Quotes of the Week from Me:

“Do our dreams vanish upon living them?”

“Your story matters.”

“When one door closes another door opens; but know that the next door may be a hole, crack, or tunnel.”

Like above, and below, I find it fun to build on famous quotes. You can always redirect or reaffirm what is already said, though I’m not sure this approach is ever fully credible to one owner. More of a sharing of knowledge or thought.

Quotes of the Week from Others:

“When one door closes another door opens; but we so often look so long and so regretfully upon that closed door, that we do not see the ones which open for us.” – Alexander Graham Bell

“The most important hour is always the present. The most significant person is precisely the one sitting across from you right now. The most necessary work is always love.’ – Meister Eckhart

“I can measure my wellness by this question: Is my attention on loving, or is my attention on who isn’t loving me?”

Quick Optimism:

From, The Oxherd Boy:

“Do you think flowers are ever ready to die?” asked the rabbit.

“Maybe they’re more concerned about living a full life,” the ox replied.

“The boy nodded. “I guess it’s the same thing.”

Questions of the Week:

Happy Mother’s Day! There is always a mother somewhere thinking of her children. Missing them, loving them, saying hello or goodbye to them. I am glad we got to celebrate all of the amazing mothers this weekend. You are incredible and make the world go ‘round!

This week was extra special as we got to celebrate my daughter’s first birthday. Quite the weekend of celebrations! It has been several posts since sharing a short story, so enjoy the one below! It’s about the swing we got for our daughter’s birthday.

The Rope Swing

In May, I had just come home from shopping, my eyes fixated on the tree branches as I pulled into the driveway. The plastic shopping bags rustled in the back seat, full of rope and metal fasteners.

It was the Monday after Mother’s Day, two days since my daughter got a swing for her first birthday. Her older brother disliked swinging, feeling out of his own control, but she was too young to express her impatience as she waited for me to build her new access to freedom. It was almost ready, the ropes just needed hanging, and the knots just needed tying.

As we sat in the yard, our swing materials scattered about, the three of us stared at our target. The perfect branch, sturdy, thick, and pointing away from the trunk of the tree looking down at us. Hanging roughly 40 feet above our heads, we planned to swing the ropes just high enough to clear it, but low enough to avoid the other branches.

With four fasteners tied to one end, I started throwing the rope as high as I could. Thud. Thud. Thud. It seemed impossible. I had hit our branch three times in a row. I needed to throw it higher. There were a few people watching from the street, no cheering or laughing, just waiting and watching.

As we prepared for another attempt, Mom returned from her morning run. She approached us and our shenanigans with caution, though we knew we had the right plan. Safety in mind, we continued.

After a few more attempts both ropes hung successfully over our perfect swing branch. We tied some knots, hung the swing, and tested its durability. I could swing safely while weighing over 200 pounds, I deemed it safe for our little one-year-old.

Our daughter buckled in and ready to go, we ran back and forth as she swung long and slow, back and forth. The perfect speed. The perfect height. Her smile stuck wide on her face, loving her new access to freedom.

As a write the end of this happy story, I can see the swing hanging calmly in our front yard, ready for its next adventure.

p.s. My wife and I forced our son to try it and he screamed to get out before, during, and after his swing ride. He still hates it… which is just too funny.

Make it a swingy Monday!