Please Pass the Joy Butter

Quite recently, I was asked the question that all authors, bloggers and ordinary people love to answer:

“Why do you write?”

Those four words are deeper than you can imagine! To even begin to answer the question requires much thought and soul-searching. Most writers would toss it back and forth between their ears, and mull it into a warm autumn drink. They would then consider the options; they would weigh the outcomes and pontificate on the ramifications.

It took me about three seconds to answer…

I write to spread Joy Butter over the toast of ordinary, everyday life.

Eric needs a little Joy Butter on his rye bread.

The Lord said that we should pray, “Give us this day our daily bread.” Toasting the bread is good — getting it warmed and crunchy is a fine morning tradition — it’s completely palatable and nourishing. However, dry toast can be…well, dry! It can be just crumbs in your mouth, pretty bland and ordinary. But omigooseness when you spread a pat of butter over the toast….why it just makes a world of difference.

Do you have “toast” days?

Kinda of dry, kind of boring, kind of crumby…

Mother Goose is here with her Joy Butter, ready to add some flavor and smiles to your day. Please pass the Joy Butter!

Mother Goose Considers “Personal Best”

Many of my readers will remember that Mother Goose made an announcement in December that she would be running in her very first 5K race on April 1st, 2012. And believe it or not…she’s still planning to do that. I began my training by walking a couple miles, then walking quickly a couple miles, and then running a block and walking the rest of the way. I believe that “gradual” is the key to success for this goose. And I’m proudly honking that yesterday, I accomplished what can only be called a miracle — I traveled the distance approximately equal to a 5K race (3.3 miles) in 46 minutes! Mostly I ran, occasionally I walked. Truly this was a “Personal Best” for Mother Goose.

Go Goose Go

The Race That’s Good For Life is in nineteen days. I wonder if I’ll beat my “Personal Best” before then or on the day of the race…

I know that I’ll do the best I can — that’s all I know. But as I was pondering what it means to do your “personal best”, I immediately remembered that this is just a little race in a local village. Truly it’s all about running and getting physically fit, improving my own health and my cardiovascular capacity. Ultimately, this is about me getting up off my chair and doing something totally different that no one would expect of me. Basically, I’m doing this to prove that I can do it. I could easily rename this 5K “The Race That’s Good For a Goose.”

Other people in my world are also doing their personal best. They probably won’t get a round of public applause, but I’ll remember them as I’m crossing the finish line on April Fool’s Day. Here they are:

My sister, Bunn, who has endured two hip replacements already in her young life.
My husband, Mark, who supports our family by being his own boss in an unpredictable economy.
My daughter, Jessica, who is graduating with honors from Columbia College Chicago in May.
My sons, Adam and Erik, who are serving in the U.S. Navy.
Bloggish friends: Eric, Jeff, Michael, Dianna, Debra, Elizabeth, Mrs. Ehrhardt and others who write enormously about doing your best, helping others, and finding truth and beauty around you.
Blue Star Banner heroes, especially Jack Valentine and Conner Lowry who made the ultimate sacrifice — their stars shine brightest of all and put my own “personal best” into perspective.

When we stop to consider the days of our lives, we realize how much there is to accomplish in our lives. Most of us get about 75 years (a general average by a goose guessing) to make a difference in this world. But that’s still enough time to work with all your heart, change your attitudes, discover loveliness, care for others, raise loving and responsible children and be a blessing. The best time to do our personal best is the time between walkers (toddler walkers and nursing home walkers).

Mother Goose encourages you, yes you, honk honk, to live your “Personal Best Life” today. And tomorrow.

Running Goose by Lukta Qiatsuk, Inuit artist