Something to Spill

A few PCT's (Positive CJ Thoughts) for this arctic Friday. I love coffee. I'll admit it's an addiction. Fresh brewing coffee is one of my favorite aromas. Because of my work schedule, I wake up at an ungodly hour of 4am. My round trip commute is about 3 hours and at that time of the morning, my coffee is just as essential to my making it there as the gas in the tank. I read something this morning that talked about being grateful that with all the spills and mishaps of life, it's a gift to have 'something' in my cup to jostle out. Life for me is always a whirlwind full of more things that at times are possible to keep up with. The things that I'm grateful for are the blessings I have in my life as a whole. My life is rich with with people and things that make me extremely happy. In turn, there are things that concern and make me worry about the future for myself and those I care about. I don't live in a unicorns and butterfly world. I work in a professional field that sees people on sometimes their worst day. I see tragedy up close and person, so trust me, I'm not burying my head in the sand.

I worry about how close we are to global destruction, man made and by force of nature. We stand on the precipice of angry threats and words pushing us pasts the brink of nuclear oblivion. It won't matter who pushes the button first, there are no winners in that option.

I watch friends and colleagues deal with the opioid crisis and it's devastating consequences. The hopes and dreams of future generations are being stolen in the push of the plunger of a needle. The oblivion that they seek may be permanent and each attempt is stretching emergency resources to their breaking point.

We live in a society still doesn't value people above outdated ideals or profits. As a born Murphy, knowing SOMETHING is going to go wrong, I still wake up everyday hoping that TODAY will be the tipping point of change and progress.

We are bombarded and completely drown in negative news, social media and social disruption every day. Few positive stories EVER see the light of day in a world parched for exactly that.

This morning I read a post about being grateful for having something in my cup to jostle out. I am beyond grateful for that opportunity every day to fill my cup with whatever I chose. I can fill it with a bitter brew of discontent and fear or I can pour in a cup of hope and determination. The point is, I will continue to put something in my cup so that when I am bumped around, I can be grateful that I had something in there to spill.

For over twenty five years, I have had the privilege of being a moment of hope in someones worst moment. Through tragedy, I found a mission to lead me through my grief and make something good happen out of something so bad. I help grow food that feeds those willing to take a chance and chose local foods over something trucked in. I have incredible friends and a family of amazing people both by blood and by bond. I found love after wasting years on trying to splint and bandage things that couldn't be fixed. Every morning, I wake up beside the woman I love and we'v managed to build a wonderful full life of laughter, hard work and fun. There is little I want for other than more time with the people I hold dear and to bring the characters in my head to life on the pages of a book I've written.

Life isn't perfect, but it sure beats the alternative. I have best friends who are battling for each day in hopes of a cure for the battles they wage. I am blessed in so many ways. To be honest, my cup runneth over.

My generation and yours is responsible to leave something behind for those who will come after us. WE have to make it different and stop waiting for someone to do it for us. Life isn't something to be spent on the sidelines, it's meant to be experienced with all the senses and collectively, each one of us, is responsible to everyday try to make it DIFFERENT and better. Sometimes I think we see it as something that has to be done on a grand scale, something earth shattering, but it doesn't. Start at the ground level, right around your own feet, make a small difference EVERY DAY. Never give up that tomorrow will be different. That is worthy of putting in your cup and to keep pouring until it fills the saucer. Hold Fast my friends and have a cup on me.