“When writing the story of your life,
don’t let anyone else hold the pen.” – Anon

As you mature, you acquire more discernment, boundaries and ironically – vulnerabilities.

I am trying to be more prudent with my time, allowing only family and close friends to engage me. Here and there, I have not been so judicious, and I have paid dearly for it. It comes with time.

I am also trying to set limits with myself and others. Lines in the sand aren’t about winners and losers, it is about setting up parameters that I am comfortable with. It is not always clear and it takes a lot of self – awareness to know your own lines of demarcation, especially if you ever have had a need to be on everyone’s approval list.

And then we come to the paradox. While all this protection and discriminating is bubbling up finally, you find yourself tearing up more, caring more and opening up your heart more.

It is almost as if by cutting away frayed and stray edges of fabric, delineating and marking the pattern, your creation emerges in full living color and is embodied by the true you.

On the subject of love, I have learned I love to love and BE loved. I am most grateful for experiencing love. I believe we are love, come from love and love is all there really is. Love heals, it brings about peace and it softens hearts and minds. I believe it is our foundation, meant for the highest good of all. Love transforms anything. Love and all of its derivatives like compassion, forgiveness and kindness is our purpose and our journey.

My soul is made of love.

I have a wonderful relationship with my physician. She recommended I read Brene Brown’s work. Outstanding stuff. It’s about courage. The brave heart that speaks out, that affirms out loud and stands firmly in their own light.

I am working on my story, writing it out of me, dispensing with courtesy, grammar or editing so it can sound nice. Just the raw, unleashed rendition. Healing work at its best.

The reception was held at Cannon’s Seafood Grill on a coveted patio area jutting over the Dana Point harbor. Below we could see the Ocean Institute where the chickadees went to a few scattered summer day camps throughout the years. The old ship, the Pilgrim, is used as a classroom where students stay onboard over night and is always docked, giving elementary school age children a chance to work and sleep on a real Tall Ship. We pointed it out to our eldest from the balcony but he seemed more interested in the present not the past, as well he should be, but my husband and I couldn’t resist.

The party got into full swing and delicious food was served from the minute we strode in. The company was fabulous as we got to sit with others of our era, including the parents of the bride which I felt was an honor. The mother of the bride looked fabulous and had made all the spectacular centerpieces, bouquets and boutonnieres. She created visual landscapes with succulents because of her other daughter’s allergy to flowers. The colors were young and vibrant, bright fluorescent hues. The paper lanterns lit up the night as the festivities went well past sundown.

This morning’s viewing live of the Tour de France was absolutely outrageous! The attacks, the tactics, the almosts, the seconds of time, the sheer nail biting experience of watching this crazy race and the crazier fans has me shaking with excitement still and nerve wracked. I didn’t realize how totally invested I was emotionally.

Hopefully I can calm down, take a shower and get ready for J’s sister’s wedding day!

What an eventful weekend and you still have time to watch the TDF and tomorrow is the ride into Paris onto the Champs-Elysees.

Have an awesome Saturday!

I have no plans, nothing really set up so I am winging it and letting the day unfold as it may.

Everything happens just the way it’s supposed to and the day evolves exactly the way we need it to.