How 'bout Them Apples?

I woke up on the wrong side of bed this morning. Doesn't happen that often, but it did today. I was grouchy and felt distant from my partner and from everything. Just not feeling very good.

The first thing that happened as I was burying my head in my email was that Jan called from the front desk to ask if I had time to talk with someone. I know my response betrayed my general malaise and I shot back gruffly, "What's it about?"

It was about someone joining Emotion, the Grief movement community that I help facilitate. We had been trying to connect for a few weeks. Talking to him reminded me that what matters is not so much the tiny difficulties of my life, it's the people I know and have known and all that they have given (and give) me. I am so grateful to him for reminding me of that.

Then I went up to Tamera Blade's Dynamic Definition class because when I am feeling down, exercise is critical. Usually, I am feeling down because I haven't moved for a few days, which was the case this morning. So her class was an important Rx for me.

The class was terrific, but one moment of it stuck out. As we were lifting weights, squatting, and dancing all at one time(!), she played "I will Survive" the song made famous in the movie "FAME". Most of us can sing the tag line of the chorus - "I will survive, hey hey!" - but I had never listened to the other words. One line of

says, "As long as I know how to love, I know I'll stay alive..." DING! Yup. An important key. I have to remember that.

The final thing happened yesterday. Our preschool is learning to count using apples. They were measuring each other in apples. Most of them are 14-16 apples. Apparently, they said, 'I wonder how many apples Mr. Russell is?" And so we found out! I am 30 apples tall.

So I am trying to remember what is important: as long as I know how to love, I know I'll stay alive. And also that I can be measured in apples.

Where ever you are, I hope you are having a great day.