The Chains of Good

Recently my best friend’s sister-in-law was murdered.

It has been just as tragic, raw and sad as one would hope to never need to imagine.

But the other day my friend told me a thing that brought tears to my eyes in a whole different way. She told me that through all the hard and sad and horror that has been going on, what has really come clear to her is that evil deeds exist as points.

Single instances.

But good makes chains. Chains of loving people, kind words and gracious acts. Loving family and friends lead to kind strangers. And the good deeds from all of them exist in chains that can stretch on and on.

I’m linking to the Go Fund me account that has been set up for the family. I’m not expecting you to donate, though the family would be grateful. I just wanted to remind you that even the small kindness you add to the world makes a difference when they join the chain.

In Memory of Jenn Ward

https://www.gofundme.com/2hhxyy4

Pumpkin Party

Oct26

The food is piled willy nilly in the kitchen and there aren’t enough bowls to go around.

There are people carving pumpkins on the table and people carving pumpkins on the floor. The house is getting hot and the kids are getting loud.

Friends have come with mere hours notice, food and pumpkin carvers in hand.

Now they rummage through the kitchen to find spoons, dinner and drinks.

Great Gramps grew the pumpkins and John made the chili. Halloween is still my least favorite holiday but in this moment…

… in this moment, it’s the best.

Sending RawrLove

May11

Just over a year ago, our favorite internet dinosaur Rarasaur wrote “ Sometimes the benefit of fighting for truth isn’t worth the cost of winning,” and shortly after surrendered herself to police custody. And there she has remained.

The last letter I received from her told of her excitement to be counting her remaining days in prison in double digits and of the first hug she shared with her husband in over a year. It was a letter full of hope and the daring thoughts of future plans.

Just days later, I heard that her husband had passed away.

A year ago, facing an unknown prison sentence, she left the her internet friends with these words:

“I know some of you have aching hearts right now, as I would if I read something like this about you. I wish I could be here to comfort you, but I won’t be– so instead, let’s go over some Rarasaur lessons together, alright?

Take the deepest breath you can. Then take one more.

Now let it go.

See? You are capable of so much more than you expect. And so am I. Let your worries about me fade away.

Wiggle your hands around.

Be dazzled by the miracle that is your perfect body!

Press your hands to your heart. Do you feel the heat and rhythm?*

It is as constant and warm as my gratitude for you.

You are loved, and you have changed my life for the better.

Now that you’re unbeatable, try to remember what I asked of you oh-so-long-ago. I want you to laugh. So laugh, joyfully and with strength. I can hear it, and it brings a smile to my face.”

Now I would like to turn around and say those words back to her.

If you’d like to send her a note, a bit of RawrLove from afar, you can send it here:

Radhika Jaini WF0124
CIW LA 249 UP
16756 Chino-Corona Road
Corona, CA 92880

That’s a genuine Rarasaur “Rawr” surrounded by all the love we could wring out of our art supplies. I’ll send a picture of it along with my next letter to her.

Edwina The Dinosaur Who Didn’t Know She Was Extinct by Mo Willems

May28

Say it with me now, Reginald Von Hoobie-Doobie.

Reginald Von Hoobie-Doobie!

Best.

Name.

Ever.

Reginald Von Hoobie-Doobie

Would I recommend it? Yes, there is much in this book to love beyond Reginald Von Hoobie-Doobie’s name not the least of which is the fact that Edwina reminds me of my own favorite dino, Rarasaur.

…Reginald Von Hoobie-Doobie…

… makes me smile every time…

…Reginald Von Hoobie Doobie…

Dreaming Daffodils

May22

The wonderful bit of writing that follows was left as a comment in my recent #rawrlove post by my aunt Helen.

A read it and re-read it and then asked for permission to give it the entire post it deserves.

May 2, 2014

The rain keeps coming; the ground is cold and muddy, the air still cold.

I am dreaming daffodils

Digging in the ditch, dreaming a parade of dancing yellow daffodils,

I see them spreading their happy sunshine from our driveway to the corner two-thirds a mile on down the road

Contentedly I pried bunches of bulbs off the crowded clumps in my garden

The shovel made a wet, squishy, slurp as a section of bulbs tore with a crunch from the other bulbs
Water rushed into the hole

I was soon muddy, my red wheelbarrow soon full; the heavy, wet dirt on the clumps of bulbs made them stand upright in my wheelbarrow, like punching dummies with weighted bottoms

Each day the bright new leaves of the daffodils have been taller, my wheelbarrow loads greener and greener

Each day I have a longer trip down the road to ground yet undecorated by daffodils

A neighbor on a tractor tows his manure spreader to a field down around the corner; he raises an arm in a wide friendly wave

Does he wonder what I could possibly be doing, day after day, here in this wet, weedy ditch, with my shovel?

Digging in the ditch, dreaming a parade of dazzling, dancing daffodilsThank you Helen, until Jenny and I manage to convince you to start your own blog you are welcome to post on mine anytime!

#rawrLove and Spring Flowers

May6

Today I heard some terrible news.

News that makes me want to rage against The Powers That Be and unfairness in the world. But, this terrible news is about the nicest and friendliest dinosaur the world has ever known.

Rarasaur

And as much as raging against the powers that be seems to be what should be done – it doesn’t seem a Rarasaur thing to do.

So I instead, I looked inside myself and found a tiny, inner-dino of my own. Then I looked up and out at the world and found a little #rawrLove to share.

The world is full of terrible news – it’s true.

But this part of the world is also filled with spring flowers, and little girls who love them.