Hello Y’all! I hope you are doing well in your part of the world? Summer is officially a couple days away but the heat isn’t waiting till then. Its time to slather on the sunscreen, sun hats, sun shades and the short shorts because the proverbial ‘Texas Burn’, is on!

So I tend to get pulled into watching numerous clips of TikTok videos streamed on YouTube about dogs…especially when bored or just looking for something to distract myself. The funny antics or despairing experiences they’ve had and their journey to recovery and being loved back into the loyal, furry little friends that they truly are bring back memories of growing up and having litters of puppies every now and again. I come from a dog loving family so its in my DNA.

There was always a big pup among the litter who was the bully, cried the loudest and stayed on mama tits long after the others had dozed off for the night. Yes, I’m referring to that one. I remember one time when I had to feed them in separate bowls because this cute little rascal would literally eat everything before the others even got a head start. So one day, something happened. I had just got done serving up their food and I was sitting in the kitchen watching them eat. The little rascal finished his food and looked up at me and then at his brother eating a couple of feet away. I knew what he was thinking LOL. He knew by now that he wasn’t supposed to go near his siblings plates during meal time so this is what he did. He pretended to be sniffing something on the floor and walking around the room….all the while closing in on the nearest pups plate. I was watching him intently but he was oblivious to me. In this pups mind, he was smart…very smart if I might add. All this time, he was pretending to sniff something on the floor, he was inching closer to his brothers bowl. In this pups brain, all of this was going to go unnoticed…..WRONG!!! I was unto him from the moment he looked at his brothers plate. I could literally see the wheels turning as he was trying to figure out the most stealth way to steal a couple bites of food without me knowing. I share this to say that…..

Life is a playground and you’ve got to get on it and play. You will fall down, You will learn from it and hopefully get back up and in the game again…literally. With time and experience, you learn and you grow. You don’t fall for the same tricks as you once did. You aren’t as gullible as you once were. You tend to question things – by asking ‘why’ and by anticipating the outcome of things whether good or bad. There is a sharpness, a seasoning that comes to you that cannot be acquired in any book or crash course. Life itself is THE school.

Time makes you shrewd.

*If you apply yourself to the school of life, you can spot things from a mile away.

*You aren’t quick to react as you were in your early days.

*You are more observant.

*You listen more…not just to what is being said in the moment but how it’s said and when.

*You become better at reading motives and intentions.

*You become intentional and more clear on what works for you and what doesn’t. What you want and what you won’t accept.

*You realize that you are human and you DO have a choice. Nothing is set in stone. There are no absolutes…someone just hasn’t discovered a way yet.

In my opinion, life is a playground when you are young. You fall, you get scraped, heal faster, learn from it and get back on the playground. I believe this is the time to train yourself because when you’re older, you get stiffer, you’re becoming brittle, you’re not as quick or you don’t heal as fast. But its meant to be that way. This is when you can sit back and pour into the younger ones who are willing to listen. Those who understand the invaluable pearls of wisdom being bestowed and who want to ensure that they don’t fall into the same ditches you did…literally. A timeless saying that rings through is to ‘never cast your pearls to swine’ is one that I often heard growing up but honestly did not grasp the depth of until much much later.

Folks, these are the gains and rewards we enjoy when we actively participate in life. Some of us took a fall and are now watching from the sidelines, afraid to get back on this playground called life. I speak to you and to myself as well…’Don’t be afraid. There’s only two directions it’s going to turn out: Good or Not so good’. That’s it! It’s better to try and not get the outcome you want than to not have tried at all. Until I come your merry way again, please like, follow and share your thoughts with me and the other Starr readers around the world. Have a fabulous week ahead!! I remain,

Periwinkle Starr