new beginnings

WHY DID I DO THAT?

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Why did I ever DO that?, an intriguing question that popped into my mind while searching for the answer as to why my life is where it is right now?

Looking back over an extensive period of time it is pretty easy to see how I could have done things a lot differently.  Also a lot smarter. The problems that seemed so overwhelming at one time brought forth the urgent need to do something to change the situation I was in. It became “Dam the torpedoes, full speed ahead!” as a famous Naval officer David Farragut once said.

It seems as if somewhere in our thought processes we begin to see only one side of a problem, and then the results become less than what is desirable. Saying to ourselves over and over again, “Why in the world did I ever do that?” becomes a self-defeating process.  At some point after being miserable about our own failures we have to change our thinking. We can begin to ask, “What can I do to change my own attitudes? Have I learned anything from my life lessons? Am I trying to listen to other peoples viewpoint instead of exclusively my own?”

I have a new question for myself. When I decide I want to change something in my life, what else am I considering besides what happens to me? In the overall scheme of things, what we decide to do is more important to others than we can easily comprehend. We might say to our own inner voice, do I really want or need to do this? Kindliness is next to Godliness, I was told as a child, and a good mantra for me to remember. Do unto others as you would have them do unto you, is another.

it seems that so many of the older platitudes that we were taught when we were young have stood us in good stead. If we had always practiced them all we would never have to look back, and wonder, “Why in the world did I ever do that?”

So today, friends, I am looking forward, and I like what I see. I no longer feel that I must look back, because I know there are bright days ahead for us all. Forward is good!

ANOTHER WAY OF LOOKING AT FREEDOM

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It has been quite a soul searching time for me for the past week or so.

First of all, after much thought and realizing that there is always another way of looking at my situation than I might have been doing, I broke down my inhibitions and acquired a very beautiful walker for daily walks.  It has been a source of discussion among myself and family members for some time. I knew they only wanted the very best for me and after I realized that, it became easier to admit that I had to make some changes.

The interesting thing tho is that one of the comments made to me on Facebook, is that the freedom that I had acquired along with the beautiful walker was worth whatever it took to start pushing it. Freedom had not even entered my mind, and so I felt doubly blessed to begin to feel that I could go easily wherever I wanted.

Fast forward to today, Saturday, January 21, 2017, and I am watching a whole different way of looking at freedom. Yesterday I watched the Presidential Inauguration ceremonies along with millions of other people. Many of the people were extremely happy to see the pomp and ceremony of our country, no matter how they felt about the outcome of the election.

Still others were looking at it in their own vision of what they wanted to happen, and the majority of them were peaceful and determined.  Out of the many watchers and marchers there were a few misguided people who showed their displeasure by violence and breaking the law. Fortunately the authorities put a stop to that so that the marches could go on.

But today is another whole day. Women and men have come out and marched for their right to show what is important to them. All over the world women have organized as a group to show that this country is made up of individuals who feel that all people, no matter their color or beliefs, religions, or backgrounds, have a right to be heard, in a peaceful manner. This country is founded upon that very idea, equality, and the name of our country is UNITED. We may not all think the same way, or look the same, we may not pray the same way, but we do all have the right to do it without making a mockery of others. And a lot of people dug deeply into their pocketbooks or wallets to find a way to go to a march, either in a nearby city, or even to Washington, D.C. To them it was important to show that we want to exercise our rights as citizens and show our support for each other.

Freedom is only a good thing if when we want freedom for ourselves, we also want it for all of the other people in our country. Freedom brings responsibilities for all of us in our daily lives. It does us no good to only want freedom for our own families, our own friends, our own churches, our own parties.

We all know that everyone is not always blessed with all of the good things in life. We also know that we can remember the ones that are not so lucky with compassion and generosity. We just have to make the choices.

On this special Women’s March day, I choose to remember. We have freedom here and we also have the choice of what to do about it. It is up to each of us to remember that this is true of all of the citizens in our country.

Have a great New Year, 2017.

 

 

 

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TWELVE IMPORTANT ACIM LESSONS

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1/   All that I give, I give to Myself.

2/   Forgiveness is the key to happiness.

3/   I am never upset for the reason I think.

4/   I am determined to see things differently.

5/   I can escape from the world I see.

6/   I am not the victim of the world I see.

7/   Today I will judge nothing that occurs.

8/   This instant is the only instant there is.

9/   The past is over—it can not hurt me.

10/  I could see peace instead of this.

11/  I can elect to change all thoughts that hurt me.

12/  I am responsible for what I see.

 

Remembering that we are starting a New Year tomorrow, I am reminded of all of the resolutions of the past, both the ones I practiced and the ones I forgot, and this little list given to me many years ago is all that I really need to live by.

 

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THE ROAD NOT TAKEN

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One of the things about retirement that I really appreciate the most is the idea that I can read as much as I want to – heaven in one little sentence.

So one of the well known poems that has come to mind lately is The Road Not Taken, written by Robert Frost in 1920. This poem has always intrigued me, the idea that we all walk down a well traveled road, doing pretty much the same things as most of our friends and family.  Altho we may not be overjoyed with the choices on the road, it is our own road and we are on the path to somewhere, just as innumerable people have always done.

But then, suddenly ahead of us, there is a fork in the road.  We know that most people will continue on their journey on the same path, and become the person that they had always wanted to be, a part of the crowd, one that everyone felt comfortable with, and this is fine for them. We don’t all want to be different, we may want to be a major part of the society that we aspire to.

But maybe you are the one who decides to take the narrower road, realizing that you will be more alone, but it is a good choice for you, and now you move forward in a new direction.

Along comes a surprise when the Law of Attraction kicks in.  You begin to meet others who are of like mind, and as you travel together your new path begins to widen.  More and more people become attracted to your lifestyle and you travel forward together.

So what happens next? At some point another fork will appear in the road.  Will you continue on your now well traveled road, or will you take the new road not taken?

Life is full of adventures, and we always have the choice…..

To go on or to veer unto another direction, that will be a new question.

Which one will you choose?

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GRATITUDE THAT

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I woke up this morning.
It is daylight. I survived.
The furnace never came on.
My inner alarm woke me.
I feel rested.
My husband is beside me.
I can still write.
I can still hear.
I can still see.
I can still make choices.
A whole new day stretches before me.
I can still think.
I can still question.
I can still watch.
I can still accept what is.
I can still remember.
I can still love.
I can still be thankful.
NO MATTER WHAT.

WAITING

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Somewhere in your life you have to decide that it is just time to relax, pull in the reins, and wait for what is going to happen. No matter what it is that you are waiting for, maybe you have waited for a really long time, but it is just out of your hands.
You may very well think that you know what should happen, may have believed it fervently for longer than you care to remember, but it is still a dream in your mind, and you may even have looked at it in the wrong way.
But that doesn’t mean that the “someday” will never come to you in the future.
Things change and circumstances change and sometimes even people change. Who is to know when the dream may appear in all its glory, even better than you ever imagined.
And if you are very wise, you will welcome it gladly, whatever it turns out to be. It might not be exactly as planned but it will surely be a wonderful thing. You will rejoice that all is well in your world and remember your most comforting thought, the one that has carried you throughout your life.
God is in charge, and I am so thankful!

DEEP INSIDE OF YOU

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Deep inside of you and
Deep inside of me,
In point of fact,
Deep inside of all of us
Lies a loving spiritual being
Striving to come forth.
To see the light of day
To see the wonder of the world around us,
To see the beauty and to see the love of everyone,
To feel the oneness and the purpose of all that we encounter.

It is our fate and our future to open our eyes,
To open our minds and to open our hearts and Know
That we are all in this world together.
Sometimes it seems to be a difficult step to take,
To relax and know that we are here to help each other.
Sometimes it is harder to allow another to take a step toward us.
But here we are, on this small globe together.
Our lives are entwined with each other.
Let us resolve to restore the love and caring that lies deep inside,
Deep inside of You, and deep inside of Me.

JUST THINK WHAT 35 YEARS CAN DO

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Every once in a while a new experience comes along that has the effect of making a very different way of looking at our lives.
Bringing forth four sons, living with them thru a tumultuous twenty five years or so, surviving the ups and downs of daily life as they grew and wrestled each other for their place in the family order is something that is not for the faint hearted. I can proudly report that I did survive it.
When the last one to leave rode off into the sunset I didn’t waste too much time or breath missing the constant uproar that had been going on for the past quarter of a century. Wives came along, and then grandchildren, and a whole new style of family living. Everyone ended up with a chance to make their fortune on their own. We knew what each other was doing, roughly speaking, but their lives were their own to make.
Time went by. We often lived in the same towns, like Cortez, CO, Lawton, OK, Holton, MI, even Wyoming and Montana, but we didn’t stay in each others houses overnite. We had our own homes and our own spaces.
Fast forward.
We are wintering in Florida in a retirement community, and guess what. Son #3 and wife are arriving for nine days! We are all excited, hoping for warm weather. I begin to plan things, and then I realize. I haven’t lived in the same house with #3 son in over 35 years! I don’t know what he really is like on a day to day basis! What does he like to eat, what kind of TV does he watch? What are his every day habits?
For twenty years I took care of him, knew him as well as anyone in my life, and now a relative stranger is coming for nine days. How is it going to work out?
Wednesday noon. I hear a car door close, then another, and they are here! Looking as great as they always do, smiling and hugging, and it is like the years have all flown away and we have our children back again.
There are some obvious differences. I notice that now they tend to take care of us, instead of the other way around. As they are showing us new pictures of their life I realize anew that they are grandparents also, and in the prime of their lives. They have their own friends and their own business interests. Their lives are full and I am so proud of them.
I finally realize. They are grown up. They don’t just need us but want us also.
The days fly by and all too soon the alarm rings at 2AM, and off they must go to the airport. And we return to our quieter life, thankful that we have had a great time renewing our friendship with our children. We can rest assured that we did our job and they are part of the living proof of it.

MY CONSTANT COMPANION

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Walking thru my quiet house on an early winter morning,
I am on my way to my place of sanctuary,
my warm and comfortable chair.
Thru the dimly lit kitchen I pass,
Stopping only to pour the water for coffee,
Waiting for the hot brew to emerge,
picking out my favorite cup for today.
On to the inviting room where my chair awaits me,
Books and journals piled high on the table beside it.
I sink into the chair, cover my lap with a blanket,
Close my eyes, and I am home.

Later I will study a daily lesson,
Write in my journal, read a special book,
Make a list of “to do” things for today,
But now, right now, I relax and know
who and where and why I am,
safe with my Constant Companion.

Outside of this room storms may be blowing,
Memories of old anxieties may prevail,
Duties and responsibilities may clamor for attention.
I may have to plan for tomorrow.
But here in my chair, I am safe, I am blessed.
No fears need dominate my mind and thoughts,
I close my eyes, and the loving Presence envelops me.

I know that I am where I belong,
safe in my favorite chair, safe in the Presence,
safe in the arms of my Constant Companion!