I’ve just returned from the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival – a guaranteed day of amazing music from Blues to Zydeco and all kinds in between. Singing and dancing in the Gospel tent is going to church, rocking out with throngs of fans at the big stages is a party. The paths in between are infused with shifting beats and tunes. It is a perfect day.
Almost. The challenge of deciding which stage you’ll take your dancing feet to can be overwhelming, so I pop in and out to discover new sounds. The music is a constant celebration. The weather? Not so much. Cool. Windy. Rainy. Scorching. You never know. This recent visit included an afternoon rainstorm, adding to our shared experience. Everyone got drenched, from dripping hair to soggy flipflops. Did I complain? A little, especially when one shoe dipped deep into a muddy puddle. But mostly I embraced the outburst and gave thanks. Rain is good, a must for survival. It was a good old washing clean, no thunder or lightning. So I weathered the weather and as wet clothes stuck to my dampening skin, I wished to be a six-year-old playing in the mud. I embraced it all, happy to be in that moment, in that place and time that was near perfect.
Quote of the Week…
“Christmas is a tonic for our souls. It moves us to think of others rather than of ourselves. It directs our thoughts to giving.” B.C. Forbes, 1880 – 1955
Delight in the Light…
Yesterday was Winter Solstice, the shortest day of the year, and yet, it falls during the season of light; candles in various faith traditions flicker amidst strings of bulbs adorning houses and trees. While my family celebrates the birth of the Christ Child (in faith-based as well as commercial traditions), I appreciate and respect other…
Patty Mayeux Blog 
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