only with laughter can you win

i think folks should carry bright umbrellas in the rain... to smile into the sullen sun and make it glad again.

[onlywithlaughtercanyouwin]

I found this in my Christmas keepsakes as I was decorating a few weeks ago. I'm not sure what year (in surprisingly recent history) the Reid Family got this note from Santa, whose handwriting remarkably resembled my mom's, but I do hope we learned our lesson that year. 😄🍪💚❤ Merry merry, y'all! May the light of Christmas fill you with warmth and joy all year long. #fereidnavidad #merrychristmasfrommermer #lifeisbetterwithasouthpaw https://www.instagram.com/p/CX6em9IlZsvhA8H8LYpqSrSW-HwhU61TN7plqE0/?utm_medium=tumblr

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Wishing a VERY happy birthday to my Daddy-o today. He's the one who has always encouraged me to reflect on the meaning of existence and the existence of meaning. He has shown me how to love, how to serve, and how to lead. I wouldn't be where I am today without him. It was a bonkers year in so many ways, but I will be eternally grateful for the special time we spent together. And with Ma, too, because they're hardly ever very far apart. Happy 68, Popsy! #lifeisbetterwithasouthpaw (at Parque nacional Volcán Poás) https://www.instagram.com/p/CX4750QtbB_9u8_VwNuSyMMOo4E0TiiuAnFVDU0/?utm_medium=tumblr

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Winter solstice 2021. A reminder that there is light after darkness. (at 77018) https://www.instagram.com/p/CXw48cmli1nCSTVKY5gJ2xpSlm-gBBYFNEVG0k0/?utm_medium=tumblr

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Happy Nawlidays, y'all. 🙈@overheardbumble #twinshiptownship #maybeilldiealone (at Houston, Texas) https://www.instagram.com/p/CXklAHTMJOltCNESrjkVkQIrJzKprg7Vxm7dHg0/?utm_medium=tumblr

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One week down and another one to go, today @susannafontenot, @bfbf928, and their little turkeys are finally making their way here. Everyone is very excited!! #gobblegobblegiggles (at Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica) https://www.instagram.com/p/CWlvTPSlNFg6ZrV7d3QaNCfTrpaQPa7T0I8gdM0/?utm_medium=tumblr

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Hola, Costa Rica. It's been less than eight hours, and I already love it here. ❣ #travelwithmermer #gobblegobblegiggles (at Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica) https://www.instagram.com/p/CWPZ_9TtUJcgpR37GGgngCqnycFh3edFxUQOSc0/?utm_medium=tumblr

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I did a big thing this week! After three years in Houston, I finally found a place to call my own. In the last 11 years alone, I lived at nearly a dozen addresses. (12 on the nose if you count the summer in 2014 when #ididquitmyjobandmovetothefarm and also that summer after grad school when I lived with my parents.) Today, when so much of the world is in chaos and millions of people around the globe are fleeing their homes because of civil war, gender based violence, climate change, regime overthrow, and countless other reasons, the privilege of a safe place to spend my days and nights is not lost on me. I am overflowing with gratitude and hope to be a light on others' paths in the coming months and years. #merinboomtown #openheartsopendoorsopenminds (at Houston, Texas) https://www.instagram.com/p/CTI9wtjtn26i0FhLbbN18yfVAmL8oK2UNCDlJQ0/?utm_medium=tumblr

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Apparently it's International Left Handers Day! I know I love or have loved lots of southpaws (e.g., @barackobama, RBG, my maternal grandma), but today it feels like the right time to honor Ma and Pa. What a neat club we're lucky to be a part of! If all goes according to plan, at least one of my three nephews will also be a leftie... 😁 Because #lifeisbetterwithasouthpaw 💖 https://www.instagram.com/p/CSibo0BN66NYnkh_nid-n7O-v5Pbq7DOeokuJY0/?utm_medium=tumblr

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True peace is not merely the absence of tension; it is the presence of justice. -Martin Luther King, Jr. #reidfamabamavacay part two: a visit to The Legacy Museum and other civil rights memorials to learn about and unpack this nation's historically (and presently) racist systems. "Because justice is a constant struggle." (at The National Memorial for Peace and Justice) https://www.instagram.com/p/CQmtQdvlzMOQg-qq-XY6qd6pZsK4p_4bU7dpkw0/?utm_medium=tumblr

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From west to east and back again: PA in five days and 9 photos. It was a long weekend full of love, laughter, friendship, and nature. And cicadas!!! 🔊🦗🎊 #threecheersforvaccinations #fordiedaysandfordienightsforever (at Mount Washington) https://www.instagram.com/p/CQH6Q0blT-ND4ztDsI8TZ1OhT71qCB9a5gzzkE0/?utm_medium=tumblr

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April 9, 2021. Stats from the Texas Department of State Health Services today: • Over 10% of all eligible Texans gots a covid shot in the last week. • 4 in 10 eligible Texans have received at least one dose. I'm one of those Texans! 😭😷😭😂😭🤩 #pandemicfrontyardphotoshoot #publichealthisyourhealth (at Houston, Texas) https://www.instagram.com/p/CNbY_y8l9ZciT6ntXu9XoKC4gpa0pw3tmzN-c00/?igshid=n9sntjq440em

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It was a good weekend. ❣️ The weather was pretty perfect, I spent productive time at home, had sweet moments with loved ones near and far, and then THERE WAS AN OWL IN THE YARD TONIGHT. #merinboomtown #twinshiptownship #lifeisbetterwithasouthpaw (at Houston, Texas) https://www.instagram.com/p/CKvNDxPlMPWZ825HzQ51GJ4NTA3Mq_lwO9cU2M0/?igshid=yowpbvd364gb

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🥳 It's finally 2021! I'm wishing for a year of peace, good health, love, and more joy for us all. #merinboomtown #lifeisbetterwithasouthpaw #whatayearforanewyear (at Houston, Texas) https://www.instagram.com/p/CJgeIu7Fr-hzuQA_gC7hYGyLJHi22y325YvfhA0/?igshid=6akgk8cl8ku9

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It's David Reid's birthday!! He's a model thinker and pretty stellar example of how to navigate change. 2020 has been a year of intention, uncertainty, and reflection, so with each passing day, I'm grateful he's my dad and that we get to spend time together when we do. The Reids are scattered across different regions today; in his honor I'll hug my loved ones, spend time in the kitchen, and try to find extra joy in life's simple pleasures. Happy birthday, Pops! 💞 #lifeisbetterwithasouthpaw #fereidnavidad https://www.instagram.com/p/CJMX_Czluo7Ywx_rhNNYre6mFV3-FZWrG5N3OA0/?igshid=7hwi0fnhb4e6

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"the best teachers are the ones who show you how to use your heart." -storypeople Today is my Mother's birthday! We're many miles apart right now so I'm reminiscing about moments shared earlier in this weird and special year. Our UP adventures this summer were a major highlight. Happy birthday, Momma! Thanks for sharing your heart with the world and teaching me how to use mine. ❤️ #lifeisbetterwithasouthpaw (at Bonanza Falls) https://www.instagram.com/p/CIHN7BYlNkL-RczpAJj-VA_QRlGeJsT5nEBAH40/?igshid=vcuuh1m5wldg

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Before I post any photos this holiday season, I'm posting this PSA. Be safe, y'all. Wear a mask. #lifeisbetterwithasouthpaw https://www.instagram.com/p/CH355PoFYqu0OUOj1JiSiKyI6Yz5D6pksQYkfo0/?igshid=1642f4hasoahy

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November 2020 vibes. 🍪🇺🇲 And for what it is worth, cookies for breakfast were part of my life long before this year's pandemic and chaos. I just didn't know what I was preparing for. #totallyfinedontevenworryaboutit #maybeweshouldworryaboutitalittlebit #voteforjoe https://www.instagram.com/p/CHEpOFjFSU6_1loR3AXvThXi-s3ow1848T_IDw0/?igshid=138ra8j5hw4t3