It's a rainy, cold morning on island which fits the mood of the country on this election day. Leaders have abdicated politics and we're left with mostly bad choices between those who would be King ... or Queen.
To make it worse, the girls don't have school today so we're all going to be cooped up inside. Each of the girls are very different individuals who will stake out their claim on the day. Meaning they'll make a lot of noise which will of course vie for attention with the noise I make ... which is music streaming from the lap top all day long.
I'll go vote to take a break from it all.
I also have so much work to do today. I feel so behind of where I want us to be right now so that makes me want to work harder. Ideas are flowing freely but time is kidnapping lots of them.
So you know what I did?
I lit a fire on the beloved back deck. The wet wind is blowing outside and leaves are flying off Fran's thousand shades of green. Brown leaves are scattered on the brown wood of the deck making it look like a mountain cabin somewhere. Rain is misting making it all look Hobbit like. But just on the other side of the sliding glass doors, in the middle of all that, is the fire with sticks of fresh pine burning and throwing off holy smoke.
It's in honor of Mitch Wesley.
He gave me the idea this morning on Facebook when he quoted a John Denver song. It got me thinking about him, the election day blues as I stared at the rotten forecast through the sliding glass doors. The spirit of the Lord moved and impulsively I lit a fire.
He makes me smile and feel better. It's a nice way to start a terrible looking day.
Mitch and I grew up together. After meeting in college we went to Seminary together and then took a thirty year vacation only to have our lives drift back together in a sea of confusion and doubt. We touch each other most every day now.
As soon as I lit the fire I sat back down at the computer as the girls all slept. Jp immediately sent me a message that made me laugh. Mark followed her quickly making me laugh again. Shirley sent me a note pledging allegiance to Goddess and Winston, the little gay dog, and their impending legal problems. Joey, whom I haven't sent since High School, wrote as we made plans for communion in the Keys to celebrate the birth of Christ.
Now my heart glows just like the fire.
In life, friends come and go. Sometimes they come back. Old friends are on LinkedIn or Facebook but true ones crackle and pop like a fire on a cold wet day.
And in spite of all of the things that are wrong ... they make it right.
