Random thoughts on a warm Sunday afternoon!

"Heck, what's a little extortion among friends?" Bill Watterson

In case you are not familiar with Bill Watterson  and his most famous work:

A gifted man who worked very hard at his craft, who also stayed true to his own world view. Or at least it seems so (I don't know the man only his reputation).

I read a quote from Jim Valvano recently that said, 

"If you laugh, you think, and you cry, that's a full day. You do that seven days a week, you're going to have something special." 

It made me pause and think. First, do I agree with the thought? Second, if I do agree how am I doing? 

I agree. 

Most days I laugh or at least smile bemusedly, I think every day, and I cry almost never. 

Laughing and smiling come naturally to all of us, I think. Maybe I'm being too general here so let me limit that statement to my family members. The Mahan clan (and their affiliates) laugh out loud often and smile even more frequently. Sometimes through gritted teeth and difficult circumstances, but we seem to always find something amusing in all situations. I believe this is why we always have so much fun when we are together. Shared stories of struggle and growth often end with someone getting the rest to see the humor and then we can laugh and shake our heads together. Nothing may have changed except our perspective but that, temporarily is enough.

I probably over think life's troubles and struggles. I don't have the vision to say if that is good or bad. My guess is it is probably both. This family of mine can bring a quick and healthy dose of perspective - and thank goodness for them. Same as above. If I have something I am wrestling with I only need mention it to Mrs. Mahan and she helps guide my thinking and also draws into the discussion the opinions and ideas of our children. The Mahan girls network seems to always be buzzing about one thing or another that may have a deeper impact on the way I see the world than any of them realize. I am very grateful that Cindy is so tuned in to these daughters of ours, with their insight and intuitions.

As noted above I am not prone to cry without reason. So I'm not sure I completely agree with the referenced quote. It may, however, be more important than I realize. I will have to turn the Mahan girls network loose on that thought.

I have quoted Mitch Albom's "the magic strings of frankie presto" in previous posts but will do so again here. One of the daughters (Holly) recently finished reading the book and was strongly impressed with it. This led to a discussion among the family about the book and we have all been reminded of quotes and thoughts that have been generated as a result of the time spent reading, enjoying, and pondering parts of the book. 

One of the quotes that made me stop and think was this,

"Everyone joins a band in this life. And what you play always affects someone. Sometimes it affects the world." Mitch Albom - the magic strings of frankie presto

And another is,

"As life goes on, you will join other bands, some through friendship, some through romance, some through neighborhoods, school, an army. Maybe you will all dress the same, or laugh at your own private vocabulary. Maybe you will flop on couches backstage, or share a boardroom table, or crowd around a galley inside a ship. But in each band you join you will play a distinct part, and it will affect you as much as you affect it." Mitch Albom - the magic strings of frankie presto

Sometimes we (or at least I) forget that everything I do has an impact on others. That scientific principle we all learned as children is true; "for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction." (Newton's Third Law). Including in daily living.

I don't often think about making changes in my attitude and approach to living but I am beginning to wonder if I should consider more carefully the possibility that a tear or two, sincerely offered, might be a good thing.

Perhaps my original band mates (Cindy, Jen, Adam, Stef, Holly, Lisa, and Kelli) can help me find joyful reasons to shed a tear.

Thanks for checking in. More to come soon. See you then.