Favorite

-
February is my all-time favorite month.

Yes, that's right, my birthday is in February and that gives the month a slight edge in favorite status.  Although I must say that I'm not at all thrilled to be turning a dreaded year older this year.  Ugh.  I'm finally to the 'old' birthday.  Bleh.  But at least we can ring in the new status of 'oldness' with great celebration and lots of delicious chocolate cake.  

The fact that it is February already is astounding to me.  It seems as if just yesterday the children and I were standing on the balcony of our beach house in Florida lighting sparklers to ring in the new year.  It seems like just moments ago that we returned to India and began the settling back in process to our usual routine.  Could it already be a month into the new year?  Only 11 more months to go 'til 2009?  I was hoping that my recent decision to 'enjoy every moment' would cause time to actually slow down, stand still, or at least not rush by quite as quickly.

Alas, I was wrong.

However, if the time had to rush by, it might as well rush by into the month of February.  I have Valentines Day Candy in my cupboard calling out to us, demanding its freedom, tempting me to put it into a decorative bowl on the dining table.  It wants to be consumed; longs to be eaten; deeply desires to be put to good use on someone's thighs.  Will I make heart shaped cookies?  Will I learn how to make royal icing to 'flood' the top of said cookies with luscious goodness that I really have no idea how to create?  Will I remember to unearth the pink-colored, silicone, heart-shaped cupcake 'pan' that I brought from Target to make some tantalizing chocolate-y hearts of goodness?

The kids want to give Valentines to their classmates.  They of course will have to make those Valentines seeing as there are no Valentines to be purchased here in the delightfully 'still-questioning-the-validity-and-commercialism-of-Valentines-Day' South Asia.  So red, construction paper hearts with precious crayon drawings will have to do.  They each have 24 classmates.  That means we have to make at least 48 Valentines... plus some for their teachers... Ooo.  We better get going on those - only 10 days left.

And of course probably one of my favorite reasons for loving the treasured month of February is that nearly everything is pink.  The two calendars I have hanging precariously over my desk are adorned in pink accent colors.   Love pink.  Absolutely love it.  Therefore a whole month full of pink brings me incredible amounts of joy.  And even more than February, more than chocolate, more than pink, I love joy.  For me, February is characterized by joy.  The glass is half FULL, there is a SILVER LINING, the SUN really will come out tomorrow.   The joy is not only deep down in my heart, but has also bubbled up to the surface for me in this tremendous second month of the new year.  For me, February is JOY.

And so, full of pink, full of joy, full of birthday wishes and full of all things made of love, I go to bed tonight anticipating a peaceful month during which I expect to dwell on and enjoy every moment in my own way, in my own time, and with my own positive attitude which no one can destroy or take away.

Happy February!

~lk

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

On Compassion

-
The tension has really ratcheted up in the last couple of weeks.     It seems like people are on edge. Extra nervous.     Almost on the verge of panicking. Is it COVID? Is it the election? Is it the constant uncertainty that we’ve all been under for months and months and months… and months?     So many of us thought that SURELY by the holidays we would have returned to ANY KIND of normal – old normal, new normal, abnormal… something.     But no.     Here we are.     It’s in this unsettled state of existence that my heart has started hurting.  It’s started hurting so much for all the broken people out there.  Yes, there’s been a lot of breaking going on.  Broken hearts, broken lives, you name it, things are breaking.  And there is pain and suffering going on.  And people who are broken need to be seen and heard and understood.   I think what’s needed most right now is some g...
Read more

These are a few of my favorite things

-
Every time I go away and then return back to this place that I enthusiastically call home, I am always reminded of the many things that I love about living here.  I've just returned from a week in the US and upon my return after the trip have been once again bombarded with the small delights that bring me a great and genuine sense of joy in my everyday existence.   For your reading enjoyment and your vicarious delight, here are just a few. 1. My hair dries more quickly and completely here. 2. Morning air does not produce a sore throat. 3. The slower pace of life allows me my much cherished time to think and read and write. 4. My washing machine, my coffee maker, my food processor and my fridge. 5. The generally friendly faces of my local colleagues and the warmth and usual sense of support I find when talking to them and interacting with them... they know me and love me despite my flaws and that is comforting. 6. Local traffic rules and the 'go with the flow of traffic' men...
Read more

Birthday Reflections

-
Image
It's my birthday - happy birthday to me!  Let's see what the Lord had to say to me this morning in my time of reflection. Claire and Leah cutting the cake at the party Leah's boss Joseph threw From Psalm 103:1-14 God does these things for us: 1. Extends benefits to us... I want to watch for these benefits even in the lowest parts of my day 2. Forgives our sins... so we also should constantly forgive! 3. Heals us of all diseases... physical, but also mental and emotional 4. Redeems our lives from the pit... He *will* pull me out of the junk I'm going through 5. Crowns us with love and compassion... I can truly find genuine rest in Him 6. Satisfies our desires with good things... might not be what we desire, but we are satisfied! 7. Renews our youth so we can soar and thrive... ooo... I need that today! 8. Works righteousness for the oppressed... even for the oppressed leader who faces disrespect 9. Makes His way known to us... so we can choose to joyfully follow 10. Is s...
Read more