Friday the 13th

Some people dread Friday the 13th.  We go to that place of fear, allowing our 2000 year old brains and instincts to send us back into survival mode.  If it has a potential to be bad or harmful, we allow ourselves to react to it that way unless we check ourselves and right our brains.

Friday the 13th is just another day.  But one Friday the 13th was a day I consider to be lucky – it was the one that gave my father a second chance.  That Friday the 13th, now four decades in the past, allowed my father to survive the explosion that must have taken a brigade of guardian angels to save his life.

I am forever grateful because without my Dad, I would not have felt that I should or could dream my dreams, or to take the steps to make those dreams my reality.  Friday the 13th is nothing for me to fear.  I choose to celebrate it because I have a lifetime of memories with him that I cherish.  I have a lifetime of lessons that he taught me that I hope I am able to pass on to my children and teach them as well.

My Friday the 13th is not filled with black cats, broken mirrors and ladders.  It is filled with angels, love and the joy of knowing what I could have lost but didn’t.

how do you eat an elephant

Sometimes I think my boyfriend is the perfect person.  Not only is he incredibly intelligent, witty and handsome, he also understands me in a way that nobody else does.  He knows how to reach me in ways that nobody else has.  He is a real gem.

A few days ago, we were talking on the phone and I was in a bit of a mood.  Not a bad mood, but a frustrated, overwhelmed kind of mood.  I was complaining about the work I had on my list to be done over holidays, and that I was feeling like there was just too much to do.  The work had piled up.  I was in overwhelm and didn’t want to deal with any of it at all.

He suggested that I start with what would make the greatest impact; what would I look at and see that I have made some strides.  My response was less than positive: all of it.  all of it needs to be done.  So he, in his way, let me be.  All right, I’ll let you get to it then.  And he ended the call.

He was right.  He’s always right.  He is analytical and reasoning, and it trumps my emotional and reactive behaviour.  So I listened.  What would make the biggest impact?  I figured it out and started there.

It felt good.

Physical work…my muscles hurt after I was finished, but I could see the changes.  It started me on the path to getting the list checked off.  The following days I continued with the momentum.  The whole list isn’t done yet, but it is well on its way.

I texted him after I had the first few hours of work done once I was feeling better about things.  His response?

How do you eat an elephant?

Of course.  Because he will never say I told you so.  He’s better than that.  He encourages me.  He supports me.

How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.  How do you check off the list?  One job at a time.

And that is just what I am doing.

recharge

My well anticipated holiday time has finally arrived.  I look forward to holidays in August because it gives me the majority of the summer to look towards some well earned time off.  Our summer days here along the 53rd parallel are quite long, so to me it makes sense to take advantage of those long summer days to work hard and play hard.  Once summer solstice hits and the days start to shorten, it’s visibly noticeable come the middle of August.  Night starts to creep in at a decent hour, the evenings cool off, and the hint of autumn starts to whisper in the breeze.

The start of school is still a few weeks out, and I am ready for our adventures to begin.  There are always things planned to do.  This year, no major trips, but instead day adventures and a camping trip are on the docket.

Before all that though, a day of rest and relaxation is in order: a do-nothing day today.  A day to sip coffee and cuddle with the furry roommates, to read and write, to edit photographs.  To dream and plan.

Today is a day to recharge so that I can make the best use of my holiday time off, and to give my children the absolute best of me.

the b weekend

This weekend was one of the best I’ve experienced.  Nothing fancy, just time spent together with my boyfriend and a day trip.  We coined it the “B weekend”, and for good cause.

We spent Saturday travelling south to central Alberta to visit a brewery and a bird sanctuary.  We happened to notice a highway sign for another brewery that just happened to be along the way, so we detoured and spent a little time there.  My boyfriend enjoyed a flight of their craft beers and we talked to the staff to learn more about their operation.  It was an enjoyable experience.

Off to the bird sanctuary we went where we saw a duck with 16 ducklings in tow, purple martins feeding their young, barn swallows, American goldfinches, a few bunnies and ground squirrels milling about, and many other varieties of birds that I did not readily identify.  The weather was fantastic.  We had just missed a storm that went through, so the grass was still wet from the rain.  A couple hours went by like minutes.

Once we were finished at the sanctuary, we made our way to the second brewery.  Again, a flight of their craft beers, and an amazing craft root beer for myself, we enjoyed the sunset on the patio.  After lingering for some time enjoying the atmosphere, we made our way back home.

The next morning we went berry picking, and it was quite fruitful.  I baked a wonderful berry crumble for dessert with our fresh Saskatoon berries and served it warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.  It was so good that my son and boyfriend both had second helpings!  After cleaning up from our late dinner, we took the dog for a walk.  We were greeted by the faint dancing of the aurora borealis; a fine closing to our “B weekend”.

I hope everyone is enjoying the August long weekend, and are creating some good memories, just as we have.

perceptions

Life has varied realities.  Perceptions become our truth, so it is important that we are aware of what the realities are.  Do we perceive things in a negative way if we are in a poor frame of mind?  Of course we do.  Do we find the silver lining in problems when we are having a great day?  Sure.

It’s ok to have a bad day; to be depressed or upset about something.  It’s even ok for it to affect how we see things at that moment in time.  But with a critical eye and reflection, we may find that things were not exactly the way they appeared at that particular time.  These are good reasons to take time in responding to people when we don’t feel balanced.  Knee jerk reactions can cause us to say things that perhaps we don’t really mean (let’s face it…that employee stocking the produce didn’t need to be lashed out at for not having any cilantro, now did they?).  We can say things we regret, hurt people we care about, and even destroy relationships.

Take time to process your feelings.  Journal your day and find areas of gratitude to record, however small they may be.  Let your raw emotions out there and leave it on the page.  Have a warm cup of tea, burn incense or enjoy a bath with some calming aromatherapy blends.

Take care of yourself.

And remember: just because you’ve had a bad day doesn’t mean it’s a bad life.  Tomorrow is always a fresh new start.

 

live in the present

Earlier this week I had a conversation with a colleague.  She gave me a valuable gift as I listened to her words.  Initially, she had approached me because she said I wasn’t looking as happy and chipper as I normally am.  She is used to seeing me with a smile on my face that, as she put it, lights up the room.  Now, she had not read me wrong in the least.  In fact, I wasn’t fooling anyone.  I thought I was hiding my emotions quite well, but clearly I wasn’t.  She wasn’t the only one who had asked me what was wrong either, so it wasn’t that she was so much more in tune with me than anyone else.

I have been struggling with some things.  I have been in pain, and still doing my best to carry on with my day to day activities.  I let her in on what was troubling me, in general terms.

Her response?

Live in the now.  How often have we gone about our busy days, and taken an orange and devoured it without even tasting it?  When was the last time you took that orange and examined the peel?  When you looked at each segment and its intricacy, when you actually tasted the sweetness of the fruit and enjoyed it?  Don’t worry about tomorrow and all the troubles it might bring.  Be here, with me, in the present.  Whatever tomorrow brings, you will handle it with grace.  So today, now, enjoy this moment.

These words were spoken to her years ago by a local monk, and they resonated so strongly that she was able to pass on these words of wisdom to me this week.  It was what I needed to hear.  She was right; and he was right before her.

Live in the now.  Take the present and live fully.  Tomorrow could bring a multitude of events that we have no control over, so why lose today to worry and dread when we can enjoy it.  Tomorrow will come in its due time.  And with it, we can handle whatever it brings.

puppies fix everything

Pet therapy isn’t a new concept.  Post secondary institutions have implemented therapy dogs for years now, and I even know of some elementary schools that have brought in therapy dogs for students who are having difficulties.  What a wonderful idea!

Animals in general are a great resource when dealing with stress.  They are almost always up for cuddles, and somehow just petting them makes you feel better.  Purring from kittens and cats seems like a magical fix for me, and always starts my day off right when my cat lays down and purrs until I rise out of bed.

The unconditional love that comes from a dog is irreplaceable.  They are always happy to see you, and they miss you when you’re away.  They wait at the door or snuggle with your slipper while you are at work, and even if you’ve only been gone ten minutes, they greet you like you’ve been away for a year.

So, have you had a chance to snuggle with a puppy lately?  Why not consider volunteering at a local shelter or rescue agency?  It does you and them a world of good!

earth angel

There is a lady who is very special to me.

She thinks I’m strong, but she’s stronger even on her worst day.  She called me an inspiration, but she inspired me more than she could ever comprehend.

She has the strongest faith of anyone I know, and it has served her well.  She has beauty both inside and it radiates outward.  She has a natural beauty that commands attention and a way about her that makes people adore her even in her most simplest form.

She is able to make people feel calm even during times of stress and tension.  She lets me be my real self in her presence and shows me love even when I had a hard time loving myself.  Never once have I felt insecure about showing my emotions when I am in her presence.

She gives me courage even when we are not together.  She gives me power to move forward in my life because of her words.  She is the type of person this world needs more of.  She is the type of person I have and continue to aspire to be.

friends in nature

September is in full swing with a successful start to the new school year.  My children are happy with their classes, and to be reunited with their friends.  The first week back isn’t typically heavy in workload, so we made sure to take advantage of the free evening time while the weather is warm.

Over the summer, my youngest one finally sparked an interest in photography.  Wondering if it would last, or if he was just “in the moment” as we were out camping with our photography club, I waited for him to bring it up again on his own.  He did, a few times, so it was time for him to have a camera of his own too.

One evening during the week, we took in a photo walk down through one of the local nature preserves.  There are wetlands with boardwalks built throughout the marshes to give people the opportunity to enjoy nature without causing harm to the ecosystem.  We were joined by over a dozen of our fellow photography friends.  My sons came along, cameras in hand, I helped the youngest with his first journey out with his camera.  He was beaming with pride.  Once he had the basics down, off he went, and I watched him as he started to take in the world with a new lens.  He is an artist through and through, but something changed as he walked through, looking to frame his images in his mind.  He made me proud.  He produced some incredible photographs that night, and he forged a deeper connection with the people who over the past few years have become important friends of ours.

Friends.  Not just club members.  They are friends.  We joined together to enjoy the beauty of nature.  We captured pieces of it with only taking images away.  We harnessed emotion and feeling in those images, and we can now share them with the world.  My son can’t wait to go out again to show what he can do.  And I can’t wait to spend more time in nature with him and watch him see things through my eyes.

beautiful souls, tragic past

It never ceases to amaze me how many people I come into contact with that have had tragedy in their history.  People that you might never know had suffered losses or been through immense strain in their lives.  Sometimes these people have been in my life for quite some time before the topic arises; others are still fairly new additions in my world. No matter how long it is, it never seems to fail that the most beautiful souls have hearts larger than life, and those are the ones who have suffered immeasurable loss in their personal lives.  Somehow, they have managed to keep going and thrive despite the tragedy they have lived through.

We all have something in our past that has aided in making us who we are.  Sometimes the heart-wrenching pain is what creates the most beauty in the end.  The kindness, gentleness, soothing nature that seems to come so easily was birthed out of rugged pain and turmoil that tore its way from the inside out.

Beauty begotten out of the ugliness of pain.