LOVE DOES

 

 

I started reading the book, Love Does, after my dear friend at 10,000 Reasons suggested I needed a break from research articles.  After a quick download (or is it upload?) to my Kindle, I grabbed a cup of hot green tea and settled on the couch under my favorite blue blanket.  I set my phone to silent, not wanting to be disturbed, and began reading. What I didn't finish in the home, I finished on my flight home.  (Yes, that was me dabbing away tears during the final chapter).  A delightful story of one man and his love for all things whimsy, it is sure to warm your heart.  If nothing else, it'll have you thinking about what LOVE DOES in your life. 


Here's a glimpse into mine...



Most people wouldn't drive four hours through tornado warnings to attend a wedding in which they only know the bride... who they haven't seen in years.   But, LOVE DOES. 

 

 

Raising $2,300 could intimidate anyone.  But, LOVE DOES...

and brings along a friend to help raise over $4,600.  And because love is bold, it'll walk 60-miles in three days. 

 

 

 Needing shelter from a sweltering New York summer day may seem impossible.  But LOVE DOES offer a place of rest for all who seek it. 

 

 

 

Work never takes a break.  But, LOVE DOES and takes you on a grand trip because "work can wait".

 

 

  We often wonder what moves kids.  LOVE DOES.  And then they send postcards and painted tiles to NYC after 9/11 to show their own love.  

 

 

 

Life is an adventure.  You may not always understand the change of tides, the storms that linger, or the waves that crash on you.  But, LOVE DOES.  And it will be there, waiting. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sitting on the dock of the bay...

I am not perfect.  In fact, I take delight in knowing that I am anything but.  As I’ve mentioned here before, I have many flaws.  Luckily, my dearest friends and sweet family find a way to love me all the same.  They find my quirky (or lovingly referred to by my husband as “crazy old coot”) ways charming.  Or at least, they don’t complain. 

However, remaining imperfect in a society which strives for perfection, has proven to be a challenge.  Pinterest, supposedly a creative outlet, is more or less a way of “keeping up with the Joneses”.  Facebook has given those with few friends an outlet to claim they now have hundreds.  And, Photoshop can take anything ordinary and make it extraordinary.  Hell, so can Instagram.  And though I have found myself guilty of taking pleasure in Pinterest, Facebook, and Instagram, I have also learned that I am far from being the person with hundreds of friends creatively redecorating my home.  Just enjoy a meal at my supposedly “Pottery Barn Redo” kitchen table that is now peeling.  In short, even with these “cheat sheets”, I’m not perfect.

What I have learned is that though my “friend” count is high, the number of friends I can truly count on (as in, I don’t have to ask them to be there, they already are) is no more than half my age.  I don’t like burlap, even if it is all over Pinterest and now in each person’s home I know- it’s what my potatoes used to come in- NO THANKS!  And, I am not a professional photographer, even if Instagram gives my pictures a boost.  In short, these are things I can do without.

I am okay with the handful of friends I have; the ones who drive four hours after work or even take a morning off just to see me.  My home doesn’t have to be two stories with more rooms than I can keep up with, adorned with “rustic” touches from the south when I live on the southern California coast.  I also don’t need to be gluten free, on the military diet, or eating Paleo to lose weight.  I just have to get up and exercise.  And I certainly don’t need Photoshop to alter my view.  I like the one I have.  Even if it means it’s not perfect.  Imperfect suits me well. 

 These pictures are untouched, unedited, and far from perfect... as are all the pictures I post on here.  Stop editing your life.  It's okay the way it is.