Your 'Do Is You

Barb got a haircut the other day, and we really had a bit of a disagreement about  the chosen style. Haircuts should telegraph character and personality.

I mean, really, when you think of Barb (at least through my descriptions), what do you see...this...

...or this?

I lost the argument, but have to say, the Mohawk does look pretty good on her.

The choice to take the trouble for styling hair, even when working remotely and seeing almost no-one, is important. It bespeaks self-care, and the resolve to do the right thing, even when no-one is watching.

Do it in one part of your life, and it spills over into other areas. When discipline becoes a habit, the whole world spins a bit more smoothly.

It's the same when you are terminally ill. Dying is not an excuse for slacking; it's a call to even greater discipline.

You don't slop around in a dressing-gown; you dress for the work you're doing (in this case, caring for a multitude of ogs, and writing to witness God's grace.

You don't abandon the dreams you had; you work on them,d aily, in the faith that a miracle may yet come.

And most of all, you don't give voice to despair. Though no-one may be listening, and even if they listen, they condescend, you speak hope always.

And you never, ever give up.

You may ask...what kind of haircut do I have? I've let it grow out to my shoulders (no, I will not post a picture), for two reasons.

First, that it keep my neck from keeping sunburned while I am caring for the dogs.

Second, that there's a massive tumour on the right side of my neck; the long hair keeps it in shadow, if I look in a mirror. Otherwise it would really be discouraging.

I do avoid mirrors.

Barb got a haircut yesterday,

and it pleases her

to have it cut just that way,

like short retriever-fur.

It is her head after all,

but haircut is assertion,

and for boldness there’s a call

to define the inner person.

She’s vocally quite confident,

and she’s really cool;

kind but never hesitant

to slap down, hard, a fool

so if it had been up to me,

she’d have hair cut like Mr. T.

And if you touch Barb's truck, she, too, will gladly feed you your socks.

I do try to answer each comment in a timely fashion, but with Internet providers really stretched, I have only about half of the access I once did. Please bear with me!

Thanks to Carol Ashby, Blessed Are The Pure Of Heart is back on Kindle, and will be available in paperback soon.

Friends are everything. I couldn't have done it.

Below are my recent releases on Kindle -please excuse their presence in the body of the blog. I haven't the energy to get them up as 'buttons' in the sidebar. You can click on the covers to go to the Amazon links.