What I learned on my summer vacation

Okay, so I didn't have a summer vacation but I DID learn a few things the last month or two.....

• Kitty breaks are good for the soul. (I'd call them pussy breaks but you all might get the wrong idea.;-) I am allergic to cats and all furry (and feathery) critters. With the furry critters, it's not the sniffly red-eye kind of allergies, but a contact allergy to their saliva so them licking me or me touching their fur sets off a skin reaction. But I love dogs and cats. Just can't have 'em 'cause I can't take care of them like they deserve. BUT my younger son lives downstairs in the basement suite and HE has a cat (two were living here for a while but when he and his girlfriend split, she took one). So I get to have the best of both worlds. A cat in the house I can visit without having to take care of her. And I visit her regularly when I am stressed or just need a break, talk to her (and she talks back) and don my special grooming glove and stroke her. She loves it. I love it. We all win.

• I have been mourning the loss of my bravery lately. I had it, lost it, couldn't find it, missed it, thought it was gone for good. In talking with a friend today I was reminded of one of my favorite quotes that got me through some really tough leaps of faith and maybe, just maybe, I'm remembering again how to be brave.
  "Whatever you can do or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it. Begin it now."
  ~Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe

• Friendships are valid even if they're not of the same depth and scope as what I have, for example, with my best friend. And friends of both genders can disappoint and still remain friends. And co-workers can make great friends. And I'm lucky to have 'em all.

• World of Warcraft has been a mixed blessing.

• Loneliness never stops sucking.

• Laughter never stops being healing.

• One really CAN lose weight just by eating consciously and watching one's portions. Who knew? ;-)

• Sleep meds that actually work also can cause depression. Yay. So much for those ones.

• We don't heal from grief and move on because we're strong or brave or whatever. We heal because living in the pain hurts too much. But, at least we DO heal.

• Just because I sometimes make bad choices doesn't mean *I* am 'bad'.

• I still have a lot of growing up to do.

• When it comes to family, boundaries must always be maintained or there will be trouble.

• I am blessed with my sons. But I knew that already. :-)

• Air conditioning rules!