Well, hello, Wonderfuls!

Heeeere’s Context!!!

This feel-good (like having your hair brushed) post was inspired by a conversation I had with my funny, sensitive, bright, and resilient friend, “J-Dub”.

(You can find her at https://jilywily.wordpress.com/)

In response to my last post, she and I deep-end our bond by discussing our tendency to invalidate our triumph-over-challenges because, in hindsight, struggles can look so small…and because countless others have it so much worse.

And we confided that, without reminding ourselves to make self-compassion paramount, we are vulnerable to feeling like self-indulgent whiners/weaklings.

But, here’s another take…

If uber-gifted/successful celebs such as Britney Spears can lose it, and Drew Barrymore can fall victim to addiction (to name but two snow flakes in a blizzard of talented people)—

and, they can find/fight their way back—

it makes sense that it’s not fair to make comparisons…

For, pain is pain and—while privilege has many undeniable mitigating properties—it cannot protect any one person from the whims of the human condition and the fragile nature of sensitive psyches.

So, given a two-way “Crossroad(s)“, I choose to err on the side of optimism…

As such, rather than criticizing myself for making winter a skate-goat for my (waaaaay-beyond the age of adolescent) angst…

I’d like to thank the a-cad-in-me for using the cold light of day to entertain some lyrical Moody (light-hearted) Blues.

For, just as (Laverne &) Shirley “I Will Survive”,

and never get my Phil of Genesis,

sometimes you’ve got to say,

“Solo(ng) for now, noble aspirations and well-meaning clichés…

and just (grow) your own way!”

(Right, Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham?)

Such was the case this January day when—too early, and yet again—I found myself pulled out of sleep by my mind’s Moan(a)-inducing mad (hater) scramble to teach slumber “Who’s The Boss”.

Initially taking center stage,

eager-beaver Woody Would(‘a, could’a, should’a) Pecker scoldings tap, tap, tap danced as fast as they could in a rousing demonstration of a golden-oldy dance craze sure to keep me as unbalanced as a headlight-stricken doze-y doe!

But as my wakening mind tripped along, I stumbled upon a (s)nagging horse-sense-ical thought occurring write on (my own) time…

“Me, myself,”, mused I, “Since the best measure of magic is found in the We Hours of the morning (and it’s Sunday), let’s let our hare down…”

“That (Whiny-The-Poo-Poo) Rabbit that’s had us wishing that—

having taken the (cold shoulder) hint—

blustery winter days would finally, and for good, take a flying fling!”

“Instead, let’s bid siren-are-a to that alarming and irritable—

no bunny knows the trouble I’ve seen—

impatience that’s had us barking at Frosty and Jubilee to, “Quit your yelling, go lie down, and stop those incessant licking sounds!”

“Let’s emulate a different kind of enthusiast; and put our foot down, again and again, in a determined show of optimism!” 🙂

In other words, there’s no need to hole(d) to a counter-intuitive back-words approach.

No need to rush the process,

misstep,

claw yourself clear of a pit of despair,

only to bound after a frantic,

“For a very important date, ‘I’m late, I’m late’—

(Yoda-esque) wisdom.

For, here’s another consideration to dwell on.

An—on the other hand(s of time)—perspective, if you will.

Alternate View:

Because an—“I’m all about that haste, ‘bout that haste, let’s scurry”—attitude ignites our insecurities,

and whips them into a (perspective) blinding powder-keg of wind-lashed snow flakes—

let’s find continued comfort in heart-warmers leisurely steeped (tea) in our random amblings.

Those bed-written stories couch-potatoed in all manner of quirky approaches.

And, “Deer me”, myself reminds I,

“As our mood warms to the challenge,

the mind-strains Peter out, and are unsnared from—“under the thumb”/per usual—Peter-bing cautionary (cotton)tales.

Thus, Darlings and Dazzlers, that’s how it comes to be that,

blessedly elevated to a higher plane,

you and I are just in time to get caught up in the hear-and-now…

For, as we (s)peak (so to speak),

I’ve taken a page from another book, and am easily—

like Sunday morning—

(Peter) panning for shimmers of gold and giggle-inducing (Minnie) pearls of wisdom as the snow,

(intense weather (the storm) pressures not withstanding)

shines diamond bright…a testament to its resolve to thank the sun for (saving) grace this day.

And, reflecting on this particular world-(with-a-)view, I’m grateful for the protection of a warm home, and large windows that illuminate the refracted beauty of two-sided snowflakes that usher a hot and cold invitation to look at the bigger picture…

For, climate change concerns being what they are, it would certainly be cause for alarm if winter took offence and withheld all it has to offer simply because it didn’t feel appreciated and understood for what it is.

And, I am so very, very lucky to have a selection of fashionable outwear that keeps the wind and cold at bay…

And fuzzy/sparkly mittens that take me back to (old) school memories when tobogganing and hot- chocolate snow-days provided double rainbow adventures.

And that I can afford shearling-lined boots (meant to be/worn without socks, I might add!) that feel like the coziest slippers…

And that—especially when knee-deep in (the mind) drifts—these marvels still astonish me with their magical warming properties…

For, although it seems like eons ago, I still remember the days when my hard-working mother couldn’t afford to purchase anything but rubber galoshes that couldn’t be expected to do much more than keep ones feet dry (any semblance of warmth was unfairly left to socks to take care of)…

And that, when my driver’s-side car lock is frozen, a remote lock/unlock feature allows me to access the passenger side…

And that I’m agile enough to crawl across to the driver’s seat…

(And, yes, I now know you can buy lock de-icer 🙂 )

And, I’m sooooo blessed to have a car (something we couldn’t afford when I was growing up; and that, given an abject  fear of driving, I didn’t learn to do/love until well into adulthood)…

And, that, a recent home owner/living on my own this winter, I’ve retained the services of a plow-professional who plows my long driveway before I even get out of bed in the morning…

And that I was able to go to Canadian Tire and, without blinking, purchase everything I needed to ensure I don’t find myself held hostage when, given winter’s exuberance, I’ve had it up to here…

(*Picture thigh-high, “Oh my!!!”)*

I especially surprised myself with my attitude of gratitude as I selected a a sturdy-but-light grey shovel with a lovely turquoise handle…I’m sure I paid  a premium for the pretty factor… 🙂

And that I could afford to buy a telescopic snow scraper/squeegee combo that (to my uninitiated mind) nearly rivals the utilitarian prowess of a Swiss Army Knife!

Anyway, as you can see,

I do tend to go on when I am a drift in a winter swell of relief.

So, I’ll wrap things up by thanking you profusely for hearing my whispers in the wind…

And, I’m thrilled to think that my offering has brightened your day in some way—and is seen as proof that even (relatively) privileged individuals with sunny dispositions and oodles of optimism face very real challenges (my struggles invariably intensify on cold, grey days).

For, whether prince(cess) or pauper (I am neither)—such is the human condition…

and we cannot begin to know how much our positivity might impact another.

But, this I know for sure, Amazers…

it means the world to me that you’ve taken my hearts-to- heart to heart.

God bless you and your loves.

Affectionately,

Truly

P.S. Most of my riddles are unraveled here: Heeeeere’s Context  is my nod to the iconic line, “Heeeeere’s Johnny!” from (1980) Steven King horror movie, “The Shining”…the backdrop for horror, murder and mayhem was the monolithic snowstorm that trapped the victims;  “Crossroads” is Britney Spears’ (2002) movie; “A-cad-in-me is my tongue-in-cheek gender neutral pun; Moody Blues is a beloved British rock band formed in 1964; Laverne & Shirley is a (1976-1983) American sitcom; “Go Your Own Way” is a (1977) hit from American Band, Fleetwood Mac’s, super album, “Rumors”…Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham are two of five band members and the former couple each have solo careers; Moana–Mona, is a sitcom character on (1984-1992) “Who’s The Boss“; Mad Hater (Hatter) is an “Alice in Wonderland” pun; Woody Wood Pecker is a cartoon character who debuted in 1957;  Doze-y doe/deer caught in the headlights is my pun tied to the square dance move, Do-si-do (pronounced, doe-see-doe); tripped/stumbled/sNAGging paves the way for my nag pun (nag is also another word for horse… and “horse sense” is an expression meaning “common sense”; Frosty and Jubilee are my sweet dogs;  putting my foot up and down…paves the way for my Thumper/Bambi pun;  “For a very important date, I’m late, I’m late” is my White Rabbit/Alice In Wonderland)/Yoda wordplay; All about that haste… is my, “All About That Bass” ( 2014) Meghan Trainor hit song pun; Whiny The Pooh-Pooh/Rabbit…is my nod to “Whinnie The Pooh” character, Rabbit, who’s given to (non toxic) bouts of cynicism; Alarming/Siren-ara-a is my Sayonara” (pronounced, sigh-an-are-a) pun–it means “so long”; under the thumb/per usual is my delayed (put your foot down again and again) Thumper pun; Peterb-ing (perturbing) Cautionary Peter Cottontail(s) is my nod to the (1949) Easter Song, “Here Comes Peter Cottontail”…a timely reminder that spring will be here before I know it; Darling is the last name of Wendy’s family in “Peter Pan”,  (1911 novel written by J.M. Barry); “Easy like Sunday Morning”is Lionel Richie’s (2002) hit….oh, those lyrics and soulful melodies!; Minnie Pear is a character on “HeeHaw”…an American variety show that aired from 1969/71…and aired in syndication until 1997.

P.P.S. Stumbling upon this video of one of my favorite forgotten (but not forgotten) songs churned up sentimental rememberances of youth and my continued love of music…and, it inspired me to write today’s blog.