Grounding myself after a challenging week

The fly that has been living in my apartment for the past two days followed me out the door this morning.  That was my sign that things were turning around.

I managed to crash Excel at work but auto save actually worked this time so I lost very little for a change.

Throughout the day, the question that echoed in my head was the one my friend had asked me yesterday when I was struggling.  She said, "WWDS?" (What would Dolly say?)

Dolly Parton was the biggest advocate of authenticity.  She so strongly believed in loving people exactly as they are.  I could imagine her encouraging me to put on my new dress, add a few butterflies to my hair, and head out to Cocktails in the Garden.  So that is exactly what I did this evening.  I stayed out so long that the lights had come on in the streets and the last bits of color were fading away.  I almost didn't want to go home so I could hold onto the magic just a bit longer.

I did find the jazz music and listen for a little while but mostly, I just found benches to sit in the quiet of nature and admire the artwork among the flowers of this summer's exhibit, Niki in the Garden.

It was exactly what I needed to restore the peace that seemed in short supply this week.

Tomorrow is Friday.  I have a dinner to look forward to and then a weekend worth of plans to make.