Joseph and Sinclaire: The River Crossing

            This is a story about the start of an unlikely friendship.

            Joseph was a centaur.

            Sinclaire was a faun.

            You see, fauns and centaurs don’t normally get along.  Centaurs are known for their wisdom and stoic personality.  Fauns are known for their lightheartedness and joviality.

            They shared a personality trait though.

            Stubbornness.

            Both races were stubborn as could be and it was no different for Joseph and Sinclaire.

            They first met at a river crossing just as one might expect in a story such as this.  The bridge was of course only large enough for one person to cross at a time.  Both reached the middle of the bridge at the same time. 

            “Turn around little faun,” commanded Joseph.

            “I shan’t,” responded Sinclaire.

            “I’m further.”

            “And yet you aren’t because your oversized rump stretches much further back than I am.”

            “Move or I shall toss you into the river, little faun.”

            “I shall not move.”

            “Insignificant creatures should move for superior races.”

            “If I were to move that would be feeding your ego’s obesity.  You should be leading by example, you great big oaf.”

            “I can’t lead by example if there isn’t anyone superior to move for.”

            “You great villain!”

            “What shall you do, little faun?  Stamp your little hooved feet?  Your blows would be nothing but a tickle to my muscular frame.”

            “Then I have nothing to do but break your spirit.”

            This argument continued for quite a long time.  Neither gave in to the other and they soon found the sun to be setting and it seemed as if neither would make it to his destination any time soon.

            “Are those four twigs of yours getting tired yet?”

            “If you don’t move little faun, I shall move you,” warned Joseph.

            “I do not think you could move a single flea from your flea infested hair.”

            In that moment Sinclaire knew he had gone too far.  Joseph’s hair was his greatest pride.

            “Not a single flea or fly has lingered in my locks since I was a wee centaur,” huffed Joseph.

            And without another word, Joseph pushed poor Sinclaire into the frothy river.  Sinclaire’s small frame sank below the surface before bobbing up a few feet away. 

            “Help!” he cried, “Help!  For I cannot swim.”

            The noble creature that he was, Joseph forgot their petty argument and leapt into the water to rescue the faun.  His muscular frame soon reached the faun and his arms caught him up.  Joseph fought against the current and he reached the embankment and dragged both himself and Sinclaire up out of the river.

            The two, lay side by side on the embankment panting for breath.  Sinclaire stood up and laughed long and hard.  Joseph stared at him confused and annoyed.

            “What is it, you foolish creature?” asked Joseph.

            “It is not I who is the fool,” grinned Sinclaire.  “For I can indeed swim.  I have just used that as an excuse to reach my destination.  You see, you have carried me to the side of the bridge I was seeking in the first place.” 

            Sinclaire doubled over with laughter.

            “You, impudent faun!” said Joseph standing up.

            It was a long chase that took place but eventually Sinclaire’s fear outran Joseph’s red-hot rage.

The Cloud Dwellers

“I’m tired of trying to fix things,” Eric screamed into the sky.  “This planet is too broken.  Just let me go somewhere with no troubles and no pain.”

            Eric fell to his knees in anguish.  The wet grass soon soaked the knees of his jeans, causing them to cling uncomfortably to his skin.  He felt a soft touch on his shoulder and looked up to see a kindly old man standing beside him.

            “I know the place you’re looking for, my friend,” the man said.  His voice was gentle and easy-listening.  “All you have to do is come with me.”

            The man’s hand slid off his shoulder and in front of Eric, open in a gesture of welcome.  Not really sure why, Eric took that hand.  The man helped him to his feet and then motioned for Eric to follow him.

            “What’s your name?” Eric asked as he continued to follow the man deeper into the field in which Eric had been.

            “You can call me Carefree,” the man said with a smile.

            “What kind of name is that?” Eric asked before he realized what he was saying.

            “It’s my new name and my description, Eric.”

            “Wait how do you know my name.”

            “I’ve been watching.  Watching…and waiting.”

            “Waiting for what?”

            “For you to fully realize that you would want to come with me.”

            “I’m still confused.”

            “Don’t worry, Eric.  All will be explained soon.”

            Eric fell silent as he wandered after Carefree, not really sure why he was still following this stranger.

            They reached near the edge of the field and that is where Carefree stopped.

            “What are we doing?” asked Eric.

            Carefree turned and smiled at Eric and beckoned for him to come closer.  Eric hesitated but his curiosity got the better of him and he stepped closer.  Carefree took his hand and pulled it forwards.  Suddenly Eric’s hand touched something that shouldn’t have been there.  That wasn’t there.  It was invisible. 

            Eric took a step back.  “What is that?” he asked nervously. 

            “That my friend,” said Carefree, “is the way to the Cloud Realm.”

            “What is the Cloud Realm?”

            “It is a place of wonder and excitement with no problems and no worries.  It is beautiful and you will love it.  All you have to do is climb the ladder.”

            Eric stood with his hand on the invisible ladder.

            “Why do you hesitate, Eric?” Carefree asked gently.

            “Um, what’s it like?” said Eric.

            “It’s best that you see it with your own eyes.”

            Carefree put his hand beside Eric’s upon the ladder.  The ladder phased into sight, shimmering with many colors.  Carefree began climbing.

            “Wait,” said Eric, “but I haven’t decided yet.”

            “I cannot make this decision for you, Eric,” said Carefree pausing his ascent.  “I can only advise you to take this opportunity.”

            Eric took a deep breath and put his foot on the first rung and then his other foot on the second. 

            “Good man,” laughed Carefree.

            Eric was beginning to see why this man was called Carefree for he truly seemed to be.  It took a long while to climb the ladder.  The air didn’t seem to grow thinner as Eric expected even as their height grew very great. 

            The ground below faded into a blur as they continued their climb and then finally, they reached the top.  Eric pushed through a thick cloud and that is where the ladder ended.  Right on top of the fluffiest cloud you could imagine. 

            Carefree stood a few paces away, waiting for Eric.  Eric was clinging desperately to the ladder. 

            “Come, Eric,” Carefree said, “step off the ladder.”

            Eric shook his head.

            “I’ll fall,” he said.

            “You will not fall.  I'm not falling, am I?”

            Carefree walked over to Eric and held out his hand.

            “Take my hand, Eric.”

            A couple more minutes passed as Eric wavered but eventually, he took Carefree’s hand and stepped out onto the cloud.  Just as Carefree said, Eric did not fall through the cloud but stood atop it. 

            Carefree laughed as he let go of Eric’s hand who instantly grasped his shoulder instead. 

            “Follow me,” said Carefree taking off into a light jog.

            Eric was beginning to get used to the fact that he was standing on a cloud and ran after Carefree.  After a couple hundred of feet, Carefree and Eric ran into someone else.

            “Who’s this, Carefree?” asked the man who had long blonde hair and an equally long beard.

            “This is Eric,” answered Carefree.  “Our newest townsperson if he chooses to accept.”

            “I am Fulfilled,” said the man with blonde hair.

            Eric held out his hand but Fulfilled ignored it and swept him up into a giant hug.

            “Welcome here, brother,” he said as he let go.  “If you stay, we shall have to find you a better name.”

            Carefree continued on, closely followed by Eric who was having a hard time taking everything in.  A few minutes more of walking and they reached a wall of cloud that rose twenty feet into the air.

            “What now?” asked Eric as they stood at the base of the wall.

            “Only one who truly wants to live here can walk through this cloud,” said Carefree.  He smiled at Eric.  “Why don’t you give it a try.”

            Eric was still trying to comprehend all the absurdity that he was dealing with but this wasn’t really any crazier than the other things he had done so far.  So, with a deep breath and a shake of his head, Eric decided to take this at full speed.  He backed up twenty feet or so and then he pushed off.  In a few bounds he was running in a full out sprint.  The wall rapidly approached.  He brought his arms up to protect his head and…he hit the wall bouncing off and landing a few feet backwards. 

            Carefree laughed as he helped Eric to his feet.

            “Nothing to worry about,” Carefree said.  “Very few make it through on the first try.  It’s part of human nature to question and want to know more before delving in completely.”

            Carefree stepped through the wall.  After a moment his hand popped through the wall and motioned for Eric to grab it.  Eric did so and the hand yanked him forward and he was through the wall.

            Inside it was just like a town, only everything was made of clouds and everyone was friendly.  There was not a grim expression in sight.  Not a stressed being racing to their next problem.  Everyone seemed…happy.  Just plain happy.              “Welcome to Perfection,” said Carefree his arm waving in a large arcing motion.  “Our home.”

            “It looks…”

            “Perfect,” said Carefree, finishing Eric’s thought.  “Come.”

            Eric was greeted by a great many people, all seemingly blissfully happy.  Eventually the two of them made it through the crowd of people and Carefree led Eric into a small dwelling empty but for a cloud bed in one corner.

            “This must be quite the shock for you, Eric,” said Carefree.  “I would suggest getting some rest.  I will show you around tomorrow and then you can make your decision whether or not you want to stay.  I truly hope you decide to.”

            Carefree left leaving Eric to his thoughts.  It had been a truly overwhelming couple of hours.  He took Carefree’s advise and decided to wait until morning to make his decision.  His head was too full trying to comprehend what was going on to make any lifechanging choices.

            The next day was spent touring the town which was much more extensive than Eric had originally thought.  The buildings were architecturally amazing due to one of the Cloud Dwellers having been an architect before he came to live in the clouds. 

            This place was truly breathtaking and as the day progressed, Eric found himself longing to live there. 

            Time flew by quickly and evening was soon upon them.  Darkness fell and Eric was greeted with a magnificent sky, filled with bright stars and dancing Northern Lights.  It was this that tipped him over the edge. 

            The Cloud Dwellers were all gathered together as they were every evening, enjoying each others company.  Eric stood up and everyone’s gaze turned upon him.

            “Um,” said Eric nervously, “I think I’ve made my decision.”

            “You think?” said Carefree gently, “It is best to be sure.”

            Eric thought for a moment.

            “Yes,” he said, “I have made my decision.  I have decided…to stay.”

            The Cloud Dwellers erupted into cheers and whoops.  They rushed around Eric shaking his hand and pounding his back.

            “Alright, alright,” yelled Carefree over the noise.  “Let’s not make our newest Cloud Dweller change his mind.”

            The others laughed but the crowd quickly dispersed.  Eric was a little flustered but pleased at the reception. 

            “What’s his name going to be, Carefree?” said someone from the crowd.

            Carefree closed his eyes and a thoughtful expression appeared on his face.  Everyone waited with baited breath.

            “His name shall be…Atpeace.”

            A few minutes passed as Eric pondered his new name.

            “I think that is a good name,” said Eric.  “Because I think I shall find peace here.”

            Another round of cheers and whoops echoed across the sky.

           

            A couple of blissful weeks had passed.  Two wonderful weeks of peace, without any troubles, sorrows, and problems.  Atpeace knew more than ever why this town was called Perfection.  Life seemed completely…perfect.  There was simply no other word for it.

            Then he woke up one morning.  Something felt wrong.  He found himself missing his old life problems and all.

            “I can’t help but notice you’ve been a little down in the dumps of late,” said Carefree one day.  “What’s the cause of that?”

            “I think I’m going to leave,” said Eric.

            Carefree didn’t seem surprised.

            “Many before you have said the same thing,” said Carefree.  “Not many have actually left.  They all come to their senses.”

            “I miss my old life.”

            “What you’re feeling is guilt that you are living the perfect life where they aren’t.”

            “That isn’t it.  I think I want to go home.”

            “No, you don’t, Atpeace.  Give it time you’ll feel better in a couple of days.”

            Eric fell silent.

            “Have I ever, mislead you, Atpeace?” asked Carefree.

            “My name is Eric.”

            A long silence followed.

            “Have I ever, mislead you…Eric?”  For the first time Eric heard a different tone in Carefree’s voice.  A slight strain behind the smooth speech.

            Eric turned and faced Carefree, looking him dead in the eyes.

            “I think you have been misleading this entire time,” said Eric quietly.

            “How dare you,” spat Carefree.  His countenance had changed, his eyebrows arched downwards in angry glare.  “I offered you the perfect life.  A life without troubles and pain.”

            “No, what you offered me was a way to hide.  A way to ignore life’s problems.  I was just too weak to see that.  To see that everyone here is just a coward.  You aren’t living the “perfect” life.  You’re hiding from life.”

            Carefree’s eyes were wide with wild anger. 

            “If you want to leave,” said Carefree trying to contain his rage, “I cannot stop you.  Just know that you will not have the opportunity to live here again and you will live your life regretting this decision.”

            “I don’t think my life with be the one filled with regret,” said Eric evenly.  “I think deep down inside you know that I’m right.”

            “Get out,” said Carefree. 

            Eric turned and walked away but stopped after a few paces.  He turned and looked at Carefree one last time.

            “I sincerely hope you come to your senses and give life another chance.  What you have here isn’t really living.  Living is taking the good with the bad.  Without the bad we forget about the good.  I realize that now.”

            Eric left without looking back.

           

            Eric’s climb down was long.  It probably felt longer than it was.  His anticipation grew the entire length of the ladder.  Finally, his feet hit the ground.  He smiled.

            “Eric, you expect me to let you have your job back?  You didn’t show up to work for two and a half weeks.”

            “I know, sir,” said Eric. 

            “I don’t think this is going to work.”

            “Okay.”

            Eric pushed his chair back and walked to the office door.  His hand grasped the handle.

            “Wait.”

            Eric turned around. 

            “What made you come back?”

            Eric thought for a moment.

            “I sort of gave up on life.  I didn’t want to deal with its problems anymore.  So, I left and went somewhere where I could hide from them.”

            “But what made you come back?”

            “I met someone with his head in the clouds and after awhile, I realized that I didn’t want to live like that.”

Evening Party

It was supposed to be a garden party, but the rain and thunder began.  No one much felt like getting soaked while wearing their finest clothes, and so they gathered up everything from outside as quickly as they could.  Therefore, the garden party turned into an indoor party.

            Everyone was still enjoying each others company conversing and playing games.  It was agreed that this was one of the finest parties that they had ever put together.

            No one heard the first knock on the door.  Nor the second.  Nor the third.  The thunder clapped far too loudly for the weary traveler to be heard.  It wasn’t until the sixth or seventh try that someone heard his insistent pounding.

            Gerald, the owner of the home, reluctantly moved to answer.  He was enjoying his party and wasn’t in a hurry to leave, but he did, thinking of the person who was waiting out in the rain.

            Another knocked echoed through the house as Gerald reached the door.  He pulled the door open and was almost flung backwards with the force that the wind blew.  

            A tall figure quickly stepped inside without an invitation.  He pulled back his hoodie hood.  His hair was plastered to his forehead by the rain.  His eyes were wide open and he was glancing over his shoulder back into the storm.  The man’s fingers fidgeted and ran through his hair flicking water onto the floor.

“Excuse me,” said Gerald trying to get the man’s attention, “can I help you with something?”

The man didn’t respond but now stood perfectly still staring out into the curtains of water.

“Excuse me?”

The man finally turned around and his eyes locked onto Gerald’s.

“There’s something out there.”

The man’s voice was a hoarse whisper, barely audible.  Gerald had to strain his ears to hear.

“What?”

Just then Gerald’s wife walked up.

“Who is it, Gerald?”

            “I don’t know,” said Gerald.

            “You haven’t asked?” she said.  She held her hand out.  “I’m Tina, what’s your name?”

            The man’s gaze now attached to her.  His eyes were still wide filled with some sense of horror.  He didn’t take her hand.  Something about him wasn’t right.  He seemed distracted.

            “What’s with him?” Tina whispered to her husband.

            Gerald shrugged his shoulders.

            “Maybe he was waiting outside for too long,” he suggested.

            “Maybe.”

            Tina moved past the man and closed the door.  This seemed to snap the man out of his state.

            “I’m sorry,” the man said.  He now held his hand out to Gerald who shook it.  “I’m Franklin Jones.  I think you should call the police.  There’s something outside in the rain.  It stalked me all the way to your house.”

            “Gerald,” said Tina, “why don’t you take Franklin to the living room.  I’ll grab him a towel and some tea.”

            Gerald nodded and led Franklin to the living room. 

            When Tina arrived with the tea, Franklin was telling Gerald and the guests how he had arrived at their home.

            “I don’t know why but my car broke down just at the edge of the road leading up to your house.  There was smoke billowing out of the hood.  I couldn’t figure out what was wrong with it and I couldn’t get any signal on my phone.  That’s when I noticed the lights from your house.  They were barely visible through all that rain but thank God they were.”

            Franklin accepted the cup of tea that Tina offered him.

            “Now what was this about something out there?” asked Tina as she sat down next to her husband.

            The man’s eyes twitched open a little wider once again.  Tea sloshed over the brim of his mug as his hands began to shake.

            “I-I don’t know what it was,” he said.  His voice cracked and quaked.  “I was only a few feet from my car when the lighting flashed.”  The man shivered making his grip on his mug loosen and more tea sloshed onto the floor.  “It was tall.  Taller than any human I’ve ever seen.  I don’t know what it was.  Its arms reached out towards me.  Long barbed claws almost grabbed me before I came to my senses and booked it as fast as I could for your door.  I thought I was going to die when you didn’t answer the door at first.”

            There was a long silence.  Franklin lifted the mug with his shaking hands and took a long sip. 

            “Are you sure you weren’t just seeing something?” asked Gerald

            “Yes,” said Franklin.

            “You said it stalked you.  Did you see it again?”

            “No,” said Franklin hesitantly.

            “Did you hear it?”

            “No.”

            “And yet you’re positive that this thing was real and not just the weather triggering an over active imagination?”

            Franklin didn’t answer for a long time.

            “No.”

            “That’s what I thought.  There’s no such thing as what you described.”

            “I guess you’re right,” said Franklin although he still didn’t look convinced.

            “Alrighty,” said Gerald, “now that we have that cleared up, you finish your tea and I’ll see if I can get a tow truck out here.”

            The evening continued and everyone found out that Franklin was actually quite a nice guy.  Gerald wasn’t able to get a tow truck to come out with the storm and torrential rain still pounding down.

            All conversation ceased as Franklin’s mug left his hands and shattered upon the floor.  His face was pale and eyes flitted back and forth looking out of the window.  His finger pointed.

            “There!” he cried, “It was there!”

            Everyone raced to the window and strained to see through the pouring rain.  Long moments passed.  Gerald was the first to leave the window. 

            “I think you need to get some rest, Franklin,” he said helping him to his feet.  “Let me show you to the guestroom.”

            “But-“

            Franklin resisted but Gerald was firm and Franklin eventually gave in.

            “Everyone’s imagination get’s the better of them sometimes,” Gerald said consolingly to a distraught Franklin.  “You just need some rest.  You’ll feel better in the morning.”

            Gerald soon came back down the stairs.

            “Poor fellow,” he said.  “This whole situation has him stressed out.  It's messing with his mind.”

            The others murmured their pity.

            “Well, I think we should call it a night,” Tina said a few minutes later.

            The guests agreed and Gerald and Tina stood in the entryway to see them out.

            “Have a good evening folks,” Gerald said as the first guests were exiting the door.

            Something caused them to pause where they stood.

            A piercing scream.  Filled with the utmost agony.  A cry for mercy.  A final plea for help.

            Everyone was stopped dead in their tracks.  Frozen in terror.

            The last remnants of the scream petered out into a deathly stillness.

            "Franklin," Gerald called.  He put his foot onto the first step leading upstairs.

            The lights went out.

Fedora in the Rain

            I wasn’t allowed to walk for a month.  A severely busted leg brought this upon me.  It wasn’t too bad at the beginning.  I got caught up on my favorite tv shows and read a lot, but soon it got old.  I was bored.  Not just bored, but crazy bored.

            Two weeks passed and I had nothing to do.  It was then that I began looking out my third story apartment window. 

            I had a pleasant view into a park across the street.  Right on the edge of the park sat an old, somewhat dilapidated, bench.  As I watched this bench a man with a wonderful fedora (I was rather envious of it) came and sat down.  He held a newspaper.  And then he just sat there. 

            It was almost an hour of staring at the same page of his newspaper and every so often checking his watch.  After a while he stood up and left.

            I soon forgot about him and continued to sulk about the boredom that I now had to deal with.

The next day the man was back.  He still wore his fedora.  He was carrying that day’s newspaper though.  He sat on the same bench and stared at a single newspaper page checking his watch more often than the day before.

            I soon found that this man sat on that bench every day.  He wore the same fedora, placed carefully at a slight angle on his head.

            After a week or two I finally got a look at his face.  He was a dark-skinned man with wrinkled skin.  His face was clean-shaven and a round pair of glasses magnified his narrow eyes.  He looked weary.

            Each day he grew more and more agitated and impatient.  I supposed him to be waiting for someone or something.  I wasn’t quite sure which it was.  I thought maybe he was a drug dealer, but there was something about him that seemed too honest.  He was…hurting, at least that is the impression I got from him.

            I wasn’t quite sure what to make of him.  I was beginning to think that maybe I should stop watching the man.  It felt like an invasion of privacy.  After a while I once again forgot about him as I began to heal and was allowed to move around more.  Soon it was time to begin therapy and walking again and he was erased from my mind altogether.  That is until the one morning. 

            I woke to large drops pattering against my window.  I looked outside and there was the man sitting on the bench.  He was stooped over with his newspaper in his lap.  As I watched the man stood and placed his fedora on the bench.  The man turned so that his face was towards my window.  Wet drops clung to the lens of his glasses.  They could have been tears but it was hard to tell with all the rain.  The man took one last look at the fedora on the bench and then tucked his newspaper under his arm and walked away, his shoulders slumped in sorrow.

            I tried to forget about the man, but every time I looked out the window I saw the fedora getting further drenched by the rain.  As evening arrived I finally gave in and made my way down to the bench.  It felt strange standing by the bench I had been watching for so long.  It felt like I was entering the man’s home without his permission. 

            Water was pooling in the dented top of the fedora.  I hesitated before picking the hat up.  As I gently drained the water, something caught my eye.  A folded piece of paper lay on the bench where I had picked up the fedora.  The man must have placed it beneath the fedora in an attempt to keep it dry.  For the most part it had worked but for the few drops now splattered on it.

            I picked up the paper.  I didn’t know what to do.  So, I did what I think anyone else would have done if they had been in the same situation.  I unfolded the paper.  Four words greeted me.

            “I still love you.”

            That was it.  No explanation.  No name.  Just four words that meant the world to this man. 

            Who was he?  I don’t know. 

            Who did he love?  I didn’t know that either.

            I just knew he loved unconditionally.

            I want to be more like this man. 

Breathe: Uncle!

            I was out for the evening and had just gotten home.  After stepping inside, I headed downstairs to store a borrowed longboard.  I walked ("stomped like an elephant" in the words of my father) up the stairs.

            “Mom’s trying to put the kid down for the night,” were the words that greeted me. 

            I hadn’t realized that my one-and-a-half-year-old nephew was still at our house and had probably been a little too noisy.  

            In the kitchen, I unequipped my backpack and placed my water bottle on the table.  I hung up my backpack on the end of one of the banisters.  My bedroom door opened and there was my mom holding my nephew.  (My room is where he sleeps.)

            “Ungle!” he greeted with a huge grin. 

            After another effort to put him to bed his parents arrived to take him home and I got another one of those beautiful greetings.

            “Ungle!”

            Big cheesy smile.

            How often do we greet our loved ones with the same enthusiasm?  Do we show our excitement when they walk through the door?

            We should.

            Show your genuine happiness that they are there with you.  It will probably make their day.  It brought a wonderful taste of joy to me.

            All it takes is a little…

            “Ungle!”

Breathe: Sometimes Life Trips You Up...With a Pair of Pants Around Your Ankles

            It turns out that loose pants and jumping on the trampoline aren’t a good combination.

            Do I need to go into further detail?

            Sigh.

            Fine.

            Years ago (I don’t remember when exactly) my brother and I had a couple of friends that used to come over quite often.  One of our favorite things to do was to jump on the trampoline together. 

            On that fateful day I tried on a new pair of pants.  A loose-fitting pair of pants.  As in they were much to wide in the waist.  We began jumping and having a jolly good time.  I figured that I could keep my pants up by holding the waist.

            Soon I forgot though and they fell down.  I managed to get them up before anyone noticed (at least I thought so at the time.  I have recently learned that one of my friends had noticed and just not said anything).

            You would think then that I would go inside and put on a pair of pants that wouldn’t fall down on me.  But no.  It was a great idea to keep those ones on.

            Jumping…jumping…gone.

            My pants came down again. 

            This time everyone noticed.  Laughter echoed across the backyard, accompanied by the word "ew" being repeated by one of my friends.  It was funny, so my brother and one of the friends were roaring with laughter.  The biggest problem was that I too was laughing. 

             I was lying on my back weak from both the laughter and the ridiculousness of the situation and couldn’t manage to pull my pair of pants up again. 

            Oh, did I mention that those two friends were girls?  Talk about awkward. 

            It makes a pretty good story though.

           

One of my favorite things in the world is making people laugh.  I take great pride when someone loses it in a fit of giggles or guffaws.  It’s easier with some, harder with others.  But I always find great satisfaction in this. 

            This has got to be one of the many incredible traits of God.  I am positive He loves making us laugh.   

God throws funny things our way.  In my case it was pair of pants around my ankles.  In a situation like that you either laugh at yourself or you don’t.  It’s much more enjoyable for everyone if you do.

Life’s going to trip you up.  So, fall flat on your face.  Get up.  Spit out the dirt and have a good old belly laugh.

It’s good for you. 

   

Breathe: Introduction

            Stop.

            Drop the knitting needles.  Put down the book.  Pause the television. 

There’s a whole world around you.  When’s the last time you tried to take it in?  When you REALLY tried to take it in?  To be filled with wonder at our Creator’s masterpiece--this thing we call life?

You’re caught up in the busy schedule.  You’re held up at work.  Maybe you’re even too busy just having a good time.  But it’s time you stopped.

STOP.  

Breath in deeply.  Notice the air that you forget so often.  The air you need to survive.

 Listen to the familiar sounds and realize just how miraculous they are. 

Look at the beauty around you.  It could be a plant, a child, a friend, a pile of dirt.  It doesn’t matter.  Being around something for a long time can prevent you from seeing the magic.  Don’t let it happen.

Touch a blanket, feel its softness.  Run your hands through a loved one’s hair (unless they hate it).

Smell a hot cup of coffee.  Sniff a flower. 

Taste the sweat pouring down your face from a hard day’s work.  Enjoy the flavor of pie in your mouth.  Savor it.

This is life, people.  And it is awesome.  Let’s start acting like it.

My goal in writing this series titled “Breathe” is to encourage both myself and you guys to take a break, even for a couple minutes in a day.  Take in your surroundings.  Take note of how amazing they are. 

I want to write in this series as often as I can.  I’ll jot down something cool that happened in my day, a memory, a verse or quote that caught my attention.  Really, it could be anything.  I just want to show, in whatever way I can, what an amazing world God has placed us in.  Hopefully you guys can get enjoyment out of this (me too).

Thanks for reading.  Keep an eye out for “Breathe”.