Sandy, salty, sun-kissed, satisfied. Driving south on Highway 1 brings me a visceral sense of contentment and homecoming. I remember driving along the coast as a child with my dad. He’d roll down the windows and open the sunroof. we’d blast the local oldies station K-Earth 101. He called it “vicarious beach.” If we couldn’t be there, we could at least feel it on our face. Thanks for the memories that go soul and bone deep Dad. And thanks for being my favorite beach companion @timkirks No one else I’d rather spend the day with.
When everything is closing for weeks and weeks, including the entire library system, you wash your hands, keep your distance, and check out novels, self help, politics, and psychology, not to mention the two books you bought in the last week to help you feel just a little better. You read about better times and worse times, modern problems and near ancient ones. You check out and you check back in when you can - with yourself, your people, your body and heart, their needs and fears. It’s all sucks but the written word makes it just a bit better.
Earring doodle #signoflove❤ #soberhappyhour
Saturday #signoflove❤ courtesy of the lad and his sweet girlfriend @julieannepaz found on a Valentine’s beach day. I’m so grateful my kids are always on the lookout for ❤️ just like their mama.
Some of the most Important #signsoflove I find are in parking lots. Strange but true. I am walking in or walking out of a store or business. I’ve found what I wanted or didn’t. I probably feel like I spent too much money or am about to. Since I live in Southern California, I either just got out of traffic or am heading back in to it. There are so many moments of potential irritation, disappointment or not-quite-rightness. But ❤️ comes along and reminds me what is important. I take a moment to breathe, to smile to myself, to remember who I am and What I’m here for - which is basically to Love as best as I can in any given moment. Sometimes I do that well; sometimes I do it poorly, but being reminded in a Lowe’s parking lot is as good a place as any to get the message.
The day is finally here!!! It’s embarrassing how long I’ve been on countdown to see her in person, to have her in my arms and under my roof, to hear her laugh at something her brother says and clap back at her dad with a line from some sick show the two of them love and I refuse to watch, to see her stand next to her sister and see how they’ve changed and grown over the last 6 months and look more alike and yet even more distinctly like themselves. One morning earlier this week, I thought of her coming home and some thing deep within my belly LEAPT FOR JOY. It was the strangest sensation but I immediately thought of the story from the gospel where Mary goes to visit her cousin Elizabeth and the baby in her womb leaps in recognition at the Christ’s presence in utero. Before consciousness, they knew each other. Let me tell you - I dont think that’s an exaggeration. I get it. Like knows like. Love knows love. Heart knows heart. My Christmas wish for you is a LEAP OF JOY, the heart lift that comes when you are surprised by Love and reminded of the goodness of your life and the people who are in it. We have her with us for 7 days and it will go by way too fast and we’ll have to share her with other friends and family and it may be another 6 months before we see her again - though I hope not - so I am going to soak up every minute of it - and remind myself not to hover or parent too much or dread her departure two days after her arrival. No foreboding joy. Just present moment awareness. Just gratitude for the gift of her in my life. @kearakirks
ALISON KIRKPATRICK 