The Demon Inside Me- Part II

In time, I’ve come to understand that there are many diseases and disorders that have neither known cause nor a cure. Yet, I’m so wrapped up in my own woes, that relating to those others is at arm’s length. The medical community has deemed TN as the most painful, and so I live on this morbid pedestal of involuntary martyrdom. When I learn of others, I don’t want to come down. When a person lives with chronic pain, it is difficult to think of others. Joining a support group has proven to be soul crushing, even more so than living with my own personal problems. So not only is this demon intent on taking over my body but also my mind. And let’s not forget the trial and error meds; I’ve been a guinea pig. Despite this break down of the meaning of my life, because let’s face it, TN does partly define me since it immensely impacts my thoughts and actions, I recognize that others do have it worse. Do I find comfort in this? No. But I keep moving whenever possible, because I don’t want to become a worst case scenario. I doubt any inaction would bring me to this, but it does help me keep moving along. What I consider the worst of the worst are those who have TN on both sides of their face and the most cataclysmic hardship belongs to children with TN. My heart breaks for these people, and so I keep moving; I keep trying to find some meaning, or better yet, I continue to make meaning of my life. And the best way that I have learned to do this is by helping others. I help others despite my pain and despite my heartache. In this, I resolve to see that morbid pedestal as nothing more than a stepping stone for opportunity. It is a daily battle to stay out of pity’s way.

For SOME TN sufferers, a cause is clear. Usually something is pressing down on the nerve and there is surgery for this, but there is a 50/50 chance that the first surgery is effective. Yep, many who are brave enough for brain surgery must endure it more than once for reduced pain or to be pain free. When I was first diagnosed in 2003, there wasn’t much literature on TN. I initially joined an online support group but cringed while reading a majority of the posts. While trying to understand my own pain and learning to live with it, reading others’ post distressed me so much so that I would begin to panic. The surgery failed many, so I decided against it and I had to remove myself from the group. So for the majority of this journey, I have had no one to understand me, no one to relate to.

In 2006, I met someone; she was my neighbor. We hit it off instantly! She was like the sister I never had. We met outside almost every day for months and would sit on her front porch talking for hours about anything and everything. She was in chronic pain too. She had endometriosis. I had friends in the past that had it also, but hers was a severe case. Much of our conversations in those seven months included more laughing than I had ever experienced in my entire life at that point and yes, sadly, since then too. As soothing as that was to our souls, it was excruciating to our bodies. I frowned, shock after shock, as the laughter triggered more. I would try to breath and force myself to stop laughing, which if you ever tried that, is almost impossible. She too would force herself to stop laughing, because that triggered pain for her. She held her hip as the laughter pounded pain to her pelvis. She went to a pain management clinic, which prescribed her Percocet. It didn’t help, but she took it anyway. Pain pills and narcotics don’t help TN sufferers, but often we are prescribed them anyhow. I take two anti-seizure medications and once was prescribed a muscle relaxer. Although, I was prescribed these meds 10 years ago, I have only been taking them every day for the last two and a half years. One doctor had doggedly tried to get me on an anti-depressant, but I doggedly declined. For some, this anti-drug stance may seem like I’m a sucker for pain, but it’s not like that. Above anything else, I want my mind. A sound mind is able to make sound decisions regarding the body and the spirit. My body may whither, but there will be no mind siege for me, at least not today.

My dear friend left. She remained my neighbor, but one day she just stopped talking to me. I remember calling her because I hadn’t heard from her in almost a week, but she was distant, and I knew something wasn’t right. I called her the next day and asked her if I offended her in any way, and she said she was just in pain and was resting. Yet, I would see her outside often across the street and in her yard with one of her other friends. When I drove passed her house and waved and she ignored my salutation, I knew something had happened and she did not feel the need to explain. I hurt for years after that. I didn’t want friends, because who could match that? I did make friends. I had a handful of meaningful friendships over the years, but they never quite equaled that level of friendship. Who can match a sister? I don’t compare anyone to her, but when you can laugh despite your pain with a friend you know feels the same way, there really isn’t any better connection than that. I admit that she obviously did not feel the same way about me that I did her, since our friendship wasn’t worth salvaging. I’m ok with that. But it sure is nice to laugh, whether you’re in good health or bad- doesn’t matter.

We did each other favors- cooked for each other, ran errands for each other, and made our children run errands for the other. But I took it to another level. I gave her free massages and even cleaned her house when she couldn’t get off the couch. I put myself aside to show someone love, despite my pain. Mothers naturally do this sort of thing with their children and spouses, and of course I did that too. But it is different when you show love to someone who has not been a big part of your life. I’m not saying it is better, it’s just different. There is a community larger than one’s family. It’s important to keep order in your house and insure each member takes pride in the family unit, but in growth we understand that each family meets in the larger community. This larger community is devoted to public awareness and contentment and requires the work of individuals from various family units in order to thrive. Showing a neighbor love is one small step to a prosperous community. So I did take pride in this friendship. I helped someone out despite my pain, and it was a very good feeling.

She is my Facebook friend, but we don’t talk. I’m okay with this acquaintanceship and of course still wonder what the hell I did to make her go away. But that’s life, I suppose. I can look back and see where I have done the same thing to others. It’s important to free ourselves from negative people. If that’s what I was to her, then I am deeply sorry and I have since then focused on making my life a bit more positive for myself, and maybe if I get it right some will find my will to push through a little inspiring.

The Demon Inside Me- Part III

Will be published on February 15, 2015

Killing the Quarterback

Up until two years ago, I was not much into spectator sports.  In school, I never anticipated the weekly football games.  I had never been asked out to homecoming and never cared that no one took interest in me enough to buy me a corsage and all that jazz.  Fast forward to 2012 and I started dating the biggest football fan, if there even is such a thing.  He warned me that football was a huge part of his life.  With each favorable play and win, he’s the loudest, and with each loss and when football season is over, he is the most depressed.  For someone like me, this is absurd.  I’m a thinker and mostly enjoy finding meaning in life in the greater recesses of my brain, where others cannot manipulate my thought processes.  My world was rocked upon choosing to date a football fanatic.  He is a tactical learner and finds the most enjoyment out of life in this way.  For someone like him, life is too short to think it to death.  His hands on approach, leaves worrying about the day to day upon each action that comes his way.  He understands strategy, but understands testing it out with action.  So for him, life is played out, much like a football game.

We can learn a lot by understanding the dynamics of football.  When applied to our regard for our bodies, strategy is as important as the actual plays.  Many of us begin to take care of our bodies when the doctor tells us the years of neglect are killing us or we are tired of looking in the mirror in disgust.  We know it’s now or never.  This is our forth and one.  The last chance might be successful, but then again perhaps not.  We’ve had many years and much wisdom thrown our way, but the distractions of tv and food got the better of us.  In football, distractions abound.  That’s why players are coached in what opposing players they should stay on.  If they don’t stay on the right man, a vital play is killed.  And if this continues, you, like the football player, get to forth and one with a slackened morale.

An advantage of playing on the home field is the twelfth man.  This is a reference to the fans.  We can go a long way with our loved ones cheering us on.  It helps to keep the mind focused and instead of shaping up (or playing the game) for only ourselves, we now have others we don’t want to let down.  This is good, but we can’t depend on the twelfth man.  He’s there for moral support, but he’s not a constant.  We need consistency in our work-out routine and eating habits in order to make progress.  This is a given; we all know this, but the difference in learning styles really comes to play here.  Those tactile learners adapt easily to working out, because that is how they learn and find satisfaction in life- by moving.  However, for other types of learners, constantly moving snuffs their thinking processes.  So consistently moving is a real challenge.  They are more likely to depend on the twelfth man.  They over think and wait for help.

One thing that should not happen, but does occasionally is a blitz.  Killing the quarterback is detrimental to the game.  The team doesn’t want the quarterback hurt!  People that aren’t tactile learners should view their lives in this way.  Understand the value of who you are and don’t allow things that trip you up to keep you down.  Take care, or there is no you to care of your loved ones.  Don’t kill the quarterback!

Tactile learners, although enjoy movement, can learn from football too instead of just enjoying it.  They are more apt to keep the ball.  They play an audible often when it’s too late or when years of improper use of the body has finally taken its toll.  They may be laborers, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that they understand body mechanics.  Incorrect use of joints will eventually induce these hard workers with pain so severe that they become immobile.  In football a quarterback keeper is a strategy used when the quarterback does not have a chance at throwing the ball.  Instead, he keeps it and runs the play himself.  When used properly, it is a good play, but it is not seen regularly.  The tactile learner would do well to understand that knowledge of others is as vital to his well-being as is his body in motion. 

And then there’s the fumble.  Routines and goals are tripped up by overthinking, procrastination, and setbacks out of one’s control.  The thinker needs an audible, or plan b.  This is where their overthinking becomes an advantage.  In the planning process develop a plan b, and that way when a fumble occurs, a way out of the disadvantage is manageable.  In this way, getting your health back is lot like playing football.

For any type of learner, the strong side/weak side knowledge is invaluable.  If you know what your strength and weaknesses are, you are better prepared for setbacks.  You know how to prevent a forth and one, when to utilize the twelfth man, when to play a quarterback keeper, and how to protect yourself from blitzes.  Regardless of your stage in health, strategy should be number one on the list to maintaining good health.  Doing and thinking it out are both effective components of whole health, but they overlap and require equal attention.

I’m not a football fanatic, nor do I believe I ever will be.  But I have learned that I can analyze just about anything, including football.  I’ve also learned to just enjoy the sport for what it is.  By applying truths I deem important into the game and exercising teachable moments recognized each Sunday during football season, I am finding a system that works for me.  In this system, nothing is compartmentalized.  Everything is learned together, all at once.  I kept my loud man for better or worse.  He won’t make me into a loudmouth, but he will protect me.  And I won’t keep him quiet, but I can gently put him at ease.  I married my opposite, but we make a great team.  Killing the quarterback is not an option for us.  Geaux Saints!

The Demon Inside Me- Part I

The first shock struck in September 2002.  I ignored it, thinking it was just some weird thing my body was doing.  I’ve had many odd things happen concerning my body, but they were always passing fads and that’s another story.  This shock felt like I was zapped in the face.  It was quick and it didn’t hurt, but I was startled.  The next one happened a week later and same as the first- quick and painless.  A week later, I got another one.  This cycle went on for about a month and then the shocks came more frequently.  During the second month, I was getting them several times a week.  Now, my face was not my face anymore.  I was getting them several times a day and it really freaking hurt!  By January 2003, I finally received a diagnosis after months of waiting on the doctors.  I had trigeminal neuralgia.

The pain was so excruciating.  It was like nothing I had even heard of and apparently it was rare, especially in young people.  I was 23, but I had just celebrated my birthday in the midst of this new trial.  The entire right side of my face felt like it was burning while at the same time I was enduring electric like shocks.  As one subsided another was triggered, so it seemed to never end.  To top it off, there was also the sensation of someone stabbing my brain with an ice pick.  The only relief from the pain was when I fell asleep. 

At this point in my life, I was caring for an infant, my third child.  All I wanted to do was give her kisses on her cheek and belly, but I couldn’t.  I nursed her and then handed her off to my mom.  I could barely brush my teeth or eat, and talking just wasn’t in the cards for me, because all of this triggered more pain.  I managed to nurse her for a year, but I had to forgo taking any medications.  Some might consider this crazy, but I had my reasons.  I survived that first year, which in my opinion was one of the worst in the 12 years of having to endure what others have coined “the suicide disease.”

Crying is a way of consoling one’s soul, and I couldn’t do that either.  All facial movement only triggered more pain.  So I’ve learned to be a statue while my own body is my worst enemy.  There is a saying, “We are our own worst enemies,” and trigeminal neuralgia, or TN for short, takes that saying to a whole new level.  To the outside world, I look fine, but I die inside on most days.  I do my best to get along in life, but I lost many friends and family to this disease.  They didn’t know how to be a part of my life, so they just left, usually believing that it was I that didn’t care.  So I’ve learned to cry inside without movement, without feeling. 

Most people talk about hope and how you must have it to move on.  I have hope, but I think it’s different from the popular version.  I have hope I’ll get along in life.  I have dreams that I pursue and look forward too.  I have hope that my children will have better lives.  But as of now, I don’t have hope that this will go away.  I’ve been told I didn’t pray enough or hard enough.  I’ve cried out to God and do believe my prayers have been heard.  I believe this with all my heart and soul.  But I have a strange suspicion this is the thorn in my side, the one I’m supposed to move on with and be successful in spite of.

What caused this?  No one knows.  I’ve had several MRI’s that returned results with nothing of concern.  For the most part, I’ve lived a healthy lifestyle.  I could have been a bit more active, but due to my condition, I am limited on what I can do and when I can do it.  My only guess is an abnormal amount of stress, which peaked around the time of my first shock.

My life with trigeminal neuralgia has been one hell of a roller-coaster ride, one I did not stand in line to ride.  Because of the way in which my body and my life have been ravaged, I call this disorder a demon.  It’s a demon inside me, and I struggle every day.  I fight to keep it from getting the best of me.  I fight to keep friendships and family.  I fight not looking back on all that I’ve missed.  I fight looking too far forward, aware that a life with disability is not compatible with well laid out plans.  I am just now in the process of embracing that life is now and I’d better enjoy it, even if enjoyment means movie marathon after movie marathon with no popcorn.

The Soul at Labor

What exactly is Labor Day all about?  Well, the United States Department of Labor states, “Labor Day, the first Monday in September, is a creation of the labor movement and is dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers. It constitutes a yearly national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country” (“History of Labor Day”).   Although, some may not get this day off from work, all workers should take the time to ponder on the meaning of this American holiday, because feeling accomplished in one’s work is vital to the happiness of self.  The majority of people spend a great deal of their lives, most likely the largest percentage of their lives, working.  Therefore, this investment of time is a deposit of effort towards a pursuit of happiness, of self-contentment.  Believing that all effort is taken from only the time away from work is nonsensical and perilous.  If we are to count just time outside of work as the principal foundation of happiness, then we have failed to see to what extremes work influences every facet of life.  With the mindset that work holds no contributions to overall happiness, a person is left in a somewhat zombie state, because work does in fact contribute greatly to happiness considering it takes up most of a person’s time in their life.  Failing to see this, Labor Day is of no consequence.

In my opinion, ‘celebrating’ Labor Day really isn’t important, but I do think it is important for people to take the time to reflect on what it means, or rather, what it should mean, because happiness is important.  I think importance and success fall under the umbrella of happiness when we are considering if we even have it.  We cannot do much about what is in the past.  Very few can make true amends for their mistakes.  There is lot we think we can do for the future, and so, we spend a great deal of time planning it out.  I do this, and I think it is important to a degree, so I won’t criticize planning out the future.  But if we were to do this wisely, then planning for your plan to fail should be number one on the list.  What does matter is the present.  So right now, are you happy?  Do you feel successful?  Do you feel important?  If you haven’t taken the time to consider Labor Day, then it is a good catalyst for pondering what happiness means and what it would take to achieve that in the now.

After many painful years living in the past and many futile years planning for the future, I know that happiness is not a state of accomplishment.  This false thinking makes happiness a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow.  Some say happiness is a façade and that one cannot be continually happy but can be continually content.  Happiness is a state of mind.  If you place it in an unreachable pot of gold, then you’ve made it unreachable.  If you say you cannot be continually happy, then you cannot.  But if you live each moment to its fullest, then you can live no more than that.  And when you are always watchful of making each moment count, then you can live no more than that.  That’s about as happy as happiness will ever be.  When you live this way, the past is not so painful and the future is not so contingent upon conditions.

Considering this, Labor Day, or at least reflecting on its meaning, is of consequence.  If one feels accomplished in his or her work, making the most out of each moment is effortless.  One can then feel pride in contributing to the overall welfare of America.  It’s a big deal to take pride in your country’s welfare, so much so, that you see that your contribution does count.  Sadly, for those who do not consider Labor Day or its meaning, their contribution is of little consequence because they do not take pride in their work.  This failure to acknowledge Labor Day and to take pride in their work goes back to living each moment to the fullest.  They found work just to get by, and sometimes that is necessary, but each moment passes and so do many opportunities for a person to live on a career that is personally meaningful.

We yearn for something more, yet many of us choose to live in ruts.  Yes, choose.  Sometimes we have to make ends meet, so we bring ourselves to work in places that bring no real satisfaction.  But we don’t have to stay there.  This false sense of security is not stability of the soul.  The soul yearns for happiness, for peace of mind, and that requires a change of heart and a change in what we call work.

Work Cited

“History of Labor Day.” United States Department of Labor. Web. 1 Sept. 2014. http://www.dol.gov/laborday/history.htm

Gifting Ourselves, One Touch at a Time

As I reflect back on my career as a massage therapist, I realize three things.  First, touch is necessary for the livelihood of society.  It is an invitation for individuals to join in the group in a way that speaking kind words could never do.  It backs the word; it is proof.  Second, the healing aspect of massage runs deeper than superficial fixes.  Many people schedule appointments because there is something wrong with the body.  Usually, they've ignored the body’s given messages from months or even years prior.  The body is beat and needs a quick fix, until meds arrive or insurance is available.  Massage gives the mind a break.  It releases toxic energy that prevents one from hearing these messages the body is sending.  Lastly, massage sets one up for a proactive lifestyle.  Although, massage is becoming more popular, it is still an alternative to medical treatment.  People, who get massage on a regular basis, become proactive with their healthcare needs.  They understand that health is personal, and the experts (doctors, chiropractors, therapists, etc.) are there to help patients make decisions.  The choices are personal responsibilities.  When one begins to approach their health this way, they use a similar approach in other areas of their life, as well. Massage therapy is not a cure all, but it does aid the healing process of the body, mind, and soul.

The World Needs Touch

From infancy to those with declining health, touch is a necessity.  For some, touching is second nature, but for many it feels awkward.  When we aren't touched we feel unimportant.  This might not be a spoken need, because sometimes we don’t understand what it is that we need.  The first sense outside of mother’s womb is touch.  Baby feels the doctor or midwife in the delivery process.  Then the chaos of living hits and there is an overwhelming stimulation of the senses.  The bright lights, air, sounds from delivery assistants and family members, and endless poking and prodding invade the senses simultaneously.  Then momma embraces her baby for the first time.  Although this is new to baby, he somehow knows her scent and begins to feel secured from the chaos. 

Massage picture courtesy of www.massagenerd.com

For elderly and/or terminally ill people, touch is vital.  It is a way of showing one’s importance despite the condition of their health or age.  They are slower in their pursuits and many times loneliness sets in.  Touch brings comfort and love, and these are as necessary when the idea of death is very near.

And for everyone between infancy and the last stages of life, touch is important too.  Stress is a major cause for disease, since it jump starts bad habits that work against the body’s survival.  Touch helps to lower stress.  It doesn't demand anything in return.  It says to slow down and I love you.  

Releasing the Toxic Energy

Many people schedule a massage as a last effort for comfort or healing.  It is usually either a friend or doctor recommendation.  After months or even years of emotional or physical pain, touch is an afterthought when traditional means have failed.  Either the body doesn't respond to medication properly or emotional baggage can no longer be endured.  Failure to live lovingly through touch by neglecting to touch loved ones regularly or simply by resisting it, causes the heart to harden.  When this happens, the mind is on autopilot, where it lives on a conveyor belt in a sense.  You live to get by, without any sense of enjoyment.  Getting things done is now the only goal.  This is not a pursuit of happiness.  You live dying inside and out, rather than dying to live.  We begin the road to death the minute we are born.  What better way of making the most out of that truth than making your road count, make it mean something.  We can’t make life count with a hardened heart.

Neglect the body and neglect the mind and your soul becomes weary.  Floating above the waters of your life is discontent.  And when you are in this negative mindset, you attract more negativity, as well as spew it out. When we allow touch in our lives, the mind is allowed to rest from the’ to do’ lists.  It may be a small gesture or a huge deposit of intimacy, but the mind is free to relax, even if only for a minute.  And every minute is a deposit of positive energy into a hardening or hardened heart. 

Our nerves control every aspect of our body; they process input and output messages that help the body to function properly.  When we are overloaded physically or mentally, the body and mind begin to deteriorate.  Touch helps to slow down or relieve pain.  It helps to restore the mind’s deterioration.  It relaxes muscles and improves circulation, which are necessary for the brain to give and receive messages accurately.  Touch may seem like a superficial gesture, but the brain, our processing center, confirms how vital we need touch.

Pain Chart courtesy of www.massagenerd.com

Far greater than receiving touch is the act of touching.  It is one of the senses the body requires for processing information.  When we neglect touch, we shut off this component for learning about the world around us.  Love through touch is difficult to reciprocate when it is foreign.  Verbal love is superficial when actions of love do not back it up.  But when we let love through touch in, we begin to feel that love, and when we love with a touch, negativity is cancelled out.  Although massage is a last effort for comfort or healing, it is a first step at reclaiming your heart and your pursuit of happiness.  

Becoming Proactive

Touch through massage is becoming more popular as an alternative to western medicine, and the many sprouting massage businesses can attest to this.  For many, their first massage appointment is intimidating.  We may not know what to expect and often times it just feels weird.  It’s one thing for a stranger who is a doctor to poke and prod us with our clothes on, and then he advises with authority on what our next step should be, but it is entirely another thing for a stranger to rub us, usually naked under a sheet and blanket, according to our determined needs evaluated in the initial consultation.  During the initial consultation, the massage therapist asks you what your needs are, and if you don’t know, he or she will assist you in determining what they are.  Although they are trained in the art of massage, classes for parents and couples are also becoming more popular.  Reintroducing touch as a form of healing to your life allows you to better process information since you are now using one of the senses that have been neglected.

Image courtesy of stockimages at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

This new attitude is productive and proactive.  Rather than leaving the responsibility of health to others, you are now taking back your life.  And when this happens, you look at your life much differently.  The realization of your pursuit of happiness and importance is an active one that involves work and commitment.  You desire to get to the root of problems instead of using bandages that in time fall off.  Depending on your level of health, taking back your life might seem overwhelming, but don’t forget that touch is a two person act.  And when we know we have others to love and to love us in return, we gift ourselves back to life.               

                                         

On Sunday in Darkness

When you are stuck in a power outage, the mind is free to sift through emotions that are fixated upon your core, the little leeches that suck the heart dry of self-love.  I’ve waited through my share of power outages, and today, the day I was to write my first blog post brings some irony to those emotions that won’t seem to go away.  Some people may first encounter annoyance.  They’re annoyed of the inconvenience of lost power they have relied so heavily upon their entire lives.  There is no need to list these, as I’m sure you can quickly think of reasons why the lack of electricity brings inconvenience to your day to day.  Luckily, I rise before dawn to take my daily meds and brew a pot of coffee.  So with coffee by my side and a fully charged laptop, I try to pinpoint my reason for boredom, all the while I am inconvenienced by the heat that quickly rises with each powerless hour in my house in Southeast Texas.

I would say this is a good start for a Sunday.

The day to day gets to me.  I’m a goal oriented person, I have many goals.  I see everything with the end in mind, and wrestle with the joy of reaching it.  I've heard it many times over.  You've got to enjoy the journey.  I understand this concept, but fail to accomplish it.  I want to wrestle it until I conquer it.  And this shows my failure.  You can’t conquer joy.  To conquer it would mean, I would snuff it out.  Joy would cease, and I know I don’t want that.  So how do I embrace joy?  How do I relinquish my need for power, my need to control my journey?  That, I think, is the key.  Letting go of those stuck emotions will free me to embrace joy that is all around me, waiting to assist me on my journey. 

Those stuck emotions are like power outages.  They’re inconvenient. They stifle joy, the joy I desire so much so, that I fail to comprehend the hold they have on my heart.  Joy is powerful.  I've lived so long in the darkness of stuck emotions that I don’t know what true power looks like. 

I write these words that may seem enlightening to some and perhaps even wise to others, yet perhaps they’re contradictory.  But being transparent with a heart that is bogged down does not show you truth.  It shows you what you are.  It shows hurt.  It shows waywardness.  It shows joylessness. 

My need to control my journey to see how to embrace joy is the very thing that keeps me from it.  You don’t see it.  You feel it.  And maybe you have felt it here and there.  I have.  That’s how I know you can’t see it.  But I don’t remember how I did it.  And so I stay stuck in that emotion that charges me to control.  Fear.  Looking back and looking forward. 

But I still say this is a good start for a Sunday.

In the darkness, I see those stuck emotions.  I know what they look like.  I know why I’m bored waiting for the power to turn back on.  I see my options.  I can crawl back into bed with my husband.  We can spoon while I give and receive love.  Or I can meet my children as they awaken to their own inconveniences and help them, giving and receiving love.  By relinquishing control to this power outage I feel joy.  I see love awaiting me at either fork.  It’s a win/win situation.  What a good start for a Sunday.