We interrupt our normal programming...Operation Beautiful

Hi Everyone,

I lurk at a few other sites that have nothing to do with claying. One of them is from Rachel who is trying to reconcile the journey of learning to live without children and writes poignant blog entries about the very difficult struggle. That's really beside the point, but one of her postings was about Operation Beautiful which is more the point.

Operation Beautiful was started by Caitlin and you can read more about the whole story here.

I posted the link on my Facebook page saying that I would be partipating in the near future. Little did I know that my first real experience with it would be from my brother Mark.

Mark is my youngest brother. He is 13 years younger than me and bears a striking resemblance to the character on the Nintendo DS Brain Age games. He is a tall gentle quiet giant that gets lost when it comes to the right words to say in awkward situations. However, he's very big on hugs, silent companionship, and the occasional simple text message of "I love you". He is wonderful and his hugs are the best, the kind that squish you and surround you and make you feel safe.

This photo is of the text message that he sent me a couple of days ago, I'm guessing after he saw my FB posting. I had my phone on silent so I didn't see it until yesterday morning when I was preparing for a big meeting that was sure to be full of confrontation and exasperation. I ended up smiling all day long.

I offer Mark's text message to all of you, I'm sure he won't mind. All of you have visited my blog, many have left comments, and many have made me smile. You are each and everyone beautiful and I am fortunate to have found a way to have you in my life, even if it's sometimes only very peripherally.

You, my blog readers, are beautiful. Thank you for making my life richer.

Sandy