Day 115 Catching Bad

April 3, 2015

(This is part of a 365 project during my 70th year where I write and illustrate a blog on each day's gift.)

Every morning when I awaken, the first thing I see as I look up is a dream catcher that my sister made for me twenty years ago. It is a circle with a string web constructed inside it. Several strips of leather hang down with silver ornaments near the top and some brown and white feathers dangle from beads at the end.

This concept comes from Native Americans who claim that dream catchers protect people from bad dreams but let the good ones get through. The positive dreams are said to glide easily through the hole in the center and then down the feathers to the sleeper, while the negative dreams become tangled in the web and fade when the first sunlight strikes them. I’ll have to admit that it does not always work because I have a history of both good and bad dreams over the years. It’s possible that cobwebs are responsible for its malfunction. However, whether one believes this lore or not, it’s still a pleasant concept. I like waking up and beginning my day with a symbol of positive vibes.

Wouldn’t it be nice if each day had a metaphorical hole that allowed only good things through while bad things were filtered out by a web. In a sense, we do have a system in place, a type of invisible catcher. It is this: When we love and are loved, positive things enter our days and negative things are turned away. My day started this morning with puns and fresh fruit from my husband and a warm hug from our house guest friend and adopted family member, Andrea. 

My gift today is a hug from Andrea.

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> Day 116 Rituals

You can read my other posts on this project here:
http://bjschupp.blogspot.com/2014/12/365-gifts.html