This was a truly, truly. . .

. . .nice day, and for no particular reason.  I guess it was nice in its simplicity.  I didn't have to do too much rushing around.  The coffee at Panera's was good, the ride on my exercise bicycle not too painful, and the 100 ab crunches bearable.  I got to pamper Linda a little because it was her birthday.  And my afternoon nap was just fine.  I was able to write for an hour or so, which I haven't been able to do for the last couple of weeks.  TISHA AND THE GIANT in rewrite still isn't done;I've completely blown away my self-imposed deadline, but that's O.K.

                        As I sit here in my office with Lucy, the larger than life labrador, snoring on the floor, I realize how incredibly fortunate I am.  One day after my 62nd birthday, I feel pretty darn young for an old guy.  I am blessed with an amazing family--great wife, great daughter, super son-in-law, 86 year old parents who think they're 46, a brother who is also a great friend, and 3 terrific sisters, who live nearby.  I am blessed with the desire to be creative--to write, and think and share my thoughts with whoever will listen.  I am blessed with good health, which 2 years ago was a rather iffy proposition.  Prayer, faith, exercise, a low salt diet, and, of course, the amazing family, are tremendous curatives.  Another great blessing is the number of people I love.  I don't think you can be a good teacher (or play director) if you don't love your students (and your actors and techies).  I look around my room and see classroom photos, framed poems and prayers for teachers, posters from some of my plays, dancing licenses, honorary doctoral degrees, magazine covers, and photographs from GREASE, BYE,BYE BIRDIE, SOUTH PACIFIC, SUMMER BRAVE, YOU CAN'T TAKE IT WITH YOU, STACEY FOXX, LITTLE WOMEN, WEIRD SISTERS, FIDDLER, ROMEO AND JULIET, A GIRL OF TWO WORLDS, A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM and . . .more. The faces in those photos are of people I love.  Of people I hold dear in my heart.

                    None of this is a surprise to me.  I've known it, though I may have forgotten it at times.  But thinking about it just now might be the particular reason that insured today would be such a truly, truly nice day.

there are three things that last forever:
Faith, hope, and love;
But the greatest of them all is love.

~1 Corinthians 13:4-7