Dear Reader:

When I saw this little wooden plaque in Simple to Sublime Tuesday I just had to laugh out loud to myself. How true…how true! And I can already give you my answer…“Never!” (Might make a good grave stone inscription)

Since there has only been one “perfect” man to walk this earth and He has the title pretty well sewed up…I know enough to know…we all fall short of perfection…and for good reason. We are to here to learn from our mistakes… becoming better people for it.

I liked this thought from Kate Wolfe-Jensen …who said:

“While it’s lovely to spend time in positive territory, life includes darker times too. Integrating our experiences helps us move forward with compassion.

When you find yourself regretful, take a deep breath and imagine making tender space around that emotion. Picture yourself receiving a hug from a loved one. Say to yourself, “you did the best you could. You would not be who you are had you not had all your experiences. Who you are is beautiful.”

Psychologist Kristin Neff suggests: “celebrate yourself as part of the human family…full of mystery, imperfections and apparent contradictions.”  

Let’s take a minute and remember people in our lives who were there for us while we were growing up….parents, relatives, and friends who reassured us when we messed up that it was okay to make a mistake if we admitted it, apologized for it when needed, and then tucked away the experience as a lesson learned.

Then didn’t we do the same thing with our children and now grandchildren when they make mistakes? We are the first to hurry to a friend in need. We help them talk through it, study it, and hopefully, become better people from the experience.

So if we had this done for us…then did and do it for others…why can’t we be nice to ourselves, forgive ourselves, right the wrong the way we know it should be righted, tuck away the lesson for safe-keeping, and then move on with our lives?

Pogo is right…too many times when we look in the mirror…we are looking at our own worst enemy. We are harder on ourselves than anybody else.

Why do we not look down on our friends and children when they mess up or consider them weak…yet we have a hard time living with our mistakes because we do consider ourselves weak!

From all the articles I read it comes down to only one solution ending…and one of the hardest to give ourselves. Forgiveness. When we can finally look back on a certain incident that pains us or fills up with regret and utter a small prayer…we are ready to continue our journey. “Enough…I messed up…I admit it…I am sorry that I did this regrettable act…but I need to put it behind now, learn from it, and continue my journey God with You leading the path.” 

So until tomorrow…Look into the mirror and see love, not hate.

“Today is my favorite day”  Winnie the Pooh

Yesterday was a Winnie the Pooh blustery day…and it did have a lot of “Honey” in it…in fact…a perfect day to spend with friends at St. Andrews Tea Room.

It was so great to have Honey Burrell with us…down from the mountains. As usual the food and desserts were fabulous and it was fun just talking and talking. (Debbie Baker, Gin-g Edwards, Honey Burrell and me.)

Being a history teacher…just going to the old St. Andrews Parish (Episcopal) church fills me with a love for the past because St. Andrews has some tales to tell.

Old St. Andrew’s Parish Church is the oldest surviving church building in South Carolina. The church building was built in 1706. It was expanded to its current cruciform plan in 1723.

Monday might after the storm clouds, rain, and winds abated…a gorgeous pinkish light fell over the yard…just as the sun was sinking. It was like the sun was apologizing for the rough weather by leaving a few moments of beauty behind before saying “good-night.”