Tag: relax

When the Lion Lays Down With the Lamb

/ colleen arnold / 2 Comments

My dog, Buddy, hates one of my cats. At least that’s the way I’ve always interpreted their relationship. Tiger is at the head of the pet hierarchy, and Buddy, at the bottom.

I’ve seen evidence of this as the dog remained trapped on the patio, despite a wide-open door, simply because the cat was glaring at him. I’ve heard Buddy whine, confined to the bathroom because Tiger was blocking the exit. I’ve watched Buddy jump off his comfy spot on the couch, just because Tiger walked into the room.

Imagine my surprise then, when I found them laying side by side on my bed. What was this? Could it be the end of the world – when the lion lays down with the lamb? Possible, but unlikely. Could they have somehow not noticed each other? I watched for a few minutes, and they watched me back. It was clear they were aware of each other. Had they called a truce? That would be awesome. I get tired of their incessant meowing and barking arguments as they steal each other’s food, and chase each other around the house.

Peace seemed possible for the next half hour. They lay side by side without a meow or growl. I thought they looked cute and snapped a few photos. They didn’t move. I marveled at their adorable behavior and considered giving them each a treat. Then doubt crept in. What if they were sick? Or what if they were plotting something behind my back, communicating through animal pheromones?

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Pretending Life is Perfect is Exhausting!

/ colleen arnold / 5 Comments

 

It’s Halloween and has been the case with all holidays since Neil died, I find myself reflecting on past celebrations. Like most parents, we started dressing up for Halloween when the girls were babies and created some imaginative costumes over the years.

 

 

We had fun with decorations, too – there were always pumpkin carvings, pipe cleaner spiders and black construction paper bats all over the house. Dinner included treats like brain bread and carrot fingers. We always enjoyed using our imaginations and pretending.

 

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Trust the Pilot, and Trust God

/ colleen arnold / Leave a comment

I recently had to remind myself of this post from 2016. Maybe you need to hear it again, too. Trust is a funny thing…..

Have you ever been in a hot air balloon? A propane fire heats the air inside the balloon, which allows it to float upward; as the air cools, the balloon descends. The pilot can’t really steer, but he goes up and down until he finds a wind current that carries him in the direction he wants to go. The balloon can’t travel any faster than the wind, and if there’s no wind the balloon just sits there in the sky. Fascinating, right?

Neil and I thought so too, so we celebrated our first wedding anniversary with a hot air balloon ride. It was a glorious summer morning, with a clear sky, no humidity, and comfortably cool temperature.  Neil and I bravely climbed over the chest-height sides into the wicker passenger basket. It seemed sturdy enough, but there was no roof or side rails – nothing much to protect us from the fire above and the ground below.

As the fire lit up and the balloon gently started to rise, my brain automatically evaluated all the things that could go wrong. Hmm…a gust of wind could tip the basket and dump us free falling through the air like sky divers without a parachute. Or the wind could change direction and whisk us off course like the poor Wizard of Oz. Or the fire could die and send the whole balloon crashing to the ground. I am not afraid of heights, but as we floated above the buildings and trees, the openness of the basket was disconcerting. Shouldn’t this at least be enclosed, I wondered? Continue reading →