Hard Day with a Touch of Brightness

It's been almost a week since I last posted.  I feel like I need to write just to stay in practice.  I may not have much to talk about, but sometimes it's good just to try and connect with people.

I'll start with the hard day stuff.  Yesterday was one.  The company I work for made some hard decisions in recent weeks due to our economy and, with regret, those hard decisions included some layoffs that were effective yesterday.  I am grateful to say that I was not one of those who lost their jobs.  That doesn't mean it wasn't hard to watch what was happening...to see friends's desks empty...to wonder who else...am I about to get called?  If not this time, next time?  I doubt that much real work got done yesterday at all.  It was hard to concentrate.  It was sad to think about.  It was sad to experience.  It was/is scary sad.  Those feelings aren't over just because it's now today instead of yesterday.  There are definitely people I will miss seeing - not just yesterday and not just today but for many tomorrows. 

It is also one of those feeling powerless times...like there is little I can do other than pray...maybe send a card...call...stay in touch...mainly pray for them.  I sincerely hope that each of those affected by these hard decisions are able to pursue new dreams...able to experience hope and even renewal out of the shock and the likely hard days ahead.  Perhaps that makes me sound too Polly Anna, but if I'm going to hope and pray for people, then it only seems right to hope and pray the best things possible for them rather than only the minimum. 

At the same time I am reminded of brightness...beauty...even among the shadows.  I am super excited for a friend who is pursuing a new dream...a new venture...that has nothing to do with the hard decisions facing our company's leadership.  I have made a new friend recently that I may talk about soon.  Those are good things...such is the very fabric of life....good and bad reside side by side everyday.  Hard times go hand in hand with easy times.  Shadows happen because of light.  Joy and sadness are often sharpest juxtaposed in close proximity of time and events. 

So I will close with two spots of beauty.  Simple beauty.  For about a week now I've had buds on some mum plants.  And yesterday they started to open.  These pics are from tonight, but I was struck by their beauty on an otherwise hard day.

This may not seem like much to you gardeners out there, but for me...for Black Thumb Deb...this is a BIG deal!  An exciting deal!  And there are still some of the summer flowers still hanging on since we've had so many warmer days of late.

Again...simple beauty...but something to bring a smile...a sense of growth....a sense of hope....and we all need that no matter what else is going on.

With love,
Jus' Deb