"Yes, you might have had a different life if any number of things had reached a different conclusion, but we don’t know that we would have been happier or more fulfilled by the choices we did not make."
How true! How easily we forget this when we get caught in regret over this or that.
I am thoroughly enjoying your writing, sharing & perspective. Kudos for your bravery because it takes a great deal to do what the four of you (always include the cats) have decided to do. I love the Shel Silverstein reference, and my favorite works of his are The Giving Tree & second The Missing Piece. Thanks for sharing, it’s a gift & much needed distraction from reading the news.
Thank you so much for your kind words—I’m glad to be a respite in the onslaught. You’re right, it takes a measure of bravery but the funny thing about that is you don’t have it until magically you do! I grew up on Where The Sidewalk Ends and years later The Missing Piece taught me a lot more. If you’ve never seen his more adult stuff, I highly recommend Uncle Shelby’s ABZ Book. 😈
This one really spoke to me! It echoed so many of my own experiences in the search for personal peace and the development of my own philosophy (which is really a myriad of other peoples' thoughts stitched together in a pattern that makes sense to me). My mantras? First, Be Kind. To yourself, to other people, to the planet we share. Second, be joyous. Happiness is a choice, not a situation or destination, and there is always something to be grateful for. Third, remember that you cannot always control what happens to you but you can control how you react to it. Finally, try to live your days so you can sleep at night. So that if Jiminy Cricket does drop by it's only to say, "Hey, relax. You did your best, and no one, including yourself, can ask more than that." I love you! Love to William, too! A2
An excellent set of tenets by which to live! We all benefit from the pearls harvested from the wisdom shared by others and I’m lucky to have a few of yours! Love to you ❤️❤️❤️
Thank you my friend! I think it’s a matter of letting myself try. We are fortunate enough for me to have a while to do so and what better way than in a new part of the world!
Interesting read. I'm wondering about the part about a coffeeshop not necessarily being the same as a place to drink coffee in the Netherlands.
Because of the allowances for soft drugs, marijuana and hash can be purchased at “coffeeshops” whereas a “koffiebar” is more like what you’d expect.
Oh, I see. Haha. Very interesting. Sounds like a fun place. Excellent post.
Thanks for reading! I just read yours with coffee mugs so I get why your curiosity was piqued 😊
Haha. Coffee is definitely the subject for today. Thanks again for sharing your work.
"Yes, you might have had a different life if any number of things had reached a different conclusion, but we don’t know that we would have been happier or more fulfilled by the choices we did not make."
How true! How easily we forget this when we get caught in regret over this or that.
It’s very easy to imagine everything would have been better but it’s not possible to prove that!
Yep! And I'm guilty as charged -- knowing this full well, but still doing it at times. We can't win em all, I guess! ;)
You just keep getting better. Kitty told me about how much she appreciated this.
Thank you! I’m aging like wine instead of bread I guess 😂😂
I am thoroughly enjoying your writing, sharing & perspective. Kudos for your bravery because it takes a great deal to do what the four of you (always include the cats) have decided to do. I love the Shel Silverstein reference, and my favorite works of his are The Giving Tree & second The Missing Piece. Thanks for sharing, it’s a gift & much needed distraction from reading the news.
Thank you so much for your kind words—I’m glad to be a respite in the onslaught. You’re right, it takes a measure of bravery but the funny thing about that is you don’t have it until magically you do! I grew up on Where The Sidewalk Ends and years later The Missing Piece taught me a lot more. If you’ve never seen his more adult stuff, I highly recommend Uncle Shelby’s ABZ Book. 😈
Keep sharing your excitement with the world. Such a great read!
Thank you so much for sharing your enjoyment! I can’t wait to follow your advice 🤩😊
This one really spoke to me! It echoed so many of my own experiences in the search for personal peace and the development of my own philosophy (which is really a myriad of other peoples' thoughts stitched together in a pattern that makes sense to me). My mantras? First, Be Kind. To yourself, to other people, to the planet we share. Second, be joyous. Happiness is a choice, not a situation or destination, and there is always something to be grateful for. Third, remember that you cannot always control what happens to you but you can control how you react to it. Finally, try to live your days so you can sleep at night. So that if Jiminy Cricket does drop by it's only to say, "Hey, relax. You did your best, and no one, including yourself, can ask more than that." I love you! Love to William, too! A2
An excellent set of tenets by which to live! We all benefit from the pearls harvested from the wisdom shared by others and I’m lucky to have a few of yours! Love to you ❤️❤️❤️
Thank you for sharing in this new adventure of ours. It keeps getting better every time we keep going forward. I love you.
We have come so far, it’s a joy to continue to watch it unfold together! ❤️
I am glad you love you, too!
Brilliantly written, as always.
So many nuggets in there and I can literally feel myself pulling for you and William to get everything ya'll deserve and desire in the NL.
I don't know what it would take for writing to become your "full-time job" but I feel like that's exactly what you are meant to be doing.
Thank you my friend! I think it’s a matter of letting myself try. We are fortunate enough for me to have a while to do so and what better way than in a new part of the world!
I truly believe good things have and will come!
They have and they will continue! Nothing is perfect but the relief at accepting that makes even the hard moments more bearable.