The Silver Lining

We are all familiar with Ralph Waldo Emerson's poem defining Success. To laugh often and much; To win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children; To earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends; To appreciate beauty, to find the best in others; To leave the world a bit better,          whether by a healthy child, a garden patch, or a redeemed social condition; To know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded. Recently, I began participating in an online Retreat for the Writer's Soul.  Each day, in addition to a short meditation, I receive a writing challenge.   One such challenge was to create our own definition of success, following Emerson's lead. It took me just about all day to put it together.  I played with phrases and words that spoke "success" to me.  It was a tough assignment, but one that I really enjoyed. I share it here, and offer a chall

I tackled "The Drawer" this morning.  I bet every one of you have one just like it -- that catch-all drawer in the kitchen that gets crammed with all the "stuff" that you don't know where else to put.  I have eyeballed it for several weeks (months?) now, knowing that it's been on my to-do list.  It certainly isn't going anywhere, nor is it going to clean itself out.  So I pulled the drawer completely out and dumped the contents on the table.  I laughed at the collection -- I am not even sure what some of that stuff IS.  The Lizard Man could be living in there, for all I know! I wiped out the drawer, and felt good about the "clean slate" I now had to start with.  Batteries, glue, a marble, masking tape, a collection of small tools, some keys that fit lord-knows-what, a vast assortment of nails, screws, and nuts, pull chains for ceiling fans, a label-maker, seed packets, 3 miscellaneous electrical cords, gardening gloves, a couple of keychain