العاطفة

“I want to be remembered as the girl who always smiles even when her heart is broken, and the one that could always brighten up your day even if she couldn't brighten her own.”  I've had this quote saved for quite some time in draft form, hidden in the list of yet-to-be-published posts.  I don't know it's origin, only that I so often resonate with its tone.  Tonight I came across another quote, a more important one, whose author amazes me, whose name is much like a prayer..."Think of all the beauty still left around you and be happy." ~Anne Frank  Surrounded by death and disgust, she remained a smile in the dark.  That's the kind of girl I'd like to be. 

This is taken from Rumi's Ode 1823.  I found it on Pinterest (my latest addiction) and it's credited to Tarah Lowry.  If you'd like to visit an uplifting family blogspot, please click the banner below.  Sweetness.

My daughter called today, the one who is fearlessly venturing out into the desert.  She and her friends visited The Grand Mosque.  I would have liked to have seen her covered in Muslim dress, seeing her pink face taking in the wonder.  Very soon she will head to a more temperate climate.  Rome awaits.  And the Vatican.  And the Colosseum.  And Michelangelo's art.  And the food.  *sigh*

On a sad note, I began the process of saying farewell to a friend today.  I had never met her, but felt I knew her rather well.  I'd learned that she had a pet dog named Pups, that her family vacationed in California... but this morning my youngest told me that Mary Jeffy isn't real.  "I made her up, mom."  Oh dang, I knew this day would come.  Some things should last forever...like childhood.

Things that made me smile recently:

• a chat with my dearest friend of 27 years (oh my, we're getting old!)...I'm envious of the foot of snow in her Bozeman, Montana mountains, by the way.
• my 10 year-old's shoe choice ~ Chuck Taylors...and the fact that she thinks they are cool.  (They are.)
• the words of a friend, reminding me of the sentiments in my heart:  "No self doubt. It's your story, your glory."  I love you, too.
• this, via Becca Norman at Pinterest:

•  and this, from Pinterest:

mila-loveology.blogspot.com

And with that, I bid you goodnight.  An hour on Skype,visiting with my heart in Abu Dhabi, while the little ones giggle and play hours past their bedtime.  That, THAT is passion.  xo, ~S.