Lighting incense I welcome myself back to my little home, an airy, light blue room in the corner of this aching house.
The house wants a family. It needs a fire lit in its fireplace down in its belly and up in its heart by the wide and wooden staircase. I hear it creak in places it probably shouldn't, the noise is the house asking for photographs to be hung in its blank hallways.
The house sees Christmas being strung on every other doorway and bush, the wreaths and the bows. But inside this house the women brush by each other just as brooms to webs.
In my room there is a Christmas. My heart glows for love coming my way. So... my hopeful eyes will light a warm inviting fire in this house and even as I leave I'll hum, mmmm, mmmmmm... and my song will fix a golden wreath on the door, and my smile will spin itself around porch posts, burst white like fireworks into tiny flickering lights reflecting on the icicles dripping lazily off the gutter's edges.
Christmas will come to this house. It will have a family. I live in this house, and my family lives in me.
My wealth is beyond measure. I am rich in relationships! Good hearts, gathered round a table generously laden, I got an eyefull of joy, love, and peace.
I've always enjoyed talking with my family members and it's hard to get time with them alone, but I recently discovered a hack into their routine busy-ness.
Spa treatments.
I've actually been doing this for several years now, taking the ladies of the family away individually for anywhere between 15 min to an hour for nail painting, eyebrow plucking, etc. But now I've realized why I enjoy it so much.
I love it because I get time alone with people I love while having valuable, unique conversations.
When was the last time I was able to hear about my Grandmother (Enriquez) and her rise out of poverty in Naguabo, Puerto Rico? Never actually. I've never been able to hear about it in her own words until today, her softened feet propped up under the desklamp while I meditated over each stroke of WetNWild #426.
I also like serving my family and knowing I'm helping with the general mood in the household. Any woman feels better when she has freshly manicured nails and arms and back that have just been massaged. I'm glad I can be the go-to-girl in the house for fun and free beauty treatments. I always want to do it.
And let's not forget the guys. Well there's not much strategy to it because this one's easy. I find the best way to enter down new paths of conversation with a man in my family is to literally walk down a new path together. It's good to get outside for a walk and this loosens things up. But generally just plopping down on the sofa next to my Grandpa, or my Dad, my Uncle, or my Brother is all it takes to really get talking and connect. I love my family so much!
On this morning, the rain is less audible because there are fewer leaves. What few leaves do exist are yellow-brown and their stems are stubborn. They hang on and the rain, bow-tied, tap dances all over them trying to wake them up, Sun trying to feed them but they won't take. The leaves are wise, wrinkled, and quiet- they've seen it all before.
In my utopia, we'd all throw on our coats and gloves and run outside, grab the closest leaves and one by one resuscitate them, because we love Summer and Fall so much, and because (of course) we all have neat magical powers... :)
But in this world, the dying leaf looks around and seeing we're all helpless and content with Winter, lets itself go, to join a pile, to be crunched underfoot, or to simply surrender itself beneath a bed-blanket of white.
My eyes survey the scene. I am like rain, the leaves ignore my plea. The leaves know more than me.
Now, we are all human beings. We were made with FEELINGS for a reason. There are things we're SUPPOSED to get upset about. This, I know, is one of them.
This morning, I made up my mind.
I'm not going to play dumb anymore.
I'm not going to go on living my life without using my knowledge for intelligent decision-making.
I once read somewhere that knowledge is just life lessons you accumulate through reading, experience, advice, etc. But intelligence is actually to show that knowledge in your life by making better, wiser decisions.
I'm going to start applying my KNOWLEDGE to life in the area of plastic and plastic bags. And I want to take all my friends and family with me on this journey. I wrote this on my facebook wall:
"[Laura Simpson] is pretty sure we're all SMART enough and CARE enough about the environment to remember our reusable bags next time we go to the grocery store."
No excuses.
Last time I forgot my reusable bag, the last thing I wanted to do was buy yet another re-usable bag to make myself feel better... Especially when I had exactly what I needed (my backpack) staring me in the face in the passenger seat.
I emptied out my backpack and used that, (I know, this prob looked a little shady, but who cares?) then I just had to go back for my books after emptying my pack in the kitchen. Logically speaking, I would've had to make 3 or four trips anyway if my groceries had been in those silly good for nothing plastic bags.
There have been other times where I simply refuse a bag because I can carry everything I purchased (maybe 3 or four items 4) along in my purse, or even in my arm, these things really take ZERO effort.
Other steps I'd like to take are:
-resisting the purchase of plastic containers of all kinds.
-re-using what plastic bags I do have.
PS. For a minute there I thought,oh! I should save this for a New Year's Resolution! haha so funny the way I always jump my mind to saving important things for later, like waiting to express my thankfulness to my family until Thanksgiving. I really have grown a distaste for holidays. Hey holidays! Quit BOXING UP my good intentions. I'm living life outside of holidays from now on.
If you need to get angrier to actually change your lifestyle here's a few other sources of knowledge:
Today I spoke on the phone with the following people who love me:
-Robin
-Mom
-Grandma & Grandpa Simpson
-Tio Eric
-David
-Katie
I know some day I'll write exactly how I feel.
But for now, since I haven't got much time, I'll say this: I am blessed beyond belief on a daily basis by my family who loves me. I have it better than good, and I know it. I love you all right back so much. Thank you for believing in me, nurturing me, caring, encouraging, and sharing your wisdom. I can hear your smiles through the phone. I miss you! I'm glad Thanksgiving is coming up because I'm about to overflow and you will think it's weird if I don't save it for the appropriate holiday. hehe
For the past two days, my cellphone "no funciona", causing me to wonder... what alarm will wake me? Since I didn't think I could train my shadow to get me up at the proper time (a friend's suggestion) I dug through my box of old electronics. Cords, dead and cumbersome digital cameras, more cords, and there it was, my saving grace. A 3 -year-old LG Fusic cellphone that had seen its share of scrapes. But I found the charger and plugged it in. Now my old cellphone wakes me to old ringtones that remind of early college days. HA! I sound old.
Well to say the least, I'm glad to have combined my blogs. It was apparently "meant to be" since my full name was available for the url. ;) I thought it was important that my Christian Walk be included in the rest of my life musings, however much or little I discuss it.
So now that the morning is mine again, I've been using it to blog, but plan to do other things too which I'll be sure to blog about. hehe, Better run to work. Plenty to accomplish! :)
