much, much love

today has been such a lovely day.

most days are quite lovely. but, today is my birthday, and i get very excited about birthdays.

actually, my birthday felt like it started yesterday.....(my first of five days in a row off from work, mind you).

yesterday, i went to the doctor's office for a check up. i don't usually go to doctors, but since i'm all about preventative measures i figured it only right that i heed my own suggestions and get a check-up. the mind and spirit are quite powerful, and the body is pretty neat, too, and they all benefit from being tended to. to top it off, my generous doctor said "you're all set. no co-pay for you".

later i enjoyed a tastee dinner with my papa and a two-hour plus conversation that left my heart feeling so full. that sweetness was followed by my dear friend calling to catch up. i was smiling before and after my head met the pillow. thank you, life.

my actual birthday morning: i was greeted with kisses from josh and from the pooches (i woke early to practice yoga while they snuzzled), then went to the most amazing massage therapist i ever did know. ahhmazing. i must say it again: amazing. it's like the whole body relaxes and melts while the heart smiles, and then you get wrapped in love. what a treat. thank you, life. imagine if everyone had the opportunity to experience a massage regularly. so nurturing, and healing, and loving goodness (like yoga). this would perhaps be a sweeter world.

i stopped by my papa's work to drop off a gift (i like to give gifts on my birthday). anyway, last night my papa said "do you still talk to that gal that does the massages?". "actually", i replied, "i have a massage scheduled for tomorrow". he's never had one. his birthday is this month, too. my wheels started turning. if you ever receive a massage from kristin, you will come up with a way for others to experience her gift. i got him a gift certificate. stopped by his work (this year makes 40 years he's been with GM) and he seemed very happy that a massage is in his near future. he took me around to meet a bunch of his co-workers and then gave me a tour of the plant where they test engines (cars are not my specialty, but it was a wee like a fun field trip). i'm so happy i stopped by. people are lovely.

side note: i appreciate the birthday calls, and cards, and emails, and messages. they all made my day feel full of much, much love.

home to josh and a delicious dinner. then a nap. then to teach yoga and share many hugs (i love hugs. more on hugs at another time). at the end of class, my friend brought in a little (decadent and yummy!) chocolate cake and a candle (it was a piece of art, really. and tasted sooo good!) we stayed and visited a bit with each other, and then......

i came home to josh. was greeted with a hug and kiss and a delightful surprise. i opened the bathroom door to find a warm bath, with candles, music, and the stack of books that i'm alternating between. and a love letter. on the bathtub wall, written with shaving cream, he wrote "i love audra", "kind", "cute", "fun", "sweet", "happy birthday", and there was a big heart over the tub faucet that had "j + a" in it. what a sugar-pie! more coziness. and some additional kisses from my pup, miles. thank you!

i read some more of deepak chopra's "unconditional life". there was a sweet blurb i want to share, so i shall:

compassion is found at the core of human nature, underneath the covering layers of selfishness. in our time, psychology has dwelt on selfishness as a fundamental drive in the human character, but in the yogi's eyes, this is a profound misjudgment. compassion and its root feeling, love, are primary in humankind. whenever they appear, even in a flash, it is our true self appearing, like the sun breaking through the clouds. to the yogi, love and nonlove are not striving for dominance. love is eternal; nonlove is temporary, a twist of the psyche that the small, limited, fearful self falls prey to. i am not sure this position can be proved, but one can certainly witness that love is welcomed with relief and joy whenever it is sincerely given. this joy is the self's natural response when it sees its truthful reflection. the same cannot be said for nonlove: to achieve enormous power is rarely a joyful event....... the true self is love, and being able to love all the time is the most one could want.... one true self speaks to another, using the language of the heart, and in that bond a person is healed.

thank you, deepak.

i am happy to be alive, and i wish for much, much love for all. thank you, life!