Warm Fuzzies Too

/ Diane Henders

The last couple of weeks have been… interesting. I’m still having trouble sitting because of my spinal problems, so I’ve applied to my insurance company for partial disability until I’m back on my feet (or, more accurately, back on my butt).

Let’s just say it’s *ahem* ironic (this is the most tactful word I can summon) that, in order to be compensated for a disability that prevents me from sitting and working at the computer, they require me to submit personal and corporate documentation that takes over forty hours of computer time to produce.

I’m reminded of the joke about corporate policy for sick days: “You may only be absent from work on medical grounds if you submit a valid death certificate signed by your doctor and witnessed by you.”

I’ll say no more, lest I tumble into a bottomless well of snark and cynicism. Instead, I’m choosing to focus on some more warm fuzzies this week. Here are some bright moments that can make us all smile whenever we remember them (or, better still, when they happen again):

  • The crisp ‘ping’ of your one perfect golf swing in an otherwise abysmal game. (Okay, that’s probably just me — most people get more than one good swing in a game.)
  • The first cold, crisp mouthful of beer (or your beverage of choice) on the Friday night after a tough week.
  • That last-minute substitution in a recipe where you didn’t have all the ingredients, and the dish turns out even better than the original.
  • After practicing for days, the first time that fast intricate passage flows from your fingers and out of your musical instrument without a mistake.
  • The once-in-a-lifetime euphoria of successfully choosing the shortest grocery store lineup.
  • The glorious synergy when you’re charging down the basketball court and your teammate throws the ball exactly where you need it to make the layup.
  • The pure satisfaction of standing in your lush veggie garden and knowing you’re surrounded by a year’s worth of delicious and nutritious food.
  • The lucky brushstroke that creates exactly the look you wanted in your painting, even though you didn’t plan it.
  • And the heart-lifting joy of spring flowers peeking out after a long winter:

What are your warm fuzzies for this week?

Book 17 update: Despite my insurance company’s appropriation of my writing time, I still managed to make it to Chapter 28. The Department is in disarray, and Aydan’s murder suspect got released before she could finish questioning him. Now she’s lost her only lead, and an(other) assassin is on the loose.

23 thoughts on “Warm Fuzzies Too”

  2. I’m so sorry you’re hurting! Back injuries are awful. I hope you find some relief and enjoy some pain free days soon.
    I love this idea and I can relate to several you mentioned. I’m probably going to be repeating the warm fuzzies of a few others probably but here goes: a long drive up the California coast(or probably any coast or lakeshore for that matter); the desert at sunrise; a bonfire on the beach at sunset; concerts and movies in the park during the summer; watching a baby “find it’s feet” ( I’m not much about kids or babies but when they discover those things at the end of their legs and then spend weeks trying to put them in their mouths I just think it’s the cutest); midnight swimming on a warm night; and sitting on my uncles back deck on a clear night with a telescope, a glass of whiskey or wine, and a pad of paper and a pen just in case. I’m sure I’ll think of more later but those are the highlights, lol!
    Get well soon!

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    • Thank you! (For the good wishes and the wonderful warm fuzzies!) We love our telescope nights, too. Hubby is a telescope buff, and there’s nothing like lying out on the deck in a reclining lawn chair, gazing up at a dazzling canopy of stars. He looks through the telescope; I just enjoy the ‘big picture’ of stars and satellites and meteors without magnification. Ahhh… 🙂

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  3. Ugh, welcome to the convoluted world of insurance! It rarely make you feel better but you know I can relate and hope you feel better soon.
    Warm fuzzy is exactly that. Finally warm enough to sit outside on the deck sans parka, and now that the snow is cleared off even the girls come out and join me. Just picture Hollys face plastered on the inside of the door meowing let me out! While Hoolihan on the outside meowing let me in!

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    • Cats! Guaranteed to want the opposite of what they currently have. But they’re so darn cute while they do it! 🙂

      And after the brutal winter you’ve had out there, I can only imagine how fabulous the sun must feel. Enjoy!

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  7. Sunrise is a warm fuzzy for me. And the satisfaction when Jazz deigns to take his tablet with no fuss. A warmth and a fuzz which haven’t yet graced today.
    I hope your spinal woes leave the building soon. And completely.

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    • Thank you! So do I. Sunrise is a particular favourite of mine, too; and fortunately it’s still accessible at this time of year without getting up painfully early. I try to avoid getting up before six AM, so I’ll soon bid sunrises farewell until fall. 🙂

      As a former cat servant, I completely relate to your cat-pilling experiences. I was always thrilled when I managed to get the tablet down their throats; and my old furry friends weren’t anywhere near as bloodthirsty as your Jazz! Wishing you lots of injury-free days of success…

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  8. I didn’t know you got a ping in golf, Diane… if I played I’d constantly get a thud – and that’s also true for your musically themed fuzzy… me and music don’t go hand in hand!
    The others, though, yes, I can appreciate them, and would Feel pretty Good if they happened to me! 🙂

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  9. One “warm fuzzy” is, well, warmth. When we start getting 60°+ days here (that’s about 16° Canadian) and sun, even if it’s for a day, we all feel better here. Everything seems right with the world.

    Another? Pulling out of the driveway, and the neighborhood, and merging onto the expressway when embarking on a road trip. Good times ahead!

    There’s also that magical moment when the food comes off the grill and gets served at the table, perfectly done.

    Or for the fuzzy side of life, seeing the red pandas at the zoo. (Our favorite zoo is fundraising to build a red panda habitat.)

    And one last warm fuzzy I am sure you can relate to. When I’ve finished writing a really good article in Word, attached it to an email, and hit “SEND” to whisk it away to our editor.

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    • YES! Launching something new into the literary world is a rush like no other.

      I love your other warm fuzzies, too. Road trips and red pandas, what could be better? And now my mouth is watering at the memory of a perfectly-sizzling steak. Our weather has been in the mid-teens for the past day or two as well, so it must be time to fire up the barbeque again! 🙂

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      • I just re-read my comment, and there’s an unfortunate proximity of ‘red pandas’ to ‘sizzling steaks’. Just thought I should mention that cute fuzzy red pandas do not make me think of tasty sizzling steaks. I’m a bit of a barbarian, but not that much. 😉

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