From Oahu island to Orcas island 20 years later....

Why are most people I know so afraid of this?

I kind of get it. Its nice and cozy and contained in the space that is like others. There is a safety in predictability. I like safety. But....

Why do most people I associate with act so afraid and weary of this one thing?

Being different.




I want to introduce the notion to some of my readers which are mainly family members and friends......THAT...... IT IS OKAY TO BE DIFFERENT.

That's right. Its okay. In fact, its kind of liberating and wonderful. Wonder-filled even.

I am a fan of the 'rule keepers'. I dig that set of folks that came up with STOP signs and the like. That's all decent life safety smear. Get it. Do it. Follow it.

HOWEVER

What is up with the 'be like me' campaign? The 'they are not like us' programing. The 'its better to just go alongers'. ???????????????????????????????????????????

I don't follow.


I not only do not follow, but am constantly confused by the impulse and compulse to align perfectly with others in a tidy row. I think its weak, to be frank. I think...well...it takes little outward thought processing and is an easier path, so people take it and just keep their heads down and follow the heels in front of them. Drudge....drudge....clomp...clomp...clomp...drudge... and so on.

Sheeeeeessssshhhh folks! LOOK UP!


Life is beautiful exactly because it is loaded with difference and variety and free agents. I thought of my Heavenly Father on my run this morning. I can see a mirror of Winter reflected in the plant life on my favorite trails. I DID see a gray dusky stemmed wildflower with a blood red maroon bloom on it. It was stunning.

I thought, "Now, You (with capitals because I mean GOD)", didn't HAVE to do that, but You did. He didn't have to make maroon to fill up a space in my needy chest this morning.

BUT

He did. Show off.

What about you? What about me? Are we making maroon? OR....are we just gray and browning ourselves through the next season? Hey, I love gray and brown too. But today I just wanted to say....

DON'T FORGET MAROON!

He has loved me ANYWAY

He has loved me when I was:

......terrible at balancing a checkbook-complaining about my hair for the zillionth time-feeding him burned pie crust-getting stretch marks from babies-never adding the new role of toilet paper to the roll, but just setting it on the counter-when i was breastfeeding in the night and smelled like sour milk-when i drug all his scuba gear under the truck and down the block and ruined everything-when i turn on the fan at night even in the winter-having anxiety attacks about leaving our kids, when i was diagnosed with lupus and we realized what that mean for our family,when i harp on his pruning because i like plants to be wild, when i changed from 'lets have fun' debi, to 'lets just get through this day' debi, when i developed age spots and freckles and spotty skin from years of too much sun, when i have let the laundry pile so high you have to hike up and around, when i brought 16 preschool age kids into our home and 'tornado' our life, when i just could not pull out any more patience for 'tweenagers', when i was sassy and proud, when i was lazy boned and just read books and made my fam eat cereal instead, when my nose grew during pregnancy (seriously there are photos), when my closet seemed ridiculous and i still bought shoes, when i was needy and naggy (two things I SWORE I would not do), when i make waves with other people, when i am careless when he would be careful, when i am ill and can't, when i tease him and prank him and pinch his parts, when i never iron his dress shirts, when i pine over not being by the sea(again), when i stay up all night reading a book and am useless the next day, when i paint his toenails on april fools day, when i make him do the gross stuff like steam cleaning puke, picking up dog doo, and wiping up major spills, when i don't let him get a word in edgewise, when i obsess about ridiculum, when i tell him to turn on his side because he is snoring, when he gets in the car and there is no gas, when i ask for help dealing with everything all the time, when we watch the drama instead of the action movie.

ALL of that.

For 20 years on the 12th.

I believe him.

I know he loves me.

ANYWAY
What a thing to CELEBRATE!!!

Happy Anni babe. I LOVE YOU SO...