"You're Beautiful"

I've been wallowing in grief and sorrow for a few days now but fortunately I have fabulous friends who have been calling to check on me, giving me hugs and dragging my butt hiking all over the forest. At this point it's time to attend to life again, which I have been doing in increments, and to practice containment. Carole King has a song that kind of sums up where I am right now. The song is called "Beautiful" or "You're Beautiful." Anyhow, she demands in the opening lyric, "You've got to get up every morning and show the world all the love in your heart. Then people gonna treat you better. You're gonna find, yes you will. That you're beautiful as you feel." Sometimes I just roll my eyes at that song but today it makes sense. I'll keep walking down to the waterfront to check on the baby geese, I'll dip my toes in Nancy's pool. When I run into my buddies today at the cook out I'll ask about their day, I'll play with a dog or two, eat good food  and "show the world all the love in my heart." I have the tools and the resources; I know the things I need to do to teach myself joy and take care of myself. I don't have to be brave or pretend, I'll just deal with wherever I am and take baby steps forward. Nobody at that party expects me to be perky or totally fine. The great thing about my support system is its consistency. Individual people or situations may come and go but I have a solid enough network that I trust God has someone there at any given time for me to love and reach out to and someone who will love and reach out to me. Whatever happens in my life, I know that I am cared for.