Is today a day for picking daisies?

My friend Linda is fighting cancer, once again. No, she isn’t just fighting it, she is determined to give it a knock-out, all the time prevailing with joy, laughter, and optimism. She inspires all who know her, with her zest for life and determination to stay happy, strong, and loving.  Today she made this comment on Facebook, after one of her friends thanked her for her joyful leadership during this 3rd fight against cancer:

“If I am your leader, then prepare yourself to go daisy picking and meandering in circles for a long time!!  But I am happy and feel as if I can contribute something to the world if any of my mental meanderings make sense to anyone or can help someone else! Thank you! Thank you all!”

I have had the privilege of being this dear lady’s friend for a quarter of a century. Our sons are 1 week apart—and we are forever joined as friends. Now don’t you just love her metaphor of daisy picking? What a grand, grand concept it is. Not only to take time to stop and smell the flowers, but to gather them, bring them home, be one with them…..to wander, and embrace life. It reminds me of one of my favorite e.e. cummings quotes “i thank god someone is crazy enough to give me a daisy”. In college, I had that quote on a magenta poster with a picture of a daisy on it. It was SO  Kumbaya. It kept me going during some tough times ~ and kept me mindful of the need to rise above sorrows, and find the joy.

Linda’s mindset of placing herself among the daisies, and remaining joyous is perfect for enduring and prevailing during battles. We can ALL use a bit of that mindset, don’t you think? We can get so focused on our little treadmills of life—going around and around like hamsters in an exercise wheel. All of a sudden, years and decades have zoomed by. Glorious opportunities for interaction, fun, and joy have gone by unnoticed. We must not let that be our legacy or story. Nope.

so today, for your own sake, and by Linda’s example…NOTICE! Grab the zest….if you are in the doldrums, watch something hilarious. If life or difficulties have you weighed down, try to ignore that for a bit. Believe me, if you lay your burdens down and bounce around like Tigger for awhile, it can help. No, it doesn’t necessarily solve the problem. But it WILL give you strength for the journey.

If you know of any funny books or movies, post them in a comment. Let’s get the laughter going……Let’s pick daisies…let’s wander in circles. It is going to be a great day—what shall we each do to make sure of that?

“the most wasted of all days is one without laughter” — e.e. cummings