Counting My Blessings, But Where's My Post-It Notes?

I might be in trouble with my accountability partner because I'm late with my weekly blog post, but life has kinda been doing it's thing this week, and I got distracted. I've literally been writing the things that I heard, saw, read, or experienced that brought me joy this week on post-it notes until I found the time to put them in a post. I'm delighted to read them again as I write this and I get to experience the joy that I felt again.

#1 on Post-it - I received a text from my former sister-in-love that included a picture of roses that she had cut from a bush right outside her front door. She shared that she has memories from her childhood of her daddy planting the rose bush for her mother. I remember the beautiful roses from that bush too and I remember my late mother-in-love as well. She died at the age of 53 and I still think about her and love her. I was delighted that my nephew asked her how I was doing. We divorced shortly after he was born, so I didn't get to see him grow into the handsome and kind young man that he is. "In-laws are not relatives by blood, but they are relatives by love." ~ Unknown

#2 on Post-it- My niece Kayla was injured on her second long jump attempt at the SWAC Championship in Baton Rouge last week. She was able to rejoin her Alabama State team the next day, even though she was on crutches, to celebrate the teams championship victory. Her surgery on Thursday in Montgomery was successful and she's back home in Nashville now being spoiled by all of us.

#3 on Post-it - My beautiful granddaughter Joy graduates on her 18th birthday on the 22nd and we're excited for her. She's made her decision about the college that she will be attending and I'm happy for her. In one of my favorite pictures of her, she is wearing the "Hello Sunshine" dress that we'd have to bribe her to let us wash, because she wore it nearly every day. Based on her prom dress, she still has a thing for pink dresses.

#4 on Post-it - Xavier graduated from kindergarten today and there were three wardrobe changes. The theme was Ease on Down The Road from "The Wiz" and first he was the Cowardly Lion when we were greeted by the class. He changed into a suit for his appearance on the red carpet, and then changed into jeans and a t-shirt when it was time to have some fun. Great afternoon of fun and a beautiful event.

#5 on Post-it - I dropped by to visit my brother-in-love Larry a few days ago and I finally asked him to show me the collection of memorabilia that he always talks about. I was STUNNED when he pulled a huge trunk from under a bed with hundreds of Marvel comic books from the 1970's filling up the bottom and baseball and football trading cards. The trunk was so heavy that it took both of us to maneuver it. I brought a few things home to research the value because he desperately wants a new computer that he can't afford to buy right now. He's agreed to sell everything of value and I've found an interested buyer already. I can't wait to tell him to start shopping for that new computer.

Looking forward to next week and more joyful experiences that I can write about. "Joy is what happens to us when we allow ourselves to recognize how good things really are." ~ Marianne Williamson