The other morning, I went for a walk along the Arkansas River. It was an exhilarating walk. I saw one of the eagles that usually visits SoCe in late December/early January.

On the way home, I was thinking about what I needed to do the rest of the day. As I approached Waco Ave, I noticed that one of my neighbors had her front door open - just the storm door was closed. I wondered if I should stop and invite her to our Sunday evening Cookies & Carols party. I didn't really want to - if the front door is open, that means her giant, intimidating dog can just run out through the dog door and greet me. Not being a person who enjoys dogs, the thought of an encounter with that dog is uncomfortable and requires courage. But then, in my head, I heard the encouraging words "I trust you. You can trust yourself." I knew that this meant I should trust my initial inclination to stop and invite my neighbor to the party. I approached the door. On cue, the menacing canine ran out… so I petted him and rubbed his back for at least half a minute until his owner appeared. She and I ended up having a long conversation about some of the struggles she is going through and some tough decisions she is having to make. We talked about a recent funeral she had attended - the paradox of the grief and yet the joy of family coming together. I am thankful for that conversation and that I trusted myself.