Empathy

Yesterday I was upset with my son for getting his punctuation wrong. I am always such a bossy mother, telling him to do this, do that, do the next thing. Please.

This evening I came home in tears. Always feeling a failure, never really fitting it, being socially awkward and introverted. Being technically weak in a technical role.

My son came and sat with me in my room. He rubbed my back for me and comforted me. The others in the house continued what they were doing.

And I thought to myself. My son’s heart touched mine. He entered into my pain. He had and has always had a special gift of empathy. We are born with souls. Sometimes it gets crowded out. At the end of the day, who cares about punctuation? What does it really matter? 

Expectations

Expectations of

Sunny skies
Friends
Work
Love
Joys of this world

Plunders from

The pleasures of
Wind on the skin
Stillness within
Peace of the spirit
The touch of God
Awareness of
Being alive –

The very next breath

Lolly Jars

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Well, I have two more sleeps before I head off on an overnight connecting flight to Johannesburg. Leaving my kids and husband behind for family responsibility decided on by others. Missing the event of the year, the School May Fair, which is a great day of fun, and something I’ve been looking forward to since the inaugural Fair from last year. But no, I rather need to take my life in my hands, and brave the Jhb roads, to satisfy other people’s expectations of what I should be doing with my life. And how I should be spending my non-existent cash, and time. Because I have unlimited leave and money grows on trees.

To cheer me up, I did my part and contributed a few Lolly Jars (candy jars) for the Lolly Jar ‘Lucky Dip’ stand. BFF is under strict instructions to buy a couple for myself, because Lolly Jars make me happy. Sometimes it’s the simple things in life.

Looking at the jars I’ve made up, I suddenly feel sorry for the poor soul who ends up with the yellow jar. Who wants a jar with only yellow lollies? (Candy, sweets in South Africa, lollies in Australia, you get the idea). Oops. Sorry, my bad.

And here’s a reminder from last year. (I am really upset at missing the fair. If I think about it too much I am going to get angry. And angry on me is not flattering).

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