Consider the Daisies

I absolutely love the card cover above. Some friends from work gave me this card on Administrative Professionals Day. I love the card for a few reasons:

• It's completely something that I would want to do; but would be too insecure to actually do.
• I admire the free-spiritedness of the act.
• It's a reminder that life is what we make of it. The events that occur are simply a jumping off point, it's how we respond to the situation that defines who we are.

Making the best of every situation is one of the biggest daily challenges that we face. Our attitude is everything. 

Why default to a negative perspective? Why be sad about being alive? Why lament what you can't do when there are many things that you CAN do?

I have a friend who is a quadriplegic and he's one of the friendliest, most thoughtful, kind and loving people I know. He's happily married, able to drive, works Monday through Friday, is currently working on his PhD, can transfer himself from vehicle to wheelchair and vice-versa, travels, has a very full life and is a happy man. 

I've never seen him frown or be negative; why is that? I'm sure he has his moments, he's human, he has to - but I have never seen it. He is able to do so much and have a very fulfilling life.

I was intending to go for a short run this morning, but that isn't going to work out today. I'm telling myself, "Gosh girl! That's okay. Last Monday you ran a 10k in an hour and three minutes. Hello! A ten-minute mile mile for over six miles!" A few years ago I couldn't even walk 0.4 miles without getting winded, losing control of my legs, and being down for the rest of the day. 

So, I still have an elliptical. I'm stiff but I know that a few minutes on the elliptical will limber me up so I can try to stretch out the stiffness in my lower half. 

There's nothing wrong with accommodation or a change of plans. I'm a little disappointed, but not enough to sit down and do nothing. I CAN, therefore I will do something.

Here I go...

Together Again

The last couple of days have been dedicated to a family reunion for a side of my family that hasn't really gotten together in over twenty years. 

It was wonderful to see everyone and their kids, to reunite and have conversations to try to get to know each other again. 

On the way home from the final event my husband asked me what I enjoyed the most and in all honesty it was simply spending time with these people. 

The recollection of memories is certainly fun and good, but it was the hugging, laughing and conversation that was most awesome. In a way it was like a little empty spot of me was filled, it was a place in me that I didn't know was really empty.

How often do we get absorbed in our own worlds and forget that we are an extension of something bigger? We all have talents and amazing parts to us, but it becomes more amazing when you apply yourself to something worthwhile.  

It makes you question what is really important in life. Investing selfishly will bring us temporary satisfaction, yet in the long run only result in loneliness. 

Investing in something greater than yourself may take a lot of energy, pull you out of a comfort zone and such, but in the end you feel edified and thankful for the experience.

There were some that couldn't be with us for one reason or another and all were sincerely missed. The absence was actually quite profound. 

Not just for those that are dead or dying, but also for those living elsewhere. It's amazing how profoundly the absences affect us in a variety of ways.

Aside from all of these things, it was the collective living, laughing and smiling that resonates. These are the precious things that we work so hard to create and remember. It's these things that get us through the tougher times. 

Memo To Self

(New Mexico Sunset, Photo by Josh Bateman)

The last few days you have really struggled with heat and its effects on your body. It’s really caused havoc even in your ability to attend the entire church service. 

You're perplexed because for the last two years, it’s been quite the opposite as you’ve enjoyed rejuvenation in the sauna. Life is change though, therefore we must be constantly changing too.

Here are some lessons learned, that should be no surprise to you for the next summer when you struggle. Do NOT wear nylons or heavy dress clothing. 

Wearing your hair up truly makes a difference. Ice packs and an umbrella while in the heat will make it so you can participate where you couldn’t otherwise. 

When the ice packs don’t work, remember that your health is more important than providing courtesy to others – get out of the heat.

Today you left church early because of the heat. Stripping off your clothes and laying in the coolest part of the house just to stop your body from trembling, jittering, and feeling so inflamed that you can’t stand to be in your own skin. 

Then just a few hours later you felt restless and wanted to do something… anything. So you attempted to do a strength-training workout and after a few minutes of warm-up you had the energy to pick it up a notch. You did it and felt energized.

Granted not everything has left your body, your ear still hurts and your eye feels sore, but you now have the energy to be human and as normal as can be expected without lamenting or laying down trying to be content to let the couch hold you. Today is not that day and you know it.

So now you have a little (very tiny) energy reserve. Step away from the computer, let your eyes rest, but go, do and stop thinking about this challenge/blessing and live!

~ Me