Don't Postpone Joy

The other day on my way home from work I was driving behind a car with the above sticker on its back bumper. 

It made me smile in the way those "not so coincidental coincidences" always do.  This little message sent to me exactly when I was supposed to see it was so apropos and timely. 

I've been giving a lot of thought lately to how we put things off and patiently wait for the perfect moment to arrive before experiencing what makes us happy. 

So much of our time is spent waiting for the next thing to happen, waiting for the next deal, the next pay raise, for conditions to be just right before we experience our bliss.

I have one dear friend who has a terminal illness and he has learned to embrace life understanding that it all could change in the blink of an eye. I, in turn, have learned a lot from him. I have two dear friends who have in the past year unexpectedly and suddenly lost their spouses.  In your arms one night, sleeping alone the next.

Life so short and no one should postpone feeling joy nor allow anyone from finding theirs.  It's good to have goals and dreams but don't let the destination keep you from enjoying the journey.  Grab joy whenever you can and you will find your life overflowing with more of it every day.

90 Days

Yesterday marked 90 days since my first date with Dr. D. I read somewhere last year that you should always wait 90 days into a new relationship before committing, making any major changes or planning too far into the future.  

The theory behind waiting for 90 days is that within that time, both of members of the relationship can see the others' idiosyncrasies, incompatibilities, shortcomings and serious faults.  It's hard to make a good decision when you're swept up in the chemical storm that happens at the beginning of many love affairs.

There were many times in the past when I wish I had followed that advice. I had good intentions but always knew in the back of my mind that I was moving too quickly; that I really should give it 90 days to see where it's going.  However, I dismissed the 90 day advice, told myself it was different this time and ended up with a broken and disillusioned heart.  I found myself discovering a dealbreaker 70 days into a new relationship or my last one which got to around 88 days before realizing we were not compatible.

It didn't take long to learn Dr. D. and I were very compatible and that may have something to do with the fact that we were friends for several years before pursuing a love affair.  Even though we knew each other, I'm learning new things about him all the time and the sweetness of this discovery thrills me.  

We can talk about spirituality, history, books. He can recite poetry, he's introducing me to the opera and live theater, he cooks me wonderful vegan meals and bakes me homemade wheat bread. He makes me laugh all the time.  He is compassionate to those less fortunate and generous beyond belief.  He cuts hydrangeas from his garden and wraps them in newspaper and twine just for me. 

He encourages me to dream at a time in my life when I thought I was fresh out of dreams.

He tells me he sees miracles in me.

Happy 90 Days, sweetheart!  I'm looking forward to many more!

The Born Again Vegan Blog

Please visit my new blog.  I will continue to use this one for general writing but The Born Again Vegan Blog will be specifically for vegan related goodies. 

It's a labor of love and I hope you'll take a look.