We are the Stuff that Works

 Response to prompt #73: Stuff that Works

I thought about this for awhile, my go-to, my thing that always works. Easily, I could have written about James Taylor songs and how there’s one for every one of my moods, but I did that blog post years ago. I could have written about how a little time with my mom is like a shot in the arm when I’m feeling beat down, but yeah, I’ve written that one before too. Nature and time outdoors or dinner with this writing group, could have easily topped this list too. But there’s really one standout, one thing that has been “the stuff” for any given situation and over so many years. Call me a cornball, call me sappy, but my husband is the stuff that works for me. I’ve written countless blogs about my love for him too, but I suppose there is a reason for that. 

Besides the love, he is truly my best friend. 

Concerts and comedians, dinners and downtown strolls, 

Camping and vacations, kayaking and football games,

This is the stuff that works.

Quiet dinners at home, our favorite TV shows,

Spending time with our precious son.

This is the stuff that works.

Walking the dog, sitting together in silence,

Debating and arguing, agreeing to disagree.

This is the stuff that works.

laughing and crying, cuddling and kissing, 

hand-holding and really listening, 

This is the stuff that works.

Supporting each other and telling hard truths, 

Wiping tears and nursing wounds,

Trudging through the muck and cleaning it up

This is us, and this is the stuff that works.

Nature Never Fails -- Response to Prompt #73

When I came upon the song that inspired this prompt, I couldn't wait to discover all the things I knew that worked.

I made a list. Set it aside.

On New Years Day I was revisiting the idea in general. It came to me that nature is something that always works. On my list I had things like...

Looking at the sky

Wading in the river

Gathering stones

Walking among trees

***

I am a huge believer in synchronicity, so it was not a surprise when shortly after that I happened upon a TikTok video by a Ukrainian soldier. At the time, he was lying in a tree line with another soldier hiding from the Russians, who were shooting artillery (all heard on the video.)

The young man talked about the Russians actions and then he said...

In such moments

As not to go mad

To save brain and stay calm

Because it could be scary

I looked around at nature

A bumblebee is flying here near me

Listening the butterfly

Feeling wind on my face

And remind myself what I'm fighting for

***

I've been re-watching one of my favorite shows Mozart in the Jungle, and the main character, Rodrigo, has a philosophy I have hung on to for a very long time. He says...

When we have lost our way, we need to go back to the basics. That is where the beauty lies.

 *

Without a doubt, the stuff that works for me is about returning to the basic essence of all of life--

and that is the natural world.

Only then can I tap into what I am to be doing. Or not doing.

Only then can I remember to be fearless.

Only then can I be calm enough to accomplish my mission in life.

Only then can I find the beauty present in every living moment.

 

 

Response to Prompt #73--The Stuff that Always Works

Work in Progress

I often beat myself up for not sticking to rituals and routines,

wondering what is wrong with me.

Something inside me bucks against regimens, 

with one exception--exercise. 

Even that has to get switched up regularly lest I grow restless.

When I reflect on the why behind all this, 

I settle on the same thing: I am a work in progress.

Perhaps I always will be.

Maybe the stuff that always works for me involves mixing it up,

trying new things, exploring different possibilities. 

So while I envy those who get into grooves,

create their own customs, and stick to their plans,

I have to acknowledge that's just not me,

at least not yet.  

I am still a work in progress.

For now, I'll accept the path I'm on,

no matter how meandering it seems.

I'll refrain from calling myself inconsistent and undisciplined, 

nitpicking everything I don't do or do "wrong."

I am still a work in progress.