I have only ever lived in the South, where the summer weather bakes and fries us, frizzes my hair and fogs my sunglasses. Another joy of summer living in the South, especially in an old house in the woods, is the bugs. I won’t describe any of them (shudder). But, needless to say, our pest control company is on speed dial.
Once a month, the bugman cometh.
Our pest-pulverizer is over six-feet-tall and looks very professional in his uniform. Definitely not afraid of his prey. He comes into the house and stops by the door to scratch our dog Owen behind the ears, who licks his face and leans on his legs. Then, with Owen and me following, our fearless friend moves throughout the house spraying spots upon which little bug feet might scurry. In about 20 minutes’ time, our tour of terror (for bugs!) is finished, and we have spent that time talking about the things of life.
Recently our friend has been grieving the break-up of his marriage. My heart hurts for him. Having been there myself, I can offer comfort and perspective and hope that life will get better.
Last month, I asked him, “What are you looking forward to this summer?”
His eyebrows shot up in surprise, and he repeated the question. “What am I looking forward to?”
“Yes. We all need something to look forward to. Are you going anywhere on vacation? Doing anything special?”
He thought for a moment. “My birthday’s June 6th.”
“Oh good!” I said, clapping, an old habit from motherhood that I never outgrew. “What are you doing to do for your birthday?”
He shook his head. “Probably nothing.”
“What? No! You’ve got to celebrate!” I said, signing off on the paperwork for his visit. “In fact, I’m going to give you a homework assignment. I want you to make plans and do something special for your birthday. When you come back next month, I will have cookies for you, and you will have to tell me what you did.”
He chuckled a bit. “Okay.“
Would he take me seriously? I hoped so.
Four weeks rolled around, and on June 9th, he rang the doorbell. As soon as he walked in, he said, “I did what you said.”
“Really?” I grinned and clapped again. “You celebrated your birthday?”
“Yes,” he said, laughing a little. Turns out, he went to an outdoor concert with his siblings and their spouses, and they even had a picnic while they waited for the show to start. He told me the artists who performed, and since I couldn’t remember their hits, he sang one for me, and I did a little two-step. We agree that music was much better way back then (yes, we are that old), and he smiled more than I’ve seen him smile in a long time.
Back in the kitchen, I pulled out some cookies, handed him a “happy birthday” napkin, and then gave him a card. A few minutes later, he was on his way to the next house.
And I was still grinning.
It all started with me getting to know him through the years, listening to him, asking about his family, and sharing my story of heartache too. But then that simple question, “What are you looking forward to?” gave him something to plan and do. The result? A marked lightness in his spirit and laughter at our house that morning.
These days, many of us feel weary, beaten down, or just “over it.” So, friends, let me ask you: “What are you looking forward to?”
If your answer to the question is “nothing”, don’t settle for that. Think and dream a little. What can you plan? Maybe you can visit with friends, go to an outdoor movie night, visit a museum, or seek out some beauty in nature. Circle the date on the calendar, and make sure to follow through.
Looking forward to something, whether it’s big or small, gives us the bonus of anticipating the future as well as enjoying the moment. It can lift our spirit, maybe even inspire and motivate us to plan other things, and pull us out of our state of weariness, worry, or woe. And that’s worth celebrating.
What are you looking forward to? Let me know, and I just might use your answer in a future blog post.
Are you receiving my blog posts in your inbox? Here at Glimsen, I share glimpses of the beauty around us in nature, the arts, and the unexpected. If you like what you see, click the green button below to receive my posts and updates by email, and you'll also get a free gift of beauty in your inbox (see below). I look forward to connecting with you!
Mural located in Conyers, GA.
Photo of confetti by Jason Leung on Unsplash