"Be of good cheer."

There was a quote in the back of a woman's magazine I perused recently. It said, "Let us be of good cheer, remembering that the misfortunes hardest to bear are those which never happen."


The speaker was American writer and philosopher James Russell Lowell. I don't remember much from that era of literature - I can remember my professor's face, but not his name!! Apparently the material we read was forgettable - I don't remember much of it anyway! And I'm afraid that was the year of Cliff Notes for me - probably why I don't remember much!

But I thought of how my mother used to always say, "Don't borrow trouble." And how I have a tendency to do just that!

I'm the one who says, "What if we encounter traffic?" "What if no one comes?" "What if it rains?" "What if the Internet is down?"

We've been stuck in traffic, sometimes not a whole lot of people have shown up, it has rained, and the Internet is down now and then. And we have survived - we are here to tell about it!

In spite of the traffic we've made it to wherever we were going and usually had a good time. Some of the best events are intimate gatherings. Rain keeps the grass green and my lilies blooming. And when the Internet is down, I seem to get a lot of other stuff done!

Especially with this big upcoming event, I'm trying hard not to borrow trouble. Trying hard to make lists of things to do that are doable. And committing to making lists of things to have other people do when they ask if there is something they can do to help!

And if it rains, I guess we will pack ourselves into the Cultural Hall!!