Friday Quote Day

Finish each day and be done with it.

You have done what you could;

some blunders and absurdities have crept in;

forget them as soon as you can.

Tomorrow is a new day;

you shall begin it serenely

and with too high a spirit

to be encumbered with your old nonsense.

~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

I have this quote printed out and attached to the refrigerator door. I remember exactly when and why I put it up there, and it has comforted me many times since that incident.

One of the tasks, if you will, for recovering alcoholics (of which I am one) is to take a daily inventory – what did I do right, what could I have done better, do I need to make amends for anything? It's a good deal, this taking stock on a daily basis. Little things don't grow into bigger things, and each day does, pretty much, begin serenely, with a clean slate.

Where I get tripped up is with my expectations. When I know something is coming up, I frequently play it out in my head, predicting who will say what and when and why and boy, does that get tiresome! Why should I experience the same thing twice? And sometimes three times, because occasionally there's a post-event analysis!

I'm writing all this in response to nothing in particular, but a reminder to myself that my days work better when I go with the flow. I read a book, many years ago, called Don't Push the River, It Flows By Itself, which left a strong impression on me that I don't have to be in charge. The Universe is guiding me in the right direction, and questioning the universe is altering the flow. A little touchy-feely, I suppose, but when I practice letting go, my life works better.

Which brings me back to letting go of expectations. I need to pay more attention to the here and now, and let the future take care of itself.

• • •

Marilyn, I love succotash, too! The frozen blend my husband likes adds carrots, corn and green beans to the mix. I couldn't find limas on the rack at the garden center yesterday, so I'll look in town today. I did pick up a package of Italian green bean seeds. Yum! I'll have to find a spot for them somewhere.