Waking up from the Poppies

Remember in "The Wizard of Oz" when Dorothy and her companions all are put under the spell of the Wicked Witch of the West, and succumb to the "poison" in the poppy field? Then, Glinda the Good Witch wakes them with snow, falling beautifully and silently, waking the travelers with new optimism, closer than ever to their goal.

Well, that happened to me today. I have been struggling with health, job, relationships, blah, blah, blah. This has gone on with a crazy intensity for months. Of course, there have been peaks and valleys, but this week it all seemed to come to a head on several fronts. I have new clarity on the ramification of my health issues. I finished a job that caused tremendous stress, and today, left my files, computer, and blackberry behind for my successor. And, things are beginning to fall into place in the logistical nightmare that became my reality this week, with the "don't drive" edict from my doctor.

I didn't even realize how toxic many things had become until they began to resolve. This week was filled with stuff coming at me from all directions--mostly good stuff, but as a result of bad stuff.

Today was the day I got to walk away from my former job. Today it began to snow early. In Houston. It doesn't snow in Houston. But it was. A lot. I got to go to breakfast with a couple of my good friends, laughing a lot, and looking at the snow. Then the final wrap up of my job, with snow coming down even harder. I was picked up by another friend, and we headed downtown for a "special announcement" from Bill White--He'll be running for Governor of Texas. It was a ballroom filled with enthusiastic optimism.



After the big political announcement, I returned home, played in the snow, baked cookies and made dinner with my children, then joined friends for a nibble at one of my favorite restaurants in Houston. I realized while I was there how light and optimistic I was feeling, and how I'm right on the edge of achieving some goals, now that I have left the toxicity of the "poppies" and been gently, quietly awoken by the snow.

I walked out on my patio tonight. It is COLD, but the moon is shining brightly in a clear sky, and the stars are sparkling. I think The Emerald City is just over the horizon...