I have been kind of down lately. I am not sure if I can attribute this to the election and the dysfunction of the normal conversations that I hold dear every day tensioned by the current events. I would hope that all of the people who are in my everyday life know that I love them no matter what their political views and such. These days, I am not so sure. People can let you down. It is all in a days happenings as they doom....I mean "loom".......closer and closer to November 4th.

I can attribute my sunken feelings to the human nature of disappointment in one another and other (besides the election) personal decisions. I have a hard time with expectations. I often expect too much of myself and too much of others. I think I may be learning that lesson this week. As an adult, I often feel frustrated by issues that I thought we were on the same page about, but people have let me down because we really do not see eye to eye on everything. Maybe it is "Eye to Eye" with my husband, or my friends, or maybe I don't agree with my neighbor or the church. I am so glad I have many different view points and opinions in my life. Like I have said before on this blog, life would be far too boring if everyone nodded blankly at the screen echoing my thoughts and musings from this street, Motherhood Avenue.

One thing that has been such a blessing this week is that my youngest of 2 (my littlest boy) has discovered how to give hugs. It came just in time to help me through the week full of disappointments and election stress that I have been feeling. I am not talking about the kind of embraces that are a reaction to the self initiated hugs towards him. They are not the type of hug given to you because you just let your child have a piece of candy or because you found his or her favorite toy under the couch. This is the kind of hug that is just given for no reason other than the fact that I am his mom and he is beginning to realize what love is all about. This is the type of hug that no mater what education policy I will represent, or if I support the latest health care deal. I am talking about the discovery of a 1.5 year old to tightly squeeze you around the neck. This type of hug can take your breath away. He says "awww Mommeeee" in his young and learning to speak dialect. It can send the excitement that makes my heart skip a bit. Something is so wonderful when a child can initiate that kind of connection with out the prodding or pleading being done on my part. These spontaneous outbursts of love have just been so awesome as these endless days of electoral maps being posted over the web, and emails being sent from one another trying to persuade the vote. I have never really been patriotic or opinionated. I think that this blog has helped my toughen up my skin in that sense of finding my way and reaching for an opinion of my own.

I know these times are precious as they come out of nowhere. Find someone whom you love today and give him or her that kind of hug. In days of high stress, high taxes, and low income everyone could use a non initiated "2 year old" style kind of hug. Stop whatever you are doing and find someone to hug today, and hug someone special for no reason other than the fact that you love him or her.

(It's lonely on this street at times. Please send me your personal stories that you would like me to read or would like me to share with my readers. My love of this is how well I am beginning to know many of you and how this week, through the computer, you had been a blessing to me....THANK YOU)