Embrace Your Rudolph

We just went to our friends' ugly holiday sweater party a few nights ago.  My talented wife created a masterful Christmas Tree outfit for herself.  I'm serious, everyone knew she was a Christmas tree.  Turns out she had struggled to find an ugly sweater for me, though I honestly didn't care.  I was just grateful she picked something up for me at all...well, so I thought.  As I put on the sweater vest, the first thing I noticed was that it was way too small for me.  Tiny in fact, despite the tag saying large.  What gives I thought?  Next, I found that it buttoned left to right, versus right to left.  "This thing has been sewn backwards", I announced.  "Hey, wait a minute, look at these holiday patches?  Babe, this is a girl's sweater!"  Laughing hysterically, she responded sheepishly, "I know, isn't it great?"  Finally, she added two more critical items, the way too short holiday tie that plays Christmas music and a reindeer hat.  "Now, this is truly ridiculous.  I look like Rudolph!", I exclaimed.  Time for Preston to get all bothered and start to complain and criticize her choice for me.  Nope, not this time.  "Stop, drop, and be", I think instead.  Look at my best friend's gleeful face.  Much better to be positive and playful, don't you think?  Besides, I shouldn't worry about what others think anyway, especially if I can get some laughs.  A little self deprecating humor never hurt anyone.  Besides, wasn't it Rudolph's shiny, red, nose that made him so special?

Sailing the Seven C's with a Bouquet of Cats

We can learn so much from nature, particular our pets, if we choose to simply be present and pay attention.  Darryl, a great friend of ours, loves his cats.  He recently shared what each of them has taught him over the years.

"Ari enjoys every moment of life and purrs constantly, teaching me to live in the moment and that life is too short not to have fun.  Cassie taught me that love is unconditional, especially for the most vulnerable, be they animal or human.  Soc (Socrates) and Moses, rescued from a trash can as kittens, taught me that no matter where you start out in life, there is hope.  D'Artangnan (Dart) has taught me that one can't appreciate the small things in life enough, for example a warm sun beam."

Thank you Darryl and thank you to your wonderful bouquet of cats for their powerful examples, we submit are the central messages of Sail the Seven C's.

(Dart - Top Left, Moses - Top Right, Ari - Bottom Right, Socrates - Bottom Left, Cassie - Middle)