aha..now I can give myself advice...seeing the same sentiments I expressed reflected in someone else's words brings out the Ann Landers in me...

Here's one answer: As promoted as relentlessly as our pain by Hallmark and our animal companions, there is real power in celebrating the moments of our lives. Which brings me back once again to the truth that first sold me on the wisdom of this forum. I knew there was probably not going to be a huge answer to found here, but the small nuggets of gold peppered throughout are brilliant.

So we can search out and give power to small ideas that enlighten, small truths that strengthen, small (even incredibly small) antidotes to pain and spin them all into a whole cloth of comfort and hope.

We can look for that slight glimmer of hope and recognize it's ability to illuminate our dark corners of despair, especially if we nurture it half as much as we sometimes nurture our pain.

I think it is dear Vonn who speaks about the comfort of warming our hands on the cup while we are drinking our tea. That is a much better way to drink a cup of tea than just holding it by the handle and "gittin 'er done".

OK, now I am on a roll...someone get out the hook...shuffling off to make hot tea in a smooth ceramic cup...