five reasons

I spent a few hours with a friend at the bedside of one of her relatives who is on the brink of death yesterday. It's sobering.

It reminds me that it is good practice to keep short accounts.

Why?

Because it leaves you with fewer regrets at the end of life.

It gives you space to store up good memories rather than holding on to bad ones that just promote bitterness.

It gives you peace of mind.

It makes for better relationships.

It takes less energy to be on good terms with others.

And those seem like good reasons to me.

Giving flowers

I prepped this background with an icy sort of  blue but then didn't want to do a blue page. I had a cut-out flower lying around on my desk so I grabbed it to use as a mask. A few dots of colour down one edge dragged out with a glue spreader and suddenly I had a pinkish page rather than a blue one.

It sat on my table for a couple of days. I added some centres and stalks, but what should the words be? What was the page talking about?

Yesterday a dear lady from our morning congregation died. She was a gift-giver - taking note of what people liked and giving them small gifts in that area.

As usual, death set me thinking about life and how short it is. The wording 'always give flowers' talks about building people up rather than pulling them down; taking the time to encourage and be generous with our money, time, and ourselves. We don't know how a small gift, a smile, an encouraging word can change someone's day or even their life.

Be a life-changer - give flowers.