Thank you all for the outpouring of support yesterday!

[nolabear]

I’m in a good mood this morning, having felt not just the caring but the reminder that we are in a world of wonders, and what affects me is what I pay attention to. I’m hyper vigilant (insert long childhood story here) so pay far too much attention to what seems to be dangerous rather than noting it, working to change it, and surrounding myself with the fuel of beauty and joy and fun to help me do so.

Here’s to beauty and joy and fun—and families, given and chosen. ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

[CaliforniaPeggy]

1. You're very welcome, my dear nolabear! You deserve our attention and love.

I especially love this sentence:

Here’s to beauty and joy and fun—and families, given and chosen.

[malaise]

2. A DU Treasure

[MiHale]

3. KnR

[Biophilic]

4. I suspect we all get to those places sometimes. You just articulated what we are feeling sometimes.

It's all good. (except for republicans)

[Lonestarblue]

5. Happy 4th nolabear! I'm glad you're feeling better.

I find the DU community an amazing group of caring people whose acceptance for all our foibles an enduring comfort.

[LoisB]

6. I am glad for your good mood. You just gave mine a big lift.

[thatcrowwoman]

7. Wonderful, nolabear! Things often appear brighter in the morning, especially after a good sleep.

To beauty and joy and fun—and families, given and chosen.
🕊thatcrowwoman

[FakeNoose]

8. May your happy days continue and thanks for sharing with us on DU

[Tree Lady]

9. Didn't see yesterday's post but

we all need support at times. Yesterday I invited a friend to my favorite park in Ashland OR with a creek running through it and trees and walking paths, grass, benches, ponds, playground etc.

I had felt closed in from the heat so we went in the morning and brought beach chairs and a snack.

unbeknown to us they we're having musical camp and 50 kids from 5 to 17 we're playing violins and a few other strings. The teachers were amazing and we sat and watched the kids play, sing, dance in the wild. My mood went up a ton of points!

Then when that was over another guy who has a non profit playing in the park with cello with a few friends we're playing. It was like having two concerts for free

Afterward we found a shaded area quiet and alone few feet from creek and sat and had our picnic for hours.

When I dropped her off she said thank you so much for getting me out of the house.

I had been having a pity party all week about shoulder and back issues and this completely changed my mood and most of my pain went away. I believe a lot of pain is mental.

Glad you are feeling better today and I highly recommend any type of nature next time you hit a crappy mood

[H2O Man]

10. Recommended.

I had to look for your post from yesterday, after reading this. I had company from out of state ..... one of very few members of a large, extended family that is a republican. My father was one of 14 siblings, and there are only two of my generation of siblings & cousins who is not a Democrat. Now I still love this one, and recognize that she is not among the smartest people in the family. But if I wasn't dealing with her for two days, I would surely have responded to your post yesterday, because you are definitely one of my very favorite members of this community.

After reading yesterday's post -- which, by the way, I found about an hour after talking to my son about depression being experienced by a person we know -- I decided to walk out to my garden before responding. Here in upstate New York, the air quality is not good, due to smoke from the fires in Canada. I could see and smell the haze on my first step out of the door. As I got closer to my garden, that smell was replaced by that of a row of rose bushes that are blooming.

As I got to the roses, I was mighty impressed with the number of beautiful flowers. Now, it still bugs me that I can't spend the time I want to outside, even as old and pathetic as I am, because of the air quality. But I did recognize that the saying from my youth in the 1960's was correct: you've got to stop, and smell the roses. (It was a variation of a phrase in some golfer's autobiography.) Indeed, I try to do that even on DU ..... and in that context, my Wonderful Friend, you are one of the best roses on this forum!

[Roy Rolling]

11. From Da Parish

Stay cool, my friend. As we say in NOLA, it’s not the heat it’s the stupidity. 😂

[peggysue2]

12. Glad to hear you're back up and ready to go, nolabear

I think we've all had those moments when the news, the politics, the endless, deliberate cruelty feels crushing. But then, a good night's sleep, a steaming cup of coffee or a bright, sunny day can turn the earlier grim period around. It's the way we survive in a very complex, often confusing world together.

Keep the faith and yes, here's to beauty and joy and fun. Laughing, too!

[Skittles]

13. everyone needs help, sometime

yes indeed

[nolabear]

14. Hey, there you are!

Have I just not seen you? I mentioned in the thread yesterday that I missed you. Thanks for the kind words, even if I do now have Dean Martin singing “Everybody loves somebody sometime” in my head.

[Skittles]

15. I tend to be more on DU at night than during the day

I sleep all day (night shift worker)

omg I loved Dean Martin, he was so handsome, so suave!

[CaptainTruth]

16. Think nothing of it, giving love & support is the right thing to do...