Sunday, August 2, 2026

Sunday, August 2, 2026

Tonight's picture was taken in August of 2006. Every August I would fly to Los Angeles with Mattie to visit my parents. As a family we would travel to San Diego for a few days for Mattie to have an adventure. Mattie loved San Diego! It was there that he was introduced to Legoland, the Island of Coronado, the USS Midway, the famous San Diego Zoo, and let me not forget Balboa Park. I will never forget these magical moments! That afternoon, when we got back to the hotel, I snapped this photo of Mattie on our hotel balcony. I miss that face, I miss Mattie's energy, and his incredible passion for life and exploration! 

Quote of the day: How beautiful a day can be when kindness touches it! ~ George Elliston

It was another challenging day with my dad's irritable bowel issues. I got so frustrated by 5pm from dealing with this, that I went into another room and was screaming my head off. Apparently I screamed so loudly that I now have a sore throat. 

I took my parents out to brunch today. It is a Sunday tradition over the last five years. Since each of my parents have mobility issues, I now have to escort my parents from the car, one at a time. I took my mom in first and when I got to the table it was decorated for my birthday! Here's the funny thing! I celebrated my birthday last weekend at the restaurant with Cheryl, our long time server. But recently Cheryl decided to work the brunch shift every other Sunday. So when Cheryl isn't there, I work with Rachel and Stephany. When Rachel and Stephany learned it was my birthday last week, they took it upon themselves to celebrate with me today. I actually was stunned, as I haven't known them very long. They had the table decorated with birthday necklaces and they gave me a card and gifts. I am not sure how they knew, but I LOVE tea towels and lotion. I have a kitchen towel for all occasions. These towels brighten up my day and this one has a meaningful saying, as everyone in the restaurant observes me from Sunday to Sunday. They also observed, over these last five years, that I went from being married to now divorced and caring for my parents alone. I have learned that people observe so many things and are good at connecting the dots without me having to say a word!  

I have been feeling rather low lately and today's card and sentiments perked me up. 

I found their messages very touching. It just goes to show you that showing and sharing kindness with others is actually appreciated. I find it fascinating that these two young women (in their 20s), view me as having beautiful energy and are happy to have me in their lives. 

I am not sure why this caught me by surprise, but it did. I wasn't expecting this today and I had no real insight into how these women felt about me until this afternoon. Why do I mention this? I mention this because when divorced, after years devoted to my other half, it is easy to lose sight of the person that I am. Which is why I am grateful when others in my life are there to remind me.