May 1

My mouth gets me into trouble more often than I'd like to admit. (To wit, I was once dubbed "The Volcano" by my high school journalism teacher. Some of you may remember that. I won't go into the Whys right now but suffice it to say that it had something to do with what amounted to an epic teenage tantrum.) Sometimes I say things that common sense says I should keep to myself. And sometimes I say things that I truly mean that should, in fact, be shared, but then I worry over how the words were taken and if perhaps I should've just kept 'em in my little brain after all. (Yes. It's definitely fun to be me.)

Anyhow, while I was at Starbucks (don't laugh) this morning, I was half-drinking coffee, half-working, and half-fretting over whether I really should've held my tongue a few specific times in recent history. (And yes, I know that equals three halves. Stay with me, k?) I'd just come to the conclusion that I'd be better off keeping my thoughts to myself in the future when Chuck walked in with his little dog. Chuck is a regular at Starbucks, and we've spent some time chatting over the past few months. He took the next seat over and struck up a conversation. I can't remember exactly how the subject came up, but we were talking about putting off time with family when he suddenly said 'don't put off doing things or talking to people, because you never know what's coming tomorrow.' (That's a paraphrase. He was far more eloquent.) I felt a chill and instantly knew that I was supposed to get something significant from the remark.

So here's what I got. Obviously, I should make sure the little gatekeeper who guards my tongue in on duty at all times. But I should also not be afraid to speak the truth --the productive, kind truth-- even when I fear judgment. And when I screw up (as I know I will now and then), I should interpret whatever criticism I receive as a blessing since in the long run, it'll make me a better person.

I know this is long and ramble-y, but I wanted you all to know how much I appreciate you for sticking with me over the past four-plus years (and beyond). I hope my sometimes weakly written words and poorly structured thoughts are a blessing to you now and then.