Head, shoulders, knees & toes...

So I should be sleeping. Seriously I keep telling myself I need to go to bed before 11 - but clearly not happening. But I've had this thought going on in my head and must blog about it!!

Last Sunday I got a massage. I really needed this massage. I was stressed - mentally, physically, emotionally, spiritually (you get the point). When the masseuse asked if there was any special area she should focus on, I replied, as usual, my shoulders and lower back. I carry tension in my shoulders - don't we all, and lately I've been on the computer a lot. So my best friend for 50 minutes starts on my back... and I feel my body relax. My shoulders are screaming "it's about time", my lower and mid-back whine "it's about time". And I enjoy that...

But then she gets to my feet and my hands and my forearms. These poor body parts practically cried with delight at being treated nicely. They work hard all day long with no thanks. And while sometimes I think - need to stop typing my wrists are bothering me - or I should sit down a bit my feet hurt, never do I think - let's go get these poor body parts a massage. And they arguably do more work then the prima donna shoulders and back. Yes, the back and shoulders are always whining, begging to be touched, massaged, heated. But the poor hands that are continually doing something (granted sometimes just pushing buttons on the remote or uncorking another bottle of wine - but still working) just take it. They are the true heros of my body. They are the ones that don't complain no matter what I ask of them... and I could feel more tension leave my body and my head when my hands and arms were being massaged than that mass of back and shoulder tension. It's like a little self-contained diva-esque country - kind of like france. If i could remember the word for back in French I would rename my back - but alas my French is sorely lacking these days. But yet my hands, feet, forearms just go on and on all day - carrying me, accomplishing things... and what thanks do they get - very little - maybe the occasional pedicure or manicure - but that's not the same.

Here's to my hands, feet and arms - and even my temples. I am resolving to be nicer to them. Because they're always there for me. They're like the good sister - while my back is a lot like my other sister (yes, I refer to her as the bad sister). Oh - but that's another topic for another blog. (Note to self - do not give blog address to family members.)

So on that note - I'm going to go rest my poor, sweet hands. I suppose the whiney back and shoulders will insist on resting too.. Fine. We'll all go lie down and call it a night.

Good night.

Spoiled children

At the end of the day maybe we're all just spoiled children. I certainly think I am. I try to be better than that - but really when I don't get what I want out of life my mood changes. My view of the world changes - it's a hard, difficult world; There's a vengeful, difficult God. I read books about how to deal with loss, disappointment.
Yet, when I do get what I want - God is great. This is a beautiful, happy place full of joy and hope and goodness. Life is inspiring.

Maybe the key to a happy life, no a content life, is to learn to see the world and all its goodness even when we don't personally get what we want. But that takes a lot of work. I lot of effort - because at the end of the day it's easier to cry and break down and drown our sorrows with good red wine then it is to be thankful we have the good red wine and can appreciate that it is good red wine.