[2023-04-01] Saturday Synopsis #37
Earlier today, I reread my post on Good karma in which I had written about the little "buckets of sunshine" I had made for my mom and sister two years ago today. They were a variation on a "box of sunshine," which is a gift box filled with items that are typically yellow. I had forgotten about this idea. Today, I created a bucket of sunshine for a boy's birthday present. Among the things I included in his yellow bucket were books (The Paper Bag Princess and Thomas' Snowsuit written by Robert Munsch and illustrated by Michael Martchenko), bubbles, a baseball cap and a cute Hot Wheels hot chicken food truck. It was so much fun to put together.
3 Ideas From Me
A box of sunshine is a thoughtful care package that typically includes only gifts that are yellow. And, it's perfect for lots of occasions! A little themed box works like magic for cheering up low spirits and for sending well wishes to the sick. It's a happy surprise when sent for a birthday or even just because.
I do not view my life before cancer as the sunshine period and my life since cancer as the cloudy period. Indeed, if I were to use an analogy for the last 18 months, I would characterize it as the rainbow period—some rain, for sure, but a sky full of beautiful colours, representing the love I have received and the meaning I have derived from my circumstances.
Among the more positive things about aging is the idea that, as people get older, their anxiety about dying decreases. Though older people don't want to die, and certainly don't want to die in pain, they don't think about death a lot. They live in the present "as a conscious choice." They're also more careful about how they spend their time and with whom they spend it.
2 Quotes From Others
Most days, I could afford to dedicate attention to her kindergarten stories and adventures. However, one day, I had a very important project consuming my attention. I barely acknowledged Lauren during the walk home. As I got her settled in the room next to mine, my attention was elsewhere. After a few disingenuous "Uh huhs," "that’s nices," and "good for yous," I noticed her monologue had stopped. Before I could look over to ensure she hadn’t gotten into something, I felt her hands hold my cheeks and turn my head toward her while saying, "No Daddy, listen with your eyes."
— Unknown
I love walking in the woods, on the trails, along the beaches. I love being part of nature. I love walking alone. It is therapy. One needs to be alone, to recharge one's batteries.
— Grace Kelly
1 Question For You
Happy people do not experience one success after another and unhappy people, one failure after another. Instead, surveys show that happy and unhappy people tend to have had very similar life experiences. The difference is that the average unhappy person spends more than twice as much time thinking about unpleasant events in their lives, while happy people tend to seek and rely upon information that brightens their personal outlook.
What is one thing that happened today, this year or decades ago that brightens your outlook?
