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It’s Sunday morning. I’m catching up on my weekly DVR-ed shows while my husband catches up on sleep.

It’s my two year anniversary at my job this week. I went to this job because I knew someone there as well as had the opportunity to work in one place vs being in the field. Well, that person has moved on to another region in the company and about a year ago the company I was scheduled full time at fired our company. So, I’ve been in the field for over a year now and I am tired.

On a happier note I am active in the alumnae chapter of my sorority and have even become the webmaster of our site

Charley has the first defense of his master’s thesis next weekend. I am very excited for him and what this degree program could mean for our future.  A few months ago we took a bunch of pictures of us and the dogs.  Here is one of my favorites from that set.

Created by Online Education

After I met my husband I gave him a copy of this poem. For those of you that know our story you’ll understand. I don’t remember where I originally found it…maybe in a book I read. But, wouldn’t it be nice if we could always be in tune with our own song and when we falter we would have those surround us with love instead of judgment. I am so thankful for those of you I have history with and sing my song to me in your own ways.

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When a woman in a certain African tribe knows she is pregnant, she
goes out into the wilderness with a few friends and together they pray
and meditate until they hear the song of the child.

They recognize that every soul has its own vibration that expresses
its unique flavor and purpose.

When the women attune to the song, they sing it out loud. Then they
return to the tribe and teach it to everyone else.

When the child is born, the community gathers and sings the child’s
song to him or her. Later, when the child enters education, the village
gathers and chants the child’s song.

When the child passes through the initiation to adulthood, the
people again come together and sing. At the time of marriage, the person
hears his or her song.

Finally, when the soul is about to pass from this world, the family
and friends gather at the person’s bed, just as they did at their birth,
and they sing the person to the next life.

In the African tribe, there is one other occasion upon which the
villagers sing to the child.

If at any time during his or her life, the person commits a crime or
aberrant social act, the individual is called to the center of the
village and the people in the community form a circle around them.
Then they sing their song to them.

The tribe recognizes that the correction for antisocial behavior is not
punishment; it is love and the remembrance of identity. When you
recognize your own song, you have no desire or need to do anything that
would hurt another.

A friend is someone who knows your song and sings it to you when
you have forgotten it.

Those who love you are not fooled by mistakes you have made or
dark images you hold about yourself.

They remember your beauty when you feel ugly; your wholeness
when you are broken; your innocence when you feel guilty; and your
purpose when you are confused.

You may not have grown up in an African tribe that sings your song
to you at crucial life transitions, but life is always reminding you when
you are in tune with yourself and when you are not.

When you feel good, what you are doing matches your song, and
when you feel awful, it doesn’t.

- Author Unknown

Every morning I have to drag my rear up a fairly steep hill, and then when I enter the subway station I have to go down either one huge escalator or many many flights of stairs to get to the actual platform. If I know the train is coming I usually will run down the stairs. Today I took the escalator, only 2 others on the escalator aside from me…and then I felt the wind. The wind that is the signal that the train is getting near. So, I politely and in a somewhat high voice say “excuse me” to the person in front of me on the escalator…I wanted to get by her and the escalator is only one person wide. She was a very well dressed woman in heels…she countered with “WELL, WHERE AM I SUPPOSE TO GO?!”. I again say in a very polite voice…”just lean”. She responds with “JUST LEAN, JUST LEAN!!!” Then proceeds to yell at me as I’m now walking quickly down the stairs of the escalator. “YOU SHOULD HAVE TAKEN THE STEPS, JUST LEAN, HUH….” On and on and on…when i hit the bottom of the stairs I just returned her banter with a high pitched and respectful “thank you!”. I did make it on the train that was heading into the station as my feet hit the platform…and I even got a seat.

Life could be so much more pleasant if we could all learn to “just lean” sometimes.