Thirty Days of Thankful, Days 1-10 (Thoughts from November 2013, reposted from Facebook)

1. Thirty Days of Thankful #1: 

   I am thankful 

   that the policeman 

   on route 153 

   was sitting in a place 

   where I was driving under the speed limit. 

    S.
   
   

   Thirty Days of Thankful #2:

   We are thankful 

   that Luke is home 

   because now there is another bearded warm body in the house 

   so the cats are confused 

   and postpone their "hey-hey-get-up-and-feed-me" routine 

   for an hour. 

    And also because we love him.
   

    

    Thirty Days of Thankful #3:

    I am thankful for color, 

   for lobelia blues left in the sidewalk, 

   pinks in the morning skies, 

   the nuances of golden brown in the oak leaves, 

   and for the colors we can't see-- 

   ultraviolet 

   and infrared. 

   I am also thankful for other things unseen, 

   but that is for another day.

   
   

Thirty Days of Thankful #4:

I am so thankful to have known 
and loved 
Denny 
for 41 of his 60 years. 
Here are sixty words for sixty years:

Walt
Golda
Paul
Sue
Paul
Luke
Kate
Anna
Lucy
Clearfield
Houghton
Indiana
Tenor
Sax
Guitar
Drum
Major
Jesus
Kneel down
Tear up
Build up
House
Garage
Barn
Cabin
Teach
Retire
Feed Dogs
Cats
Horses
Deer
Birds
Turkeys
Bears
Plant
Mow mow mow
Harvest
Plow
Hike Alaska
Wales
Israel
Dominican
Tanzania
Switzerland
Montana
Hunt
Elk!
History
Plan
Write
Edit
Schmooze
Snooze

...and two words to begin the new decade: MUCH LOVE

S.






Thirty Days of Thankful #5:

We are thankful 
to have found the saw that Den wanted 
at a discount store,
just no manual. 
Not so thankful 
that it fell off the porch the first time he used it, 
but very thankful for a friend with duct tape skills,
Bill Matko, 
who repaired the handle. 
Thankful 
that Luke recognized a laser button 
(Cool! A laser saw!) 
that gave us exact corners for the first time. 
Also so thankful 
that Paul and his family live close enough 
to make door wrangling a possiblity.

 Thirty Days of Thankful #6:

We are thankful for new friends nearby-- 
you make our days more interesting. 
We are also thankful for old friends who are far away-- 
you make watching the Weather Channel more interesting. 
Hope your day is blessed 
with interesting events 
and great weather 
(or great events 
 and interesting weather....)

Thirty Days of Thankful #7:

We are thankful for our daughter-in-law, 

Kate, 

who is fun 

and smart 

and creative 

and friendly. 

 We have known her for nine years 

but prayed for her for much longer. 

She is the answer to our prayers... 

God is good. 

Birthday blessings, Kate!

(Listen for her on WPSU radio.)

Thirty Days of Thankful #8: 

I am thankful for my teeth. 
 My mom has a new friend at the nursing home 
who is 95 
with a wonderful mind 
but no teeth right now. 
Liquid diet. 
Trouble communicating. 
Yikes.

Without teeth, 
my morning peanut butter toast and conversation with Den 
would be right out. 
Try saying "love" without teeth. 
 Or "Friday!" 

Excuse me while I go floss.




Thirty Days of Thankful #9:

I am thankful for the oak tree outside my window
that is waving his remaining leaves to me
as I lie here in bed.
He has started our summer days with cooling shade,
gives the katydids a stage in August,
does a song-and-dance in October,
becomes a graceful whistler on windy winter nights,
lets the rising moon wink through his branches,
and causes much celebration each May
on Squirrel's Ear Day
when his leaves are again
the size of a squirrel's ear.

I am especially thankful
for God
who created oak trees
and seasonal changes
and root hairs
and acorn caps
(great for whistling)
and xylem
and phloem
and the lichens on the bark.






Thirty Days of Thankful #10:

I am thankful
that life is too complex
for me to figure out.
If everything were understandable to my small brain,
days would be predictable. There would be no surprise,
no wonder,
no awe.
But God,
in the middle of my faith,
I do have many questions....
How?
When?
And, particularly today, why?

Thirty Days of Thankful, Days 11-20 (Thoughts from November 2013, reposted from Facebook)

1. Thirty Days of Thankful #11:

   
   Like so many others today,
   we are thankful for the freedoms we have
   and the people who gave up their time,
   their comfort,
   their families,
   and sometimes their last breaths
   in defense of freedoms
   for us
   or for others around the world. 

   We honor those
   whose lives have been changed 

   because of their service, 

   changed in visible
   or invisible
   ways.
   Veterans,
   thank you.
   May you feel our respect.

   Peace.
   
   
   
   

   Thirty Days of Thankful #12:

   
   

   I am thankful for people who have made me laugh.
   A sampling includes
   Steve Martin and his happy banjo,
   Gary Larson with his Far Side cartoons,
   Carol Burnett
   (and her local sister Gwen Guenter Crandell)
   and Tim Conway,
   Sandra Boynton's turkey,
   Donald O'Connor's "Make 'Em Laugh" from Singing in the Rain (Every. Single. Time.)
   Garrison Keillor on NPR,
   Gilda Radner,
   Jonathan Winters,
   Chuck Thomas
   who told me a joke every Sunday for four years,
   Mary Ann Strasavich
   who is cut from the same cloth,
   Carol DeSantis and Jill Innes
   who makes me smile from thousands of miles away,
   Irene Irene Moore Hartzfeld, Guidance Counselor,
   and Luke Shaffner
   who started early
   by wearing his underwear on his head,
   and MANY others
   but today is a school day
   with the first snow on the ground
   and I have chores.
   You know who you are.
   
   I am also thankful to family
   and friends
   and total strangers within a twenty-foot radius
   who have endured my laughter.
   Sorry,
   but it was funny.
   
   I am thankful
   that remembered laughter
   can help us through hard days.
   Kate's extended family survived Typhoon Yolanda/Haiyan,
   but the battle is not over.
   Thanks for your prayers and support.

   Thirty Days of Thankful #13:

   
   We are thankful for friends that are like family
   and family that are good friends.
   This week Den and Dave
   are enjoying the hunting hospitality
   of the Montana Rensels.
   Let's hope no one sits
   on a prickly pear cactus
   this year.
   Some requests
   are a bit much to ask of friends, 

   even if they are like family....

    

   Thirty Days of Thankful #14:

   
   I am thankful that a pomegranate has so many arils.
   Why?
   For years, a Shaffner expression of love was
   "I love you
   to the end of the the road
   (as far as young boys were allowed to travel)
   ...and back!"
   as well as the
   surreptitious three winks
   from across a room.
   
   But today
   as Anna and Lucy and I were dissecting a pomegranate
   to release the juicy arils,
   "I love you more
   than the arils in a pomegranate" became
   "I love you more
   than the trees in a forest."
   "I love you more
   than the countries,
   ummm, people
   in the world."
   "I love you more
   than the drops in a shower."
   
   Of course,
   "infinity" trumps everything.

   
   

   Thirty Days of Thankful #15:

   
   I am thankful for my mom,
   Aileen Rensel,
   and what she has meant to so many people.
   She made it a personal goal to abolish "ain't,"
   and elucidated the rules of "lie" and "lay."
   She taught more than secondary English,
   she taught respect,
   "Yes ma'am!"
   Mom introduced a few people to their future mates,
   and many more people to Jesus Christ.
   Today I took Anna and Lucy to visit Mom.
   I don't think she saw their shining eyes
   or fancy dresses
   but I think she felt Anna's strong grip
   and Lucy's gentle kiss.
   Mom spends much of her time
   "seeing through a glass darkly,
   but soon face to face."
   
   I am also thankful
   for my adopted big sister Carol Yohe
   who treated us to dinner
   and admired pigtailed princesses
   who dance
   and drop forks
   and tell goofy jokes.
   
   The Lord giveth
   and the Lord taketh away.
   Blessed be the name of the Lord.

   
   

   
   

    

    
   

   Thirty Days of Thankful #16: 

   
   I am thankful for the perfect timing
   that allowed Den
   to see a fresh grizzly track
   before it melted
   or was covered with new snow.
   And also that it wasn't
   THAT fresh.
   
    

   
   

   Thirty Days of Thankful # 17:
   
   On this rainy Sunday morning
   I am thankful for grace.
   Not the physical kind of grace
   of a ballet dancer
   (or lack thereof,
   like in the movie Miss Congeniality
   where Sandra Bullock
   walks out all gorgeous after her makeover
   to the tune "Mustang Sally"
   and then she trips.
   Spectacularly.
   Love Sandra Bullock!)
   Instead,
   I am thankful for the grace where God,
   when he looks at me
   and my mix of best efforts and selfishness,
   sees Jesus instead.
   May I extend an imitation of that grace to others,
   and if I don't,
   trip me.
   That will force me to look up.
   
   

Thirty Days of Thankful #18:

We are thankful for the companionship
found in marriage.
After eight days apart,
it's back to Den makes the coffee,
Sue makes the toast.
Hooray for friendship in the midst of the mundane!

The cats are also glad
for the return
of their favorite companion.

Thirty Days of Thankful #19:

We are thankful for jobs,
both paid and unpaid.

Den finds great satisfaction in a filled woodshed,
winter tires installed on Gilda the ancient Volvo,
and the snow blower now on the John Deere.

Sue likes her new school. 
Penfield Elementary has interesting coworkers,
new smiles,
trees on the playground,
big rooms,
lots of storage,
and a freckled strawberry blond who,
when Sue wore her old glasses by mistake,
exclaimed, "Mrs. Shaffner!
You look like Bono!"

We are thankful for our jobs.
U2?

Thirty Days of Thankful #19 1/2: 

We are thankful for clear skies
that allowed us
to watch our second Wallops Island rocket launch
in two months,
thankful for technology
that allowed us to message Luke Shaffner
immediately after the launch
so he could explain what we saw--
rocket stages--
and thankful for Carol DeSantis
who let us know that it was happening
from Kuwait.
Kuwait!
Thank you for your service.

Thirty Days of Thankful #20:

I am thankful for my grandma,
Maud Waugaman Rensel.
She modeled enthusiasm
and creativity
and love for Jesus
and love for grandchildren,
all children, actually.
She let me play with her Christmas decorations
in the summer,
wear her jewelry
along with a lovely towel cape
and introduced me
to the invisible admiring crowds
as "Charlotte,"
let me eat carrots right from the garden--
"a little dirt gives it flavor,"
made cut-out cookies for me to paint,
sewed clothes for my Barbie
with Tiny Little Stitches,
and held my hand
as I walked every rock wall on Brady Street
on the way to Bible School.
She was there
soon after I took my first breath;
I was there
when she took her last.

I was making cut-out cookies
with Anna and Lucy last week
when from a deep wrinkle of my mind
came Maud's voice,
"Corn syrup makes icing hard and shiny."
Thanks Gram.
Miss you.

Thirty Days of Thankful, Days 21-30 (Thoughts from November 2013, reposted from Facebook)

Thirty Days of Thankful #21:

I am thankful for the varied communication skills
of Grandma Maud's boys,
Jack, Bill, and Dick Rensel.
They have all served as models for me.

Dick,
the baby,
was an educator.
Each summer
he was a ranger in Glacier National Park
and spoke with thousands of people
from around the world.
The rest of the year
Dick was a teacher in West Glacier Elementary
until the school burned down
due to an art project
gone bad.

Bill,
my dad,
was more of an entertainer. 
Waitresses,
craft show customers,
and Walmart walking buddies
were all potential audiences.

My Uncle Jack
loves to talk with total strangers.
Long line at Costco?
No problem.
Doctor running behind schedule?
There is a waiting room
full of interesting lives.

I thought of Jack recently
when chatting with a chauffeur
about the space station
and the Rolling Stones
and the Horseshoe Curve.
Den's flight is late?
No problem.

And Maud had her own communication skill:
she often called all three boys
by one name--
JackBillDick.
I use it
when names confuse me.
"Den.
Luke.
Ummm...
I mean Paul...
JackBillDick!"
God bless you all, JackBillDick.






Thirty Days of Thankful #22:

We are thankful for C.S. Lewis,
who died fifty years ago today
just like another famous person.

Sue received The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe
as a ten-year-old,
but was unaware that it was part
of the seven-book Chronicles of Narnia set
until her first year at Houghton.
Aslan reigns!
Let the Narnia Reading Marathon begin!

Den discovered Lewis in college
and quickly progressed from Chronicles
to A Mind Awake
and Mere Christianity
and Screwtape Letters.
His affinity for Lewis continued after college...
Surprised by Joy
and Letters to Children
led to a sabbatical Easter trip
to Oxford and Cambridge.
Den made friends with Peter Cousins,
cab driver extraordinaire,
who made sure he saw
THE lamppost
when areas were closed
due to Mad Cow disease.
"Oops!
Wrong turn!
But, hey, since we're here,
take a picture...."
A few years later,
we strolled the daffodil-studded streambank of Addison's Walk
and quaffed a pint at The Eagle and Child,
the pub where Lewis
and his brother Warnie
and J.R.R. Tolkien
and Dorothy Sayers and
Owen Barfield
critiqued each other's stories.

We are thankful for C.S. Lewis's influence on thousands--
millions--
of believers.
"Christianity, if false,
is of no importance
and if true,
is of infinite importance.
The only thing it cannot be
is moderately important."

Lewis died fifty years ago today,
like John F. Kennedy
and Aldous Huxley.
"Has this world been so kind to you
that you should leave with regret?
There are better things ahead
than any we leave behind."





Thirty Days of Thankful #23: 

We are thankful for two-year-old Lucy
who raced across the yard
shrieking "Bop! Bop!"
when Den arrived.
If she had a tail,
it would have been wagging furiously.

We are thankful for five-year-old Anna
who, when Sue neglected
to bring the lobster puppet, "Claw,"
asked Sue to use her hand as a substitute
to make Claw talk.
Anna then proceeded to tell Claw a secret
by whispering to Sue's wrist.

By the way,
Lucy now HAS a tail.
She is thankful
for the clearance fox costume from Old Navy. 





Thirty Days of Thankful #24:

I am thankful that we are toasty warm,
snug and comfortable
on this ten degree morning.
Wood smoke is wafting from the furnace chimney,
smoke from home grown trees.

-Den

...and in case there is a cold spot on Den's lap,
Chai the Cat
has that covered.

-Sue

Thirty Days of Thankful #25:

I am thankful that the squirrels in my brain
have To-Do lists.
With the holidays coming,
it's a bit busy up there
with recipes,
ice castles,
pulleys,
the history of Penfield,
first grade's performance of A Christmas Carol,
layout for a climbing wall,
the Ireland book's future,
boycotting Black Friday
not to mention the awful Greedy Thursday,
the possibility of a winter storm, 
the church's Christmas program,
and Claw's broken spring.
Den's mind
is a bit more organized--
he remembers where he writes things down--
lumber railroads,
fundraising for the County Historical Society's
new genealogical center,
hunting season,
keeping the pipes from freezing
and other maintenancy things,
a mountain teacher's journal
to transfer and edit....

And speaking of editing,
it's time for a small commercial:
Bard's History of the Old Bucktails
is now available
both in hardcover
and softcover.
Den spent two years
transferring Bard's text
from nineteenth century newspaper articles
to the computer.
This primary source document
with some pictures not previously published
is available
if you Google the Clearfield County Historical Society.
You can save the postage fee
if you visit the CCHS Open House
this Saturday from 1-4.
Free cookies.

It was obvious
when we visited Mom yesterday
that she has no To-Do list.
This is perhaps the most
disconcerting thing
about nursing homes.
I am so used
to centering my life
around DOing.
She spends her time
just BEing.
The scripture
"Be still
and know that I am God,"
applies to Mom and her friends.
Perhaps I need to learn
yet another lesson
from her.
Balance DOing
with BEing.

And don't do it barefoot.
Or,
as they say in the old songs,
Shoe be do be do.





 Thirty Days of Thankful #26:

I am thankful for peanut butter,
a seemingly healthy alternative
when no one feels like cooking.
Creamy peanut butter
melting over hot buttered toast.
Crunchy peanut butter
if you want to live
a bit on the wild side.
It sits on the shelf for weeks
without going bad,
without getting lonely
because jelly is always there
being sweet.
Peanut butter is main course material
that also functions as dessert.
Just add chocolate chips
or chocolate syrup
or ice cream.
Or all of the above. 



Thirty Days of Thankful #27:

I am thankful for the ability to read.
Fifty-one years ago,
my first grade teacher, Mrs. Deemer,
and her friends Dick and Jane
taught me to read.
(Kindergarten was only
for city kids
in those days.)
Finally,
the Little Golden Books in the bookcase
made sense!
I spent hours each summer
lying on the porch swing
reading.
Black Beauty.
Pippi Longstocking.
The Bobbsey Twins.
The Shy Stegosaurus of Cricket Creek.
Nancy Drew.
College brought Narnia
and Gene Stratton Porter's nature books.
I spent Paul's infant days
with James Michener.
In recent years,
I buy Philip Yancey books,
used of course.
I have started down a path
that I cannot finish,
as any list would be incomplete.

Reading
is sometimes preferable
to listening
as the brain squirrels
can go at their own rate
and not get distracted.
Reading
is almost always preferable
to meetings
as the book won't notice the
expression on your face
and ask what you are thinking
and then get ticked
because you have an alternate viewpoint.
Of course
the books are better
than the movies!
Maybe there is one exception,
but I can't think what it is....




Thirty Days of Thankful #28:

Happy Thanksgiving Day!
For smoke from the chimney,
snow on the ground,
snow blowers
and sweet potatoes,
Lord we thank Thee.

For fresh carrots,
fresh air,
fresh sheets
and family
and friends to sleep in them,
Lord we thank Thee.

For pumpkin pie,
pilgrims for decoration
and people to share life with,
Lord we thank Thee.

For tea,
toothpaste,
timers,
time off,
turkey
and Turkey....
Luke should be on the road by now
bringing John
who is from Istanbul, Turkey....
Lord we thank Thee.

May the words of our mouths
and the thoughts of our hearts
be pleasing in Thy sight
on this official Thanksgiving Day
and
every
day.

Thanksgiving blessings to you
from Denny and Sue





Thirty Days of Thankful #29:
I am thankful to have lived long enough to have wrinkles.

Yesterday
I was brushing my teeth
before we left for Yohes
when I looked in the mirror
and noticed
The Mother Of All Neck Wrinkles.
It was like a toothless old woman
smiling at the base of my neck.
It reached
from west to east,
from sea to shining sea.
If I were on a crime show,
it would show the guest star
exactly where to cut.
If I stand tall
and lift up my head,
it disappears.
It occurs to me
that I could trace its location
with a sharpie marker
and then do a trick
of making the black line repeatedly disappear under the sag
by doing a short-and-tall neck dance.
However, prior experience tells me
that sharpie lines on skin
last a long time,
so that magic trick
will go untried.

This morning
I think of friends
who predeceased their wrinkles,
who did not
live to see their children grow up.
I am thankful
to have lived long enough
to hug grandchildren.

I am also thankful
for turtlenecks.



 Thirty Days of Thankful #30: 

We are thankful for manna. 
Daily.
Remember the story of Moses
leading the Israelites through the wilderness
and how God provided manna to eat
each day?

"Just in case" takes up
a substantial portion
of my brain.
I have loads of red ribbons for Christmas wreaths,
a giant pile of black turtlenecks
to cover yesterday's wrinkles,
a basement cupboard of toys
for classroom
and grandgirl use,
loads of pie pans
so no one needs to return them,
not to mention piles of dishes
in case one breaks
or we have a big crowd.
(Hey,
it was Jackson China
at Goodwill
and I had a half-off coupon!)
We still have rice left from Y2K--
did you know rice can last
for thousands of years?

Den is similar.
He has his boxes of nails
and wire
and windshield fluid
and oil
and extra saw blades.
Just in case.


I am the same way
with writing projects.
I brainstorm ideas
and get the first draft done.

On the first of November
I wrote the first "Thirty Days of Thankful" entry
when Gilda didn't get picked up for speeding.
(At the time,
I thought I had invented this idea.
Ha.)
I then listed twenty-some other ideas
so the November project
would be easily completed.
The list was unnecessary.
Daily,
new thoughts occurred
as vision developed
to see how blessed Denny and I are.
Every
day.

Like manna,
"The steadfast love of The Lord never ceases.
His mercies
never come to an end.
They are new every morning.
Great is Thy faithfulness!"

PS. Thank you for reading these entries
over the past month.
It's now time
to write the Christmas newsletter
which is somewhat similar
but the brain squirrels
handwrite it
and draw small pictures
and send it snail mail.
If you want to be added to the list,
private message us your address.

Daily blessings,
Sue and Denny

Thoughts on the Nativity (Christmas Thoughts 2013, reposted from Facebook)

'Tis the season for nativity sets.
Ours is on a desk in the parlor,
a souvenir of Israel carved from olive wood.
It reminds us why this season is called Christmas.
"Christ mass."
Our nativity set has the usual cast of characters...
Camels.
I like camels.
Growly stomachs.
Attitude.
Camels spit for fun
or for disdain
or maybe because there was a gross bug at the last oasis.

I like wise men.
Usually three
unless I hide one
or a wise penguin gets added to the entourage for a quartet.
Scripture says there were three gifts,
not necessarily three wise men.
The wise men were curious and they did something about it.
The wise men were also rebels.
King Herod told them to come back
and they said, "You're not the boss of me!"
But not to his face.
After all, they WERE wise men.

I like shepherds.
They took care of goofy little lambs
and took turns watching for lions
while others slept around the fire.
They knew the stars without using Google Sky.
I like angels, too,
though not lovely plastic lady angels.
In scripture
the angel was startling enough to terrify the shepherds.
(Shepherds in our children's pageant at church
get to scream when the angel appears.)
Those little baby cherub angels
are not Ezekiel's angels
with many wings and eyes
who announce
"Holy holy holy is the Lord God Almighty.
The whole earth is full of His glory!"

Perhaps Joseph is the least noticed,
but I like Joseph.
He held Mary's hand while she made strange noises.
It's never easy to watch someone you love suffer.
...and though the conception may have been immaculate,
the birth was probably not.
Thank you, Joseph,
for your janitorial abilities
and for being a role model for step fathers everywhere.

Nativity Mary.
She's usually dressed in blue and kneeling in prayer.
She doesn't look tired enough.
She just gave birth to her first child
and now there's company coming.
She really just wants to hold the baby and sleep.

But Baby Jesus makes me somewhat uncomfortable.
He is not what he seems.
His body is covered in swaddling clothes
and diapers
and drool,
but his eyes have overseen the creation of every species on earth.
His ears have heard the morning stars sing together.
His lips have spoken thunder.
His nostrils have smelled angel fire.
His hands and feet know what is coming in 33 years.
His tiny body
and this tiny planet
are holding the physical and metaphysical of the universe.
Voluntarily.
When we look into those baby eyes,
they look back into the hiding places in our memories,
into our past
and our future,
and those eyes love us, 
every one.
Those eyes show the love that chained Almighty God
to a human body for a short lifetime.
For me.
For you.

May thoughts of the nativity be with you this Christmas season.

Many blessings,
Denny and Sue



Those eyes show the love that chained Almighty God
to a human body for a short lifetime.
For me.
For you.

May thoughts of the nativity be with you this Christmas season.

Many blessings,
Denny and Sue

Driving Thoughts on Valentines Day

 Yesterday was Valentines morning.
I drove the snowy mountain roads
in my Queen of Hearts dress
from 1975.
Double knit fabric has a bit of stretch to it,
thankfully.
There were very few vehicles on the mountain,
not like the night before
when I-80 eastbound closed
and hundreds of trucks clogged the road.
THERE was where I sat for twenty minutes
before Gilda the Adventure Car decided to make a u-turn
and go home on the back roads.

And THERE is Johnston's Nursery
where son Paul worked summers in his herbicide-blue sneakers.
His black Subaru drove back and forth
and back and forth
from home to work
and work to home
never passing a gas station.
He drives a white Subaru now,
my mom's final car.
The black Subaru was demolished
when Paul's friend Noel,
the most upbeat, gregarious person we have ever met,
rolled it after dropping Paul at the Buffalo airport.
No one was injured,
praise God,
but a debate ensued
as to who would pay the insurance deductible.
Noel was responsibly insistent that he would pay,
but it was an ACCIDENT
and college kids have little extra cash.
A compromise was reached:
Noel would make a donation some time in the future
when he saw a need that was unmet.
Later
when Noel's job took him to the Philippines
he sponsored a party for the children of prostitutes,
kids who were poor
and looked down upon.

Our school Valentines Day party perhaps has some similar kids attending,
kids who are poor,
whose life situations could make us cry.
But during the party
there are hugs and thank yous as valentines are opened,
and smiles under icing mustaches
as cupcakes are devoured.
Perhaps love is more appreciated in small bites.

As winter wanes,
may you have safe travels,
may you have eyes that notice needs,
may you find reasons to hug
and say thank you,
and may you enjoy a bit of icing on your lip.

S.