We live in one of the best neighborhoods in one of the best cities in perhaps the best (in terms of standards of living and opportunities) country in the world. 

The past few years have been rough on us, and on many people we know financially, but we still have our house, we still have our health, we still have our landscape guy. Things really aren't that bad. 

On Sunday I got to have a "day off" from being a wife and a mother, a day to do whatever I pleased from dawn to dusk. It was a glorious day, but not without its share of frustrations as most days are. The frustrations of this particular day included going to a coffee shop, getting my tea and a truffle and sitting down on the comfy couch only to discover that their internet connection was not working.

Nonetheless I have decided to follow in Stephen Tobolowsky's footsteps and see the blessings in the midst of this frustration. 

Here's my version of this quote: 

Do you know how lucky I am just to be sitting in this coffee shop with the broken wifi? There are millions of people around the world, in this country, who would love the opportunity to just sit in this coffee shop, on this couch and not be able to connect to the internet.  Just to have a Macbook in my lap. I was able to have a nice day today. I went to yoga and no one else showed up so I got a personalized yoga session for $8. I got my toenails done in a lovely shade of red. I went shopping for a new comforter and some candles. And now I get to go home and get on my own wifi. I get to write a blog entry or two, I get to kiss my husband and my children goodnight and then I get to go to bed and get up tomorrow and do it all again. The way I figure it, I'm the luckiest girl in the world.

What's your version of luckiest girl/guy in the world? When have you been able to view a potential frustration as a signpost to gratitude instead? Try it this week and see how it goes!


[This week on Dear Soul Sisters....we answer a father's question about his kids' faith.]

Isn't it Ironic?

"Thank you India

 Thank you terror

 Thank you disillusionment

 Thank you frailty

 Thank you consequence

 Thank you thank you silence"

--Alanis Morissette from her song "Thank You"

I am not feeling very articulate today and have been trying all morning to write something that I would want to publish, to no avail. So I am going to let Alanis Morissette speak for me today. 

I first heard this song at Seattle Unity Church this past Sunday and realized that Alanis is a soul sister. 

It feels just a little bit lame to "discover" her now, when she has been famous for years, but that's how time and The Universe work sometimes. Maybe I just wasn't ready for her until now. 

Anyway, this is my song of the week. Hope you enjoy it. 

Click here to watch the video of "Thank You."

You just never know...

"The days of our lives, for all of us, are numbered. We know that. And, yes, there are certainly times when we aren't able to muster as much strength and patience as we would like. It's called being human. But I have found that in the simple act of living with hope, and in the daily effort to have a positive impact in the world, the days I do have are made all the more meaningful and precious. And for that I am grateful." 

--Elizabeth Edwards

When I told my husband I was going to use this quote on my blog this week his first response was, "She was mean you know."

"What do you mean she was mean?" I asked.

"Elizabeth was mean to John. She was horrible to everyone on his staff. She was mean-spirited and a first-class [beast]."

I'll admit that it gave me pause. For about thirty seconds. 

And then I thought: Who isn't mean? Or hasn't been at one time or another? 

Is there a person alive about whom it could not be said: She was mean to her spouse. He was horrible to people who worked for him? She was mean-spirited. He was a first-class [jerk]?

What is the "truth" about Elizabeth and John Edwards? Was she mean to him because he was a philanderer or was he a philanderer because she was mean to him? 

The "truth" is, we can never know for sure.

There are two sides - at least - to every story and a multitude of ways to sum up a life. This was how Elizabeth summed up hers and whatever the "truth" behind her life, I find it inspirational. I hope you do too.

3BT (Three Beautiful Things)

"Offer to those you love 3 simple moments everyday: AWARENESS-notice the beauty of each moment; WONDERMENT-let the beauty touch your heart; GRATITUDE-give thanks to God for the beauty you see."

--Father Daniel Syverstad

I stumbled upon this blog the other day called Three Beautiful Things. Every day Clare (the genius behind this blog) records three beautiful things that happened to her or that she saw the previous day. She has been doing this since May of 2004!


Can I tell you? I LOVE this!


And I want to be a part of it.


So here goes...Three Beautiful Things from a recent day in my life:


1) My son's face as he falls asleep: eyelids at half mast, mouth wide open with one big tooth hanging down in a vast empty space, lightly snoring.


2) Blue skies over Seattle when rain was predicted.


3) A just-ripe avocado with flesh like butter, peeled and eaten, slice after delicious slice.


What are yours?