Monkey See, Monkey Do

I haven't been having the best time lately.

Maybe it's because I haven't had a proper lunch in six weeks.
It could be because I haven't been sleeping much lately.
Perhaps it's the 12 hour days I've been putting in at work.

Yeah, you're right.
It's a combination of all three.

Regardless, the final result is that I have become
a person I no longer recognize.
I don't know where this angry woman came from,
but I don't like her.
I used to be nice.
Stop laughing ... it's true!
So nice, in fact, that I was a doormat.
Just ask the First Stupid.

I was mulling this over in my head last night
as I walked home from the train.
Giving myself a Pep Talk:
Something about making lemonade
while the sun shines through clouds with silver linings.
I may have gotten my metaphors mixed up.

But as I'm trudging along the street,
I came across a beautiful sight:




The girls next door took advantage of a beautiful Spring day
and broke out the coloured chalk.





The pictures were strewn across their front yard
and well into the neighbour's.
I wonder if their mother stopped them from going further.
Personally, I'd be delighted to have artwork in front of my house!

At the end of it all was this:



Something made me stop and stare at that for a while.
I felt something wrap around me like a warm hug.

I took it as a message.
Not from the kids,
but from someone who's telling me to slow down.

It wasn't a careless greeting, or even a suggestion.
It was a warning.

Have a great day...
Or I'm going to come down there and have a talk with you.
And you're not going to like it.

I got the message.
Loud and clear.