I started this post hours ago and I admit, I had to reach out to a wonderful, thoughtful friend  for some guidance. Then, as I do, I went for a run to clear my head.

What began in this awful, ugly place in my heart, the one filled with rage and defensiveness (a very bad place to start) brought me to this new, interesting landscape filled with reflection and gratitude.

Because so many of you get that today is about her story. Not yours.

I’m not super involved in our writing community anymore. There are a wealth of reasons for that, but mental fatigue plays a huge part. People can be vexing. And getting overwrought is not what Mr. Darcy calls a value-added activity. So though I usually don’t keep up with the latest outrage or scandal or big to-dos, there is a parade of pitch -fork and torch carriers –the very same people who love to read and write and talk about love, forgiveness, and reconciliation— climbing the porch steps of someone very dear to me.

 And then I read through some posts and comments from people in our community and I even received a few messages of support myself. Wow. Yay, people. Yay, you. How enormously gratifying to see so many (authors, readers, publishers, editors) offer the safe harbor of friendship, and exercise the inclusivity and love you write about, talk about, read about, and fly flags over.

Today was supposed to be my Happy The Front Bottoms New Music Day (and still is because I’ve bought five flipping copies of that album)—and it turns out instead to be this amazing  I Stand For Josh  Friday   And it's important, because that's my best friend.

There are a lot of very good, very wonderful people out there in our converging circles. People who choose not only write about love, they also offer it. An unexpected phenomena in the face of so many unknowns for Josh, and my
surprisingly optimistic take away on this I Stand For Josh Friday.

I leave for Scotland in less than a week. I have my Wellies, my notebook, my playlist, my friends, my running shoes, and my hollow leg. I'll be back October 10th. You can find me on Facebook, as usual. And, if you haven't yet signed up for my bitching newsletter, please do.

Peace~

L.B.