Restless.

we are all here to find
the place where our
restless souls will be free
we were all made to see
our hearts could not rest
until found in Thee

Airplanes and Leprachauns.

At the preschool, we take the kids out to play outside for 1.5 hours in the morning. Recess is joy. Children are so funny. They never get tired of hearing the planes soar over our playground and searching for them in the skies. Never. I was thinking about it and realized-- it's such a strange them from a child's perspective. Birds fly. Bees fly. But not huge, astronomical machines. When I thought about it that way, I was pretty amazed at how far man has come. Creating planes and rockets and all sorts of things that do the impossible.

But then I thought, how funny that children are amazed at planes but don't even batter an eyelid at the impossibility of rainbows kissing rivers where leprechauns hide their pot o' gold. As for me, I'd much prefer daydreaming about the second. Anything is possible.

Today's joys:

• children tickled pink when they tickled my bare feet.
• Lucas on my lap because he wanted to slide down together
• that I still fit on slides and have fun on them, too!
• today's clouds being a blanket of smooth, pure snow reminded me that God's got it all covered and I've got nothing to worry about.
  

Life is...

Life is an opportunity, benefit from it.
Life is beauty, admire it.
Life is a dream, realize it.

Life is a challenge, meet it.
Life is duty, complete it.
Life is a game, play it.

Life is a promise, fulfill it.
Life is sorrow, overcome it.
Life is a song, sing it.

Life is a struggle, accept it.
Life is a tragedy, confront it.
Life is an adventure, dare it.

Life is luck, make it.
Life is too precious, do not destroy it.
Life is life, fight for it.

Mother Theresa

The Voice Behind the Mask.

I never liked singing in front of people. When I sing, it's in the car, in the shower, or in the crowd. Essentially when I'm alone or anonymous. I don't think I have a bad voice nor do I have the best voice, but I've always been marred by my brother's comments. Blood -- they're brutally honest, and oh how we carry things from the childhood. No, I don't like singing in front of people but if I have, it's for something else bigger than me.

Anyway, I sang once for a friend in Italy. We were in the elevator and it was simple, just two lines. A praise song. And it was so interesting because he said that my singing voice didn't match my speaking voice. The boldness and strength surprised him because, you see, my speaking voice is childish and "cute" (and oh, how I hate that).

I've often felt that when I sang with my true voice (no falsettos), it was just me. No masks. The real Tiffany when she runs or sits before the ocean or has a child on her lap. It makes me wonder, if we were blind and only heard people's singing voice, what would we characterize them as? People are much stronger than we know. We just put on costumes when we get dressed for the daily grind.

Today.

"Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could; some blunders and absurdities have crept in; forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day; you shall begin it serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old-nonsense."

- Ralph Waldo Emerson