kingfisher

Wow, Maggie,

You have been slammed.

I understand about setting boundaries. It is hard, I think because we don't know this.  When you are abused as a child, especially sexually, you are trained from an early age that you have no boundaries, and in fact you have no self. We all just want to be good and cooperative and do whatever we are asked, because, maybe that means we are good and acceptable, and maybe we won't even be raped.

I realized I could not even define boundaries. I needed to hear Brene say - it's simply what we will and will not allow.  Easy.  Well, once you learn you can say no, or maybe that you are allowed to say no.

It is so easy to say yes when someone asks for something.  It's usually no big deal.  It is so hard to realize we are setting precedent and making it always okay...

The weather has been so grey, so frightful, for so many days. We have been inside too.  But yesterday I went for a hike with my little buddy, who is getting very strong. She can move.  We took a new path through woods and pasture - maybe a mile and a half. And of course I had an encounter which led to me looking up the meaning of...kingfisher.

We were walking along the dirt road in front of my house, near the neighbor's pond.  A bird started chittering and then flitted from one tree to another. I saw the dark back with a white band on the neck, then he flashed his underbelly- the opposite - white with a dark neck stripe.  He chittered and moved three times, stopping to look at me, making sure I knew we were connected.

I wasn't sure what the bird was.  His profile is very unique, although kingfisher crossed my mind, and was the first bird I looked up in my field guide.  Then we listened to him on the Cornell Ornithology Lab site. Bingo...

http://www.linsdomain.com/totems/pages/kingfisher.htm

a symbol of peace and prosperity. 
The Kingfisher is the promise of abundance -- 

I'll take it!! 

You have had your hands full with boys...It does come to an end. They do grow up and move out...I'm glad my nephew was not hurt in the accident - nor anyone else.

We are going to walk to the store...1.75 miles downhill, the 1.75 miles up hill. It's always so easy to get there...

But it's a beautiful day!

Love and hugs from Clare!