LOVE THURSDAY

I got my ears pierced when I was nine. It was my birthday present and it was a big deal because Mom had determined that that was the age I was considered "old enough" for pierced ears. I did all the things required to facilitate the healing process. I cleaned my newly pierced ears twice a day and I rotated the earrings. I was so excited when the day came were I could finally wear earrings other than the ones they used to pierce my ears with, but my excitement turned to disappointment. It turned out that half of the earrings I ended up trying to wear, more than half really, irritated my ears. I would start out in a pair of cute dangly things and by the time I'd get home, my ears would be red, swollen and painful to air. I had a pair of silver elephants that were about the only pair I could wear and I wore those all the time. Until I lost one. And no one could remember where we had purchased them. Years went by. I stopped wearing earrings all together and the holes closed up. I got my ears re-pierced so that I could wear pearls at my wedding and because the pain of getting my ears re-pierced was so horrible, I've continued to wear earrings. And my silver elephant earring were eventually replaced. Mom found them in the toy shop at Silver Dollar City, which makes sense because we spent 50% of my childhood at Silver Dollar City (kids, I remember when that place didn't have rides). Yes, I am a grown woman wearing children's earrings. So when I saw these earrings, I knew that I had to have them. They are a grown up version of my Silver Dollar City earrings. It wasn't easy to buy these for myself. It's never easy to do something kind for myself even when I feel good about it. It's like the help thing. I just struggle with it.

I tell you that because, today I am getting my first mammogram, not because I've reached the age where this is required, but because my doctor felt "something" during our visit on Monday. She's pretty sure that it is just a cyst, but wants a mammogram and ultrasound just to be on the safe side. And because I already have another appointment after work with my energy/massage therapist, I decided to use this as a sick day. I'll spend my morning getting smooshed and scanned in the name of science, treat myself to a nice lunch, and spend my evening getting smooshed for stress. I'm going to do kind things for myself today and I'm not going to struggle with it.

Be kind to yourself today. Happy Love Thursday!

*P.S. Still raising money for the KCMO AIDS Walk and I'm so close to meeting my goal. Any little bit helps. Thank you!!!