Thinking Out Loud, Volume CCCXXVII

Ahhhh! I love those days, those nights, those places, those people with whom I can just sit back and relax, forgetting about all the worries that plague us all practically every day of our lives. And those good times leave us with pleasant memories that will stay with us for a long, long time. I don't have to reach very far back into my memory bank to recall such events. Just a few weeks ago we took a running trip to Oklahoma City, and on the Friday night that we arrived in town, we went to Starbucks in the Bricktown area, bought us some coffee, and just sat outside enjoying the breeze, conversing with friends, and watching people go by and the baby ducks playing in the water. So relaxing. We have a family trip planned in the next few weeks to the mountains of North Georgia, and I'm hoping it turns out to be a worry-free event that will give us happy memories for the rest of our lives. Just remembering those special times can brighten our days when we're in the middle of the chaos of our normal lives. Do you have any of those special times in your life that bring smiles of joy to your face when they come to your mind? If not, you need to try to make it happen. It's good for your health, and it can prolong your life. During the times when I'm making an effort to count my blessings, I find myself so overwhelmed by the number of close friends we have, and also at the harmonious relationship we have with our family that I have to just say, "Thank you Lord for blessing me the way you have done." I may not have as much money as many of the people I know, but I have to look long and hard to find someone who is more blessed than I am. There's just one tiny problem that I've been working on trying to fix, and I often wonder how many of you have to deal with the same issue. It seems that I can never get to the point to where I'm just totally one hundred per cent at ease. Are you that way too? I feel like I can move my problems and negative thoughts off the front burner, but they just never seem to completely leave my mind. I guess what I'm saying is I don't feel like I'm ever fully relaxed. Am I the only one who has to deal with this issue, or is it even possible to flush every negative or worrisome thought out of our minds? I can get there to a point, but never as far as I want to go. Now please don't forget that I just told you how much I love those times of relaxation with friends and family. I really mean that!! I'm just trying to see if there's a way I can make them even better. I'm sure trying! Preston