And blogging is what, again?

Seems like I do most of my blogging-type rambling on social media these days, but just for old times sake here's a couple of Christmas pictures. First, our tree, and second, how you can recognise my Dad's car in a parking lot.

And, erm, that's it. See you on Instagram or wherever else for the rest.

Well, hi, blog. Long time no see.

To be honest, I don't see the point of having a blog anymore. I don't use it; my job doesn't use its blog... why am I still bothering to type here?

Well, here's the thing. Anthony Bourdain died bt his own hand. I'm sad, but I refuse to judge despite what the idiots would like to tell you. He left behind a lot of people who loved him, and I can't explain why. I don't know.

I do know what it's like to feel like the whole world around you is empty and that there's no point. I do know what it feels like to feel nothing. Literally. I do know what it feels like to decide that the only way out is to be gone.

And I've tried.

Yep.

I ended up in a panic and stopped what I started (sorry, I'm not going to say because I don't want to trigger or suggest. Ever), but it would have been easy to just say DONE.

Turns out that I'm not done. Who knew? A lot of people right now are sending out suicide hotline numbers and they mean well. In my personal experience, though, in the middle of depression your loved one won't be giving an eff about hotlines. Talk to them. Please.

Yeah

So, here's a thing.

Shortly after Christmas, I ordered a few things from a Canadian charity's Boxing Day sale. For my American readers who don't know Boxing Day... well, look it up. Sorry, but I get tired of explaining when the info's already out there.

Anyway.

There's a complicated story behind the arrival of the package, involving a missing delivery notice and a cab trip at -30C, but that's not what this is about.

It's about what happened afterwards.

Now, I'll admit that I didn't have a lot of ideas about what I'd do with the order until I opened the set of made-in-Kenya bracelets. If, by the way, you're still wondering about which charity I'm talking about, just enlarge the photo. That's the bracelet I'm talking about. Just don't want to give a complete endorsement because that's not my thing.

Anyway, again.

I opened the bracelet set thinking that I'd be keeping them, but for whatever reason my brain decided that I should be passing them on to people that I liked instead. The charity calls them Rafiki, which means friend. Maybe that's why they needed to be shared.

I took them in to work today and gave them out to a few people. As is usual for me I'd already planned for what I'd do if someone didn't want one... but it wasn't needed. People seemed happy.

I don't know if anyone realised how happy it made me that people liked my little gift. It wasn't anything big, but it meant something to me and I'm glad that it was received kindly.

Big lift, in other words, and so much better than having bracelets in multiple colours just because. I don't even care if I never see one worn again. Um, not much, anyway.

The take-away's so obvious that I'm not going to state it, but today was a good day that also included helping others. Doubly good day. We should all have more of those.