Be kind to me this day,
\nfor me, this is how each day begins
\nthis is the message I send out into the world
\nsome days I have the need
\nto repeat it \u2026 often
\nand I do, as a plea
\non gentler days
\nit becomes my mantra
\nI say it to beckon kindness
\nand too
\nto remind myself, that if this is what you wish to receive
\nthis then
\nis what you give<\/p>\n
this morning, my Love and I, we go to Italy
\nthat is to say in the middle of coffee and our respective reads
\nI ask my husband,\u00a0 \u2018If you could go anywhere in the world,
\nwhere is it you would like to go?\u2019
\nremarkably to this, we both answer
\nItaly
\nhe immediately thinking of wineries, vineyards and fabulous food
\nme, I\u2019m thinking of the aesthetics of creamy whites, green and blues
\nwater and stone
\nsculpture, architecture, art and colours
\nhistory
\nsmells and sounds (or lack of noise really)
\ntastes and flavours
\nvibrant and
\nfresh
\nof walking the Scala dei Turchi, the Turkish steps
\nthe breathtaking beauty of southern Sicily
\nthat I’d been watching last night<\/p>\n
after our bit of morning travel
\nwe find ourselves back down to earth
\nme peeling off old wallpaper, and wheezing from allergies
\nwhile he tapes and muds
\nthen rolls the ceiling
\nwe are in the process of restoring our bedroom
\nor refreshing, I guess really
\nnot off on a dream vacation in Italy
\nrather on a day off,\u00a0 at home
\nwith our daughters
\nputting a dash of Love into our dear old house<\/p>\n
in my afternoon, I pause for a cup of tea
\nstep outside to clear my lungs
\nto breathe deep
\nand to watch the birds
\nkindness from a friend, touches my day
\nand my heart
\nblessing me<\/p>\n
tonight my husband opens us a nice bottle of wine
\nand we\u2019ll sit down with our family (minus one who\u2019s at school)
\nto a fabulous dinner
\nand later, when we climb into bed
\nsurrounded by drop sheets
\nwe may not be looking up at a ceiling painted by
\nMichelangelo
\nor the chalky white steps of marl
\nyet it is enough to feel just
\nperfect
\ncontentment
\nhere
\nin a house full of love
\non a day
\ntouched
\nby
\nkindness \u2665<\/p>\n
“And above all, may I understand that the choice between complaint, indifference, and gratitude is mine at every\u2026moment of my life.” ~ Pierre Pradervand<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"