Restoring the Sparkle

Today has been an incredibly wonderful day, so while I usually try not to post about things like this: here I go. Some years ago, when I was in high school I remember doing unusual or fun things...marching to my own drummer. I remember having that feeling of freedom, that zest for life, that ability to see the beauty and zaniness that were potential in every moment. So I don't know what happened exactly but somewhere in the years that I was an exchange student and starting college, all of that changed. Sometimes I think it was the pressure of being an "ambassador" of our nation as they used to say and then the process of reacclimating to our society. Sometimes I think that I became so overwhelmed with what I was learning and processing while trying to be the best that I could be....that the joy just got sucked right out of life. Not to say I didn't enjoy things because I have a ton of fond memories from those years of my life, but I felt different....and as one of my high school/family friends told me....that certain sparkle that I had before...was ....well gone.

So why was I thinking of about this before church this morning? I suppose I've sort of realized that there is something to connecting to what you are passionate about in life. The entire process of attempting to reclaim that spark has been on my mind, as it took me many years, experiences, and people to get it back. As mentioned previously, I believe things happen in our lives for a reason and I believe that certain individuals are brought into our lives for reasons as well. We might not always understand these experiences until later, but with reflection each experience is necessary to keep or get us on track. This morning it dawned on me that while I sometimes still try to hide the spark, it is definitely a part of me again and I feel it is in part to reconnecting so strongly to those things with which I am passionate. When I am learning, engaging, or conversing of things that are of importance to me, when I'm out in nature, when I'm with those that I love, then the passion is evidenced by the spark within my personality. That is when the joy of life exudes and there is something about having that spark back that is meaningful to me. Although I still get caught up in moments when I allow propriety or professionalism to dampen the sparkle.....I'm working on this.

So why then was today so wonderful? Because I felt so free yet so connected at the same time! I felt that spark igniting and flying! The sermon at church this morning was right on with the things I have been thinking about lately, ie social justice, etc. After church I drove down the coast with the windows down, the sun shining, and the music flowing until I came to the organic blueberry farm. I picked a large bucket of delicious organic blueberries and filled my stomach as well. I sweated in the inland heat, enjoyed the squawking birds, and I met and joked with some great "old" men and their wives who shared bushes with me-somehow the old men are always the most fun! I then drove down a couple more miles to a little community that has amazing surf waves that I used to always hear about and drive by when I hung out with my surfer buddy. Yet this time I actually stopped at this particular beach and splashed in the waves and felt the sand between my toes. The day felt like it was mine, yet I was most definitely not alone!

I tried to drop some berries off at the local mission, but it was closed on Sunday (interesting that a Christian mission would be closed and NOT serving on a Sunday....). I felt good for attempting to give of my bounty, and then to top things off, I came home and made my first ever batch of freezer jam. Yum! There are still plenty of berries left to share with friends and to make pie. Ray's sharing his blues on the stereo and Gosh-does life ever get better than this? And it's all because it was SIMPLE, ORGANIC, OUTDOOR GOODNESS! Nothing is better than the restoring of the sparkle....