Simplicity

For a long time, the happy place in my head has been at a cabin, somewhere in the woods, near a lake, all alone.  When you're always running or feel like you're running behind, the sound of silence is so inviting.  This is a view from the patio of our condo in Maui.  The angle of the picture doesn't show it, but we had a nice, clear view to the ocean.  I loved everything about sitting here.  The birds were species I'd never seen before, watching the geckos, feeling the always present wind, listening to the Air Supply or Fleetwood Mac Pandora stations, spending time visiting with my cousin and Auntie or simply being alone.  I treasured every moment of it.  We could walk to the edge of the grass and watch the turtles come up for air, which was great, but truly just the view from outside our sliding glass door, made me happiest.  I've been trying to remember and feel this place today.  I've been home less than a week and a half and already it seems like it was months ago.  I often think of the saying, "build the kind of life you don't need a vacation from."  While that makes sense on some level, who doesn't want to vacation?  I want to see it all.  We only have the one life, and it feels like we should see as much of this world as we can.  I feel so lucky to have found this tiny piece of my own heaven.  I didn't think anything could ever compete with my happy place of the cabin, but son of a bitch, this comes awfully close. I think having a happy place is important.  Sometimes, it's the only thing that helps to keep us sane.  This blog won't be long today, although I've written about twenty pages in my head about it today.  But I just wanted to reiterate how important it is that we have things to look to when it all becomes to overwhelming.  The happy place isn't solely the cabin, sometimes, it's texts that make you laugh harder than you thought possible, it's your kids giggle, it's the fact that Jesse didn't piss in the house even after being locked in the house for 14 hours, it's seeing the Dixie Chicks cover Nothing Compares 2 U, with the coolest purple special effects, it's finally getting home after a super long day, and crawling into bed to write on this blog.  If my friend and I had done, Favorite Part of the Day today, I'm sure hers would've been, having dinner with her best friend.  Mine, watching Cal throw the disc at the track meet, and right now...getting words out that might go to nobody or hundreds of people...meaningless words, but writing in this moment, is my happy place.

This day has kicked my ass, so I should probably start getting things ready for tomorrow and hit the sack.  But I don't know how I could possibly end this post without paying homage to the Purple One.  Oh, Prince, I loved him so...he was my very favorite artist for years.  My cousin Jody got me into him, and I idolized Jody, so when she became obsessed with him, so did I...and I'm so thankful that it was someone so brilliant, and she didn't have an obsession with Mister Mister or some other shit that would've left me with no real appreciation for great music.  So, thanks Cuz.  You were the shit back then, and you're the shit today.  Love you.  Okay, so what song to leave you with...Erotic City, Darling Nikki, something from Under the Cherry Moon-like Sometimes it Snows in April, When Doves Cry, I Would Die For U, Nothing Compares to U (he loved the letter U) on and on and on...There's deep songs, there's great simple lyrics, like 22 positions in a one night stand, but this song I've turned up every single time I've heard it for nearly thirty years.  So here U go....U Got The Look.  Enjoy.

Jen