I can see it now and have my response prepared, “Why does your face look so funny Grammy?” To which I manage a mangled reply, “I’ve been eating lemons, I swear.” An innocent child, but now she knows to steer clear of lemons. And when she’s older, she’ll also know to be careful where she lays her hemorrhoid ointment. Because you see, wisdom like this is held in the Family Vault of Secret Knowledge to be shared and enjoyed for long years to come. Experience bears this true. As I shared my tale of woe this morning, I was immediately reminded, by more than one genetically linked recipient, of a lesson hard learned over brownies TWO DECADES ago. “Before eating, ALWAYS closely examine brownies gifted from a questionable kitchen. What sprinkles you hope to be chocolate bits may actually be a cockroach!” See, some of us don’t need to go seeking trouble or adventure, it finds us without effort or plan. Some of us, when left to our own devices are an adventure on our own.
So, to all of you, The Adventure Seekers, and those of us who are Inadvertently An Adventure Unto Themselves, may your New Year be filled with more laughter than tears. May your heart be gracious, and spacious enough to bear yourselves – and others – with dignity and a buoyancy of soul. Be well, be happy, embrace forgiveness, be silly and be true. (Hmmm, a bit corny but I think I like that for a new mantra.)