Keep On Foddering

You ever have a day when you just need to smile? A day when you don't have the oomph to really want to do much of anything? A day when you simply need a break from all the "stuff" of life? A day when you just need to smile? Maybe even a chuckle or two? Or perhaps a chortle? Or a guffaw? Or a belly laugh? Or ... or ... or ... just a simple smile that comes from knowing that you're alive? I have days like that ... days when the cares of life become so heavy and weigh me down so much that I need to take a step back, throw caution to the wind, and smile. I need to smile because I'm breathing. I need to smile because I'm helping someone else. I need to smile because I'm working. I need to smile because my children love me. I need to smile because my granddaughter is gorgeous and a genius. I need to smile because I have friends who stand by me. I need to smile because I'm alive.

Last week, a friend I used to work with said something interesting to me, something that has caused me to smile many times since we chatted over lunch one day. She said, "I know that anything I say to you is fair game and could end up becoming subject matter for your blog. That's how your brilliant mind works, my friend, always seeing stories in every word and every situation. You're a natural born storyteller, and all the rest of us are just fodder for the millions of stories you have yet to write." Now first, to all of you who know me, I never use names when I write about you, so please don't be afraid to talk to me ... seriously. Second, some of you actually want me to write about you, even clamor for me to pen about something you've said or done (which is quite funny to me, by the way). Third, I can't read, write, hear or speak the word "fodder" without smiling ... go ahead, try to say fodder without smiling ... it's flipping impossible.

My last two posts have been pretty intense ones, and since today was a day when I was completely overwhelmed with life and needed to lay my burdens aside for a bit and just smile, I decided to let the word fodder be the fodder for my post. Come on, even though that is a super long sentence, I know that you smiled when you read the word fodder two times in quick succession. I've written a ton of words in this blog over the last five years, and I've written a lot about words as well. I've talked about some of my particular favorites, like duly and dapper and dandelions ... don't judge me too harshly ... yes, I love the word dandelions (perhaps because it makes me think of my daughter, Meg, who called them dandeliners for many years). Writing about words makes me so very aware of the power of words ... words can uplift and encourage, but they can also hurt and destroy ... words are powerful, friends, and we would all do well to use them wisely and only in love.

So to those of you who provide me so much fodder for my writing, thank you ... and please do, please do keep on foddering!