Oh, my. I opened my dryer door and poof! Down, the fluffy kind, went everywhere! It was almost lighter than air, easily swirled out into the laundry room by the currents from the clothes dryer, and could have been a snow squall, but for the heat. Thinking that it must look like a scene from a 1950s situation comedy, (I Love Lucy comes to mind) I was laughing, which turned out not to be a good idea, as I ended up inhaling fluff. I reached in as the dryer drum quit rotating and pulled out the guilty garment. It is , or was, a full length, down stuffed housecoat that my husband had given me for Christmas in the early 2000's, so it has seen well over 15 years of heavy use. It got me through some difficult winters. I may need to patch it up for the encroaching Coronavirus Christmas season.

It reminded me that I was very fortunate to have been surrounded by so many people of good will, who loved me. I am also fortunate to have been in a position to help them when they need it, each in turn. It is a privilege to be able to help, just as it is a blessing to receive help when needed. While my exploding housecoat is perhaps a silly metaphor, for me it represents an embrace of love and a sense of being valued for who I am and what I do. I wish that for everyone. The great majority of those we know are people of good will. " Such people are easy to attack: their very decency prevents them from overprotecting themselves. Yet the survival of most of the individuals in a society depends upon them." say L. Ron Hubbard in The Way To Happiness. A very good thought to begin the Holiday Season. www.thewaytohappiness.org @waytohappinesstampa