#silverlinings

[aquanomad28]

June 20, 2024, Thursday

Commute Home in the Rain

It was 5:20 pm when the rain started pouring heavily during our meeting. By 6:34 pm, on my way home, I was soaked - bag, shoes, socks, and even the lower part of my uniform. The bus stop was a mad scramble for shelter, and the bus ride was no better - crammed with dripping passengers and lukewarm air conditioning.

Then, my music kicked in. The lyrics, a beautiful reminder: "Life is sometimes a song of joy, a guiding light on our path. Sometimes it's a song of tears, but even those fade with the morning hope. No matter how strong the storm, how deep the darkness, a mother's love always watches over us."

Taking a moment, I noticed the little details of my day. The rain, a hassle for commuters like me, was also a blessing after the long dry spell. At work, I received appreciation, completed tasks ahead of schedule, learned from experienced colleagues, and even received a call from my previous employer regarding my separation pay. Even on the bus, there were stories to be found - the woman with messy hair, the man with visible hair wax, the lady with remarkably persistent blush despite the rain (good product!😁), and the overheard snippets of positive conversations.

It made me realize that even when a day seems frustrating, there are always blessings to be found in the little things. Taking a moment to appreciate the positive can shift our perspective. Life, after all, is still good, and there's always beauty to be found, even in the midst of the ordinary or unpleasant. 🙏🏻😇

[bitchyfog]

Art fight attack for @helljunker 's character Scra from our Silverlinings dnd group! I'm pretty proud of it :)

This puts my total for the year at three, which for my first time and my slow pace, isn't that bad

Bonus uncolored because I like it

[thatsmimi]

MIMI TRICK OR TREAT

I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT THAT EMOJI COMBO WOULD DO. Your problem now

could it be... little goblin all along....

[system-of-a-feather]

Man, okay so shits going in the right direction and all and we are getting better but GOD was this week so far so so so so so god awful mental health wise. Huge L week fr fr, but in stereotypical Riku fashion, a list of silver linings to it all to give myself some closure on this stupid week as it starts to get better

While this is easily the worst we've felt in a year or so, it is also the worst we've felt in A YEAR OR SO and we are - all things considered - relatively fine.

Exhausted, spent, low on spoons, vaguely fragile and kinda unstable, tired, dissociated, but we are very much coping and handling it and making it through. Even the worst part of this week would have been considered a "good" week a few years ago, so while this is the worst we've felt in a year or so **THIS** being the worst and "wrecking us" this bad is a testament to now much we've healed.

It hard reset out worsening negativity and apathetic nature to our work (as we were just happy to have something ELSE to keep us busy with) which, if we can keep it up, should get us through the next few months until we hopefully hear back from one of the places we applied to and/or get progress and feedback on our PhD and thus the burn out / emotional burn out from work will be much more negligible.

That shit was getting pretty bad so thank god. Shit was getting miserable.

We're still making progress with getting top surgery, difficulties in place or not, it is still progress.

And progress is progress, small or not, every step in a marathon counts to the goal. We also have an appointment for a second opinion in place.

We ARE given motivation to get back get back to actually moderating our eating to the standards we'd prefer.

We've been meaning to as it is healthier, makes us feel healthier, has us cooking more which is good for us mentally, and often is cheaper but we've been returning to being lax on it due to us tapping out due to general stress. Additionally, our medical team is actually looking into testing oral medications for weight loss which we can humor and see which might be nice in the case we just have a medical issue here

Was forced to address that I need support with my fiance who - partially on my own fault - has been rather codependent and neglectful to our emotional needs as he's been struggling.

Which in turn made us actually bring shit out in the open and have a productive conversation about boundaries and our individual needs and limitations as well as better ways to support eachother which was REALLY needed in hindsight as we had basically fallen into our old counterdependent ways which we swore off of years ago.

Was able to validate that we have a support network that we can rely on now and that they'd do their best to support us even if we are acting VERY frightening and stressful

Cause XIV was thinking of hospitalizing himself because of how he genuinely was thinking and feeling and I know for a fact three different people were aware of how serious he was considering it because they told us later and we're like "haha... yeah" (but actually with more than just that obv, just that I aint posting the details on that conversation to the public)

Found out a funny thing, cause I think when we are REALLY stressed we also kind of fall into Fei at this point too .

Just a fun note of our healing direction cause Fei apparently is both the "I'm stressed" and "Im at blissful peace" mode which is interesting to say the least.

This week has been fucking HELL but hey, it's been a productive and effective hell.

[helljunker]

[yoggybloggy]

worlds first woman who is a deadbeat dad

[niobefurens]

Awesome!

Thanks OP for posting.

“Are you the witch who turned eleven princes into swans?”

The old woman stared at the figure on the front step of her cottage and considered her options. It was the kind of question usually backed up by a mob with meaningful torches, and it was the kind of question she tried to avoid.

Coming from a single dusty, tired housewife, it should’ve held no terrors.

“You a cop?”

The housewife twisted the hem of her apron. “No,” she muttered. “I’m a swan.”

A raven croaked somewhere in the woods. Wind whispered in the autumn leaves.

Then: “I think I can guess,” the old woman said slowly. “Husband stole your swan skin and forced you to marry him?”

A nod.

“And you can’t turn back into a swan until you find your skin again.”

A nod.

“But I reckon he’s hidden it, or burned it, or keeps it locked up so you can’t touch it.”

A tiny, miserable nod.

“And then you hear that old Granny Rothbart who lives out in the woods is really a batty old witch whose father taught her how to turn princes into swans,” the old woman sighed. “And you think, ‘Hey, stuff the old skin, I can just turn into a swan again this way.’

“But even if that was true – which I haven’t said if it is or if it isn’t – I’d say that I can only do it to make people miserable. I’m an awful person. I can’t do it out of the goodness of my heart. I have no goodness. I can’t use magic to make you feel better. I only wish I could.”

Another pause. “If I was a witch,” she added.

The housewife chewed the inside of her cheek. Then she drew herself up and, for the first time, looked the old woman in the eyes.

“Can you do it to make my husband miserable?”

The old woman considered her options. Then she pulled the wand out from the umbrella stand by the door. It was long, and silver, and a tiny glass swan with open wings stood perched on the tip.

“I can work with that,” said the witch.

[flight-freedom]

At least there's fireworks going off outside my window.

[thesearch-continues]

005: Trapped In Joshua Tree

Life during lockdown was a wild ride, huh? From remote work to isolated social events, it felt like we were all just trying to keep our heads above water. 

But hey, let's keep it light! Post-grad life started off with a bang, but then COVID hit, and everything went sideways. Despite the craziness, there were some silver linings – like wearing masks during allergy season.

As the world slowed down, we had a chance to really think about what mattered. The tragedies of Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, and others sparked a wave of social activism that couldn't be ignored.

Meanwhile, I was at a crossroads in my career. Feeling undervalued and stuck in a rut, I decided it was time for a change. I headed a cool visual campaign in upstate New York that pushed boundaries in collaboration with some fantastic artists. Stepping out into the fresh air to push boundaries. But as the project wrapped up, I knew it was time to move on. So, I hopped on a plane to LA for some much-needed inspiration. 

From exploring the Hollywood sign to partying with old friends, it was a trip to remember. And then, there was Joshua Tree. Amidst the desert silence, I found clarity and purpose like never before. It was a moment of pure magic, and then some (see video for more). Back in Jersey, I dove headfirst into new projects, from location managing for music videos to exploring new spaces. Each experience fueled my creativity and pushed me to new heights.

So here I am, writing this, grateful for the journey that brought me here. Life's a wild ride, but hey, I wouldn't have it any other way.

Stay curious, keep exploring, and never stop chasing your dreams.

 The search continues.

[zborintarziat]

Găsiți adevăratul motiv pentru fiecare întârziere cu intarziat.ro.

[rvtravelswithmike]

Live from La Ceres Caffe/Altrude by the Sea 29.06.23

[bitchyfog]

The tavern was rowdy this evening, but pleasantly. Lynn had had a few and, while not exactly social, was still enjoying the atmosphere along with her drink. Bits of conversation drifted from other tables, generally good spirited and out of context, but... "...you might as well tell me that little one over there carried in her big friend, I'd believe you as much!" It carried loudly over the rest of the chatter, and Lynn found herself feeling more competitive than angry. She set down her mug in the moment of relative quiet that followed the statement, and stood on her chair facing the group of men, human and a couple elves, who had spoken

"Would you bet on that, gentlemen?" Her voice was nearly unreadable, and the barkeep looked like he he was ready to break up a fight. "What will you wager me? I'll buy your next three rounds if I can't."

"Now, miss, no need to get upset. We didn't mean anything by it."

"Felix, I need to ask you a favor." She turned back to the table. "I'm being serious. Place a wager."

One of them scoffed. "If you insist on hurting yourself...fine. ten gold, *and* you and your friend's next three rounds."

She hopped off the chair, and everyone in the area backed away to clear a space. Felix managed to look concerned under his veil. "Is this really necessary? I mean, I believe you, but..."

She laughed a bit and stretched. "We need to show them why you don't run your mouth like that where anyone can hear. Are you ready?" Felix just nodded, and a hush fell over the room.

Which exploded into cheers as she bent a little, and hoisted the large paladin onto her shoulders, taking a small step towards the offending table of men, all of whom looked annoyed. "Well? Does this satisfy your belief?" They grumbled, counting out the coins between them as the barkeep watched and nodded approvingly and Lynn set Felix gently back down.

"Another drink, Felix? I believe it's already paid for." She smiled to herself, and took a swig of her drink. The night was going pretty well.

-----------

Art fight attack for @ghostbrawl and @yoggybloggy ! Lynn (halfling barbarian) and Felix (redacted paladin) from our Silverlinings dnd campaign! They are buddies :)

[thatsmimi]

[bitchyfog]

Can't believe someone made a picrew just for Eight!!! <3

Gremlins of tumblr can you make a gremlinsona with this picrew ? And show us in the reblogs ? Here's mine ! :D

[empowerudaily]

Embrace positivity and keep the faith, even in tough times. #silverlinings #hope #positivityquotes https://www.instagram.com/p/CoSXTjGJ6IT/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=