Parched

Things That Went Right Today:

1) Cabinets and shower door installed in the master bath! Should be done tomorrow!!!
2) Found the coolest scales at an antique shop for my office.
3) Got my mommy blog set up...will launch soon with my website. Stay tuned!

I'm not certain where the question came from. It may have been from an older sibling's teasing or something he saw on TV. Not sure. But my 4 year old came to me the other day seriously distressed. Not realizing how concerned he was initially, I was only half paying attention when he asked me if a person could die if they ran out of spit. I casually said something brilliant like, "yeah probably." He then proceeded to burst into panicky sobs.  Try as I might I could not console him for quite some time. He was crying so hard I really didn't even understand most of what he was saying at first, but it was clear he was truly upset. After a fair amount of mommy soothing he managed to convey that he was certain he was dying. I asked him why he thought so and he said, "Mom...I'm running out of spit. And you said I would die if I ran out of spit."  Suppressing a grin, I questioned him as to how he knew he was running out of spit. He opened his mouth to show me how dry it was and told me it had been that way all afternoon. Now was my chance to be a hero and let him know that I had a cure for this ailment. He wasn't dying, he was just really thirsty, so I poured him a glass of water and promised he would live to see another day.  He was thrilled to know that a simple glass of water was a quick and easy fix should he ever find himself short on spit again in the future.

We do eventually run out of spit if we don't drink enough water, and if it gets serious enough we really can die from that. However, unless we are in extreme circumstances stranded in the desert, we can almost always find water fairly easily to satisfy our thirst. So that would be a rather absurd way to go. But we are sometimes foolish creatures aren't we? Has your car ever run out of gas for instance? Even though the dashboard comes with an indicator and the car dings at you and lights up a warning sign when fuel is getting low. We still somehow convince ourselves that we can go just a little bit further without refueling.  Or we neglect basic maintenance and our indicator stops functioning properly. Eventually the car will run out of spit and die. Even though all it would have taken to keep it running smoothly was a trip to the corner station to add some gas. If we aren't careful we can be senseless enough to let our hearts and spirits run out of spit too. We have indicators and warning signs...depression, irritation, apathy, stress, exhaustion.  But we so often dismiss them and push onward thinking that we can continue endlessly without stopping to add more fuel. Until our core beings become increasingly parched and we begin to shut down and die inside.  What do we do then to quench that inner thirst? How do we refuel a heart that's running low? The answer will be different for everyone because we all find peace and satisfaction from different things. But some things are universal. We all need to have dreams we are striving for. Excitement on our horizons. Otherwise life can take on a monotonous tone. But the daily grind is easier to accept if there is something we look forward to coming soon. So it's really important to take the time to put a dream into motion now matter how small. Don't wait. Do it today so it's out there waiting for you, adding passion and joy to your life. We should also commit to learning something new every single day. Personal enrichment can be found in books,  by learning a new sport, or by talking to others about what they like to do. Reaching beyond our comfort zones and attempting to try something new. We all need a sense of connection to other people. Loneliness can be debilitating. Take the time to reach out to others. Join a club. Call a friend. Hug your daughter. Smile at a stranger. Other people are lonely too. Connection is mutually beneficial! We need to renew our sense of fun and play. Do something silly. Laugh out loud and the world is a brighter place. Listen to soothing music. Magnify your hidden talents. Stop and rest and watch a sunrise. Walk on the beach. Stargaze. Pray. Dance.

Feeling parched? Take a drink of water and you'll live on!! I'm thankful today for the many small things in life that bring me joy and fill up my personal well with water every day!