So a few days ago, I went to Salt Lake with a buddy of mine to see our friend's band. After we saw their band (it's called Victoria, they actually are pretty good-- they sounded good even in the crappy accoustics of Kilby Court) we stopped to fill up the gas tank. My friend noticed an old man shuffling by who looked pretty exhausted. My friend asked him if he needed any help, where he was going. In response, the old man answered, "Oh, I'm just walking to my old army pal's house. It's okay though, it's only eight more blocks." And then he gave us this huge grin. We offered him a ride and he accepted. In the car I asked him if he lived in Utah or if he was visiting. He told us about how he had come here to get his second hip replaced at the VA hospital in Salt Lake. The doctor had apparently not drilled the hole big enough for the prosthetic to fit in, and had subsequently cracked his pelvis. The doctor "fixed" it by simply wrapping a wire around it. So put this together-- two bad hips (one of them only two months post op), a hot day, and a fourteen block walk to an old friend's apartment. Most people would've been a little grumpier answering my friend's original question, but no-- this man simply smiled and said, "It's only eight more blocks." This made me want to change my own attitude about life. Even when it's not fun or comfortable, every day is only twenty four hours and the only way you can change how it ends is by changing your attitude. I loved his gratitude, no matter his circumstances. The moral of this story? Love life- it's only eight more blocks.
These are two perfect examples of how attitude changes everything. First, we'll talk about Sebastian-- I know he's just a dog, but he's amazing. He was born in terrible conditions (a puppy mill in Hawaii), and then went to a terrible home (abusive man) for a year and a half, and yet now that he's with me, he's been so fun. In the mornings, his silly behavior makes me laugh, he is always so excited to start the day. He knows when someone needs some extra love, and he's the first to give it. In the picture here, he's sitting with Josh watching TV, even though Josh isn't always the gentlest with him. Josh had had a rough day, and there he is, sitting quietly with Josh's arms around him.
The other example I have here is Josh. You all know how much Josh teaches everyone around him. Josh always finds a reason to smile, and he usually comes up with a reason to make us laugh along with him. He's the sweetest kid, even though he's been through so much, and even though he has so much to struggle with every day. He's pretty much awesome.
Now for things that made me smile yesterday: First off, my best friend Mallie. And her reaction to one of the most hideous bridesmaid dresses ever. When she pulled it out of the box, she showed it to me with a pretty dark look. It's a cerulean blue satin dress, with no sleeves, and four symmetrical pinches in the skirt, along with a very puckered seam down the back. It made Mallie look overweight with a badonkadonk butt. She thought it was hysterical. We tried a lot of different ways to make her NOT look like an immodest cup-cake, but it was so much fun mocking it that it took us about two hours just to find a suitable cover-up (suggestions ranging from a poncho to a trash bag to a Muslim outfit). Here's her "modest cup-cake" face. I love her to death.
Another thing that made me smile is that I got to hold a hummingbird!!! It flew into our house and got stuck in a windowsill, so he let me pick him up. He rested in my hand for about five or six minutes, catching his breath and calming down. When he was calmed down, he flitted off- but not before I could snap one picture! Life is a miracle, in all sizes.
