Happy Tuesday, Journeyer!

I hope you had a nice holiday weekend with family and friends!

I started out my week with a lunch date with Beauty. She’s twenty-one and has been doing what healthy teenagers and young adults need to do…finding herself. It’s odd how all too often the finding of oneself includes the pushing away of those that love you. It tends to be a tumultuous road for some of us parents and, honestly, there are parts of it that downright suck. I just keep remembering what those who have already been through this phase have said, “They’ll come around.” Counselor Hank used to say, “Just keep doing what you’re doing, Annah.”

And so I work hard to remember to breathe and I’m working even harder at trying to keep my trap shut because the more I say, the more I tend to make matters harder on myself. If you’ve been down this road with your teens and young adults, then you know all about that!

This new weekly tradition is something that came about after I recently asked her, “What can we do to move our relationship in a more positive direction?” I really look forward to Mondays, to seeing her magnetic smile and hearing her laugh. Okay, and I also look forward to wrapping my arms around her neck in a nice warm hug. Hugs always make me happy.

I felt a great deal of success after completing the PowerPoint presentation for the upcoming Buffalo event and worked on memorizing my speech. If you know anyone in the Buffalo region, please share this event with them!

Wednesday brought about an unexpected conversation with Fave, who’s moving into a his first joint rental with his girlfriend, lovingly nicknames Squirrel. How both of us ended up with that nickname–monikers that had nothing to do with my son–is beyond me!

This is just one of the exquisite views I had during my drive!

This one really made me scratch my head…

but I couldn’t help but smile when this fun one pulled right up beside the nasty one! Now that’s just downright good karma, wouldn’t you say?

Seems the lake rental they were so excited to move into needed much work, and they were feeling a bit overwhelmed. A comment about wishing I could be there to help turned into an impromptu trip to Rock Hill, SC, where I spent three days helping them scrub every imaginable surface, dust away cobwebs, wash blinds and windows, and paint over the scratched and dented, baby-poop brown that covered every wall of the home.

It felt good to work up a good sweat and to wrap my arms around these two…not necessarily in that order! Though we did share a few stinky hugs after our long, fourteen hour days of hard labor.

All I can say is thank goodness for Squirrel’s Starbucks membership and copious quantities of brewed, iced green tea…

For this view that greeted us no matter where we were in the house…

And for this little guy, Odie, who gave us a few happy breaks and who slept cuddled up to me each night…

Fave declared that the best part of the entire weekend came when he and I were removing the mold-ridden, built-in air conditioner, which happened to empty all of it’s filthy contents down my front. Ugh… “It was the sound  you were making, Mom!” he said through his laughter.

The best part for me, aside from the fabulous bonding time, came when Squirrel showed me the rough drafts of the logo she’s designing for The Five Facets. Honestly, she incorporated everything I could have wanted!!

She will place this inside a 5-sided gem!

Next step is to get it into the computer, clean it up, and send it to me! Doesn’t she do AMAZING work, Journeyer?!

I guess last week’s joy was all about things taking shape…enhancing relationships, a new home, and a new logo!

What about you, Journeyer? What moment(s) made you smile, warmed your heart, or brought you joy? Share them here and spread a little cheer!

Until we meet again, yours in hope, healing, and happiness,