Saturday, March 23, 2013
Gifts
Gifts--
One of my favorite gifts to myself is to pull a winter coat from the closet, put it on, cram my fingers into the pockets and find a ten dollar bill. I feel like I have won the lottery!
Surprises spice up our lives. They catch us off guard and add that little something extra to our day. When I send packages to friends, I usually include something that I know will please them. I can almost see their faces when they open the package and find not only what they wanted, but also a little unexpected gift. It is in the giving that true joy floods our lives.
My husband knows how much I love berries. He doesn't like the seeds so anytime we have berries, they are all mine. We have a garden and in that garden are many berry vines. There are Marion berries, raspberries, strawberries. He tends the vines carefully protecting the precious fruit from birds and raccoons. When they are at their peak, he takes a bowl to the garden and fills it with berries--all for me. That is such a loving gift. He takes great pride in his garden and in giving me the pleasure of wonderful berries. He loves bringing the gift of his garden into our kitchen.
Finding an email from a friend is a gift. When we open the email, we unwrap the words of a friend. Those words can make the difference in our attitude. Words make it possible to connect with others in all types of ways. Sometimes our communication is funny. We send a joke or a personal experience that makes the receiver smile or laugh. We might send a request for support. Life gifts us with the good and the not so good. How wonderful to have friends who want to hear our story no matter what it is.
Gifts can be anything. One Christmas we gave our son and his family the gift of a meal every week for a year. It was a gift enjoyed over a period of time. I have heard that others give that same gift but on a monthly basis. This gift keeps you connected. We have given gifts of services on index cards that could be redeemed throughout the year. It seems to me if we think just a bit, we can make a gift one of service as well as fun. Of course we give gifts bought in stores. We just try to mix it up a bit.
A letter or card is a lovely gift. Texts and emails are so quick. But, there is something so special in opening the mailbox and finding a handwritten note or letter. Texts and emails are part of this time in history. I love sending and receiving. However, that handwritten message received in the mail is a delight.
It is easy for life to become mundane. Established routines move us through our day. Evenings generally follow a pattern, too. So, when a surprise/gift interrupts our life, we are tickled pink. These surprises bring a twinkle to our eyes and a smile to our hearts.
Because they come at unexpected times, gifts and surprises give our spirits a lift. Is there anyone out there who doesn't need a "spirit lift" once in awhile?
You know where this is going. Since we love surprises and gifts, wouldn't others who inhabit our space enjoy them as well? If we don't act on their behalf, will someone else? Do we really want to miss the blessing of another's joy?
No money needed. Giving from our imagination is priceless. Giving our time is a huge gift. Giving a smile is a treasure. Giving that supports another is never forgotten.
If you are thinking that you would like to be a better giver, start small. Begin with more smiles to others. Check your own attitude and the words you speak. Others are watching and listening. You can give the gift of a positive life. Remember to say thank you. Open a door for someone with packages. All of these things are gifts. Enjoy the gifts you are giving!
Life, itself, is a gift. Spend yours well.
One of my favorite gifts to myself is to pull a winter coat from the closet, put it on, cram my fingers into the pockets and find a ten dollar bill. I feel like I have won the lottery!
Surprises spice up our lives. They catch us off guard and add that little something extra to our day. When I send packages to friends, I usually include something that I know will please them. I can almost see their faces when they open the package and find not only what they wanted, but also a little unexpected gift. It is in the giving that true joy floods our lives.
My husband knows how much I love berries. He doesn't like the seeds so anytime we have berries, they are all mine. We have a garden and in that garden are many berry vines. There are Marion berries, raspberries, strawberries. He tends the vines carefully protecting the precious fruit from birds and raccoons. When they are at their peak, he takes a bowl to the garden and fills it with berries--all for me. That is such a loving gift. He takes great pride in his garden and in giving me the pleasure of wonderful berries. He loves bringing the gift of his garden into our kitchen.
Finding an email from a friend is a gift. When we open the email, we unwrap the words of a friend. Those words can make the difference in our attitude. Words make it possible to connect with others in all types of ways. Sometimes our communication is funny. We send a joke or a personal experience that makes the receiver smile or laugh. We might send a request for support. Life gifts us with the good and the not so good. How wonderful to have friends who want to hear our story no matter what it is.
Gifts can be anything. One Christmas we gave our son and his family the gift of a meal every week for a year. It was a gift enjoyed over a period of time. I have heard that others give that same gift but on a monthly basis. This gift keeps you connected. We have given gifts of services on index cards that could be redeemed throughout the year. It seems to me if we think just a bit, we can make a gift one of service as well as fun. Of course we give gifts bought in stores. We just try to mix it up a bit.
A letter or card is a lovely gift. Texts and emails are so quick. But, there is something so special in opening the mailbox and finding a handwritten note or letter. Texts and emails are part of this time in history. I love sending and receiving. However, that handwritten message received in the mail is a delight.
It is easy for life to become mundane. Established routines move us through our day. Evenings generally follow a pattern, too. So, when a surprise/gift interrupts our life, we are tickled pink. These surprises bring a twinkle to our eyes and a smile to our hearts.
Because they come at unexpected times, gifts and surprises give our spirits a lift. Is there anyone out there who doesn't need a "spirit lift" once in awhile?
You know where this is going. Since we love surprises and gifts, wouldn't others who inhabit our space enjoy them as well? If we don't act on their behalf, will someone else? Do we really want to miss the blessing of another's joy?
No money needed. Giving from our imagination is priceless. Giving our time is a huge gift. Giving a smile is a treasure. Giving that supports another is never forgotten.
If you are thinking that you would like to be a better giver, start small. Begin with more smiles to others. Check your own attitude and the words you speak. Others are watching and listening. You can give the gift of a positive life. Remember to say thank you. Open a door for someone with packages. All of these things are gifts. Enjoy the gifts you are giving!
Life, itself, is a gift. Spend yours well.
Friday, March 8, 2013
Car Washes
Car Washes--
After a very snowy week, it was time to get the salt off the car. That spells terror for me.
It is no big deal to drive up and place the money in the slots. That is where easy stops. The next step is to wait for the sign to say Drive Forward. Drive forward into the tube of horror better known as a bay. Now we are talking challenge.
Positioning the left wheel so that it moves into the slot provided is tricky. Have you ever been almost sideways in that thing? Well, I have. It seems to me that that wheel slottie thing moves whenever it sees me coming. How in the world can I miss it everytime? I feel the wheel rubbing on something--I have no idea what. All I know is that I am usually higher on the left side of the car than the right side.
No one to help guide me into that trough. All on my own. Sometimes I straddle white lines in parking lots so it is not difficult to understand how I might be concerned at the car wash. After parking my car in a slot, I often look back to see if I am in straight only to find that I am at least five feet from the curb. Well, that is not a bad thing. No scratches on the front bumper. However, my guess is people passing my car have rather unkind things to say about how far it sticks out into the driving part of the lot. Oh well.
And then all the soaping and rinsing are finished. It is time to exit. This is almost as traumatic as entering that tube of horror. When I try to pull forward, I hear all sorts of noises coming from the tires. And I know that in the next bay is a man who is chuckling about a woman trying to wash the car. Well chuckle away, fellow. At least my car is as clean as yours!
If it is icy on the exit side of the bay, I know I will be thrown into a slide and probably take out other vehicles in the process. This whole process is so stressful. When I do exit correctly and join all the other cars on their way to who knows where, I begin to breathe again.
There has got to be a better way to do this!
After a very snowy week, it was time to get the salt off the car. That spells terror for me.
It is no big deal to drive up and place the money in the slots. That is where easy stops. The next step is to wait for the sign to say Drive Forward. Drive forward into the tube of horror better known as a bay. Now we are talking challenge.
Positioning the left wheel so that it moves into the slot provided is tricky. Have you ever been almost sideways in that thing? Well, I have. It seems to me that that wheel slottie thing moves whenever it sees me coming. How in the world can I miss it everytime? I feel the wheel rubbing on something--I have no idea what. All I know is that I am usually higher on the left side of the car than the right side.
No one to help guide me into that trough. All on my own. Sometimes I straddle white lines in parking lots so it is not difficult to understand how I might be concerned at the car wash. After parking my car in a slot, I often look back to see if I am in straight only to find that I am at least five feet from the curb. Well, that is not a bad thing. No scratches on the front bumper. However, my guess is people passing my car have rather unkind things to say about how far it sticks out into the driving part of the lot. Oh well.
And then all the soaping and rinsing are finished. It is time to exit. This is almost as traumatic as entering that tube of horror. When I try to pull forward, I hear all sorts of noises coming from the tires. And I know that in the next bay is a man who is chuckling about a woman trying to wash the car. Well chuckle away, fellow. At least my car is as clean as yours!
If it is icy on the exit side of the bay, I know I will be thrown into a slide and probably take out other vehicles in the process. This whole process is so stressful. When I do exit correctly and join all the other cars on their way to who knows where, I begin to breathe again.
There has got to be a better way to do this!
Thursday, March 7, 2013
A Plan--Wild and Precious?
A Plan--Wild and Precious?
"What is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?" A quote from Oliver's poem "The Summer Day"
A great question for us to consider no matter the stage of life. There truly are no do- overs in our life. We get one shot. So, perhaps a plan or lack of a plan does matter.
When I was in high school, the plan was to find my life work and go for it. During those years the opportunities for girls was limited to teaching, nursing or being a secretary. Many of my friends choose to be moms and raise families. No one thought about being an attorney or doctor. No one thought about running a business unless it was a hair cutting business or a dress shop.
I wasn't ready for marriage, cutting hair held no interest, nursing was frightening. My choices were between teaching and secretarial work. I decided to be a secretary. I enrolled in all the business classes available. They were enjoyable. I especially enjoyed taking dictation. We had to learn shorthand and take dictation--can't remember how many words a minute. I liked all the symbols. But somewhere along the way, my plan changed.
For a reason I don't remember, I took a few education classes. I was hooked. It was so much more interesting to work with children than to sit at those machines and type. It was challenging. I changed my major and concentrated on learning all I could about teaching. Was it wild? No. It was rewarding. Seeing the light go on in a child's eyes was so exciting. I would be a teacher.
Before graduation I had a teaching position. A principal came to me and asked me if I would take a job as a third grade teacher. Would I?? He didn't have to ask twice. I graduated mid-year. The job started in January. There was about a week between finishing classes and starting my first teaching position.
And then came marriage and a move. Those business courses came in handy as I used them when we moved mid-year, and I lost my teaching job. A new plan.
A son was born. I became a stay-at-home mom until he was ready for kindergarten. That was a precious time and a new plan for our family. Eventually, I returned to teaching.
There are many detours along the road in this wild and precious life. Everyone needs a dose of wild in their life. It will look different for each of us, but having a little wild keeps life interesting. Doing the unexpected is always fun for me.
All lives are precious. A baby is precious. A teen is precious. A college person is precious. A homeless person is precious. A mom/dad are precious. Grandparents are precious. Friends are precious. A spouse or partner is precious. We may not always agree with others, but we can agree that our lives are gifts and gifts are fun. Even precious.
Do we see that we are each precious to someone? Do we treat one another with kindness and care? It is often a challenge to see "precious" in someone we are angry with. Maybe we are having a disagreement. Precious is not a word we would use to describe the person on the other end of that disagreement. Yet, that might be the very time they need to know that they are cherished. It takes great strength of character to stop and appreciate another person.
Wild doesn't always mean being reckless. It can mean whatever you need it to mean. Taking a convertible ride with the top down when it is snowing might be wild to some. Riding a zip line when you are a grandmother could be considered wild. We throw that word around as if it is something bad. Out of the ordinary could be another definition.
We get one shot at this thing. There comes a day when we all look back and see who we were. Do we want to see a bit of "wild?" What do we hope our life has been? It is never too late to start over. To do the thing that has nagged at the soul for years. It is never too late as long as there is breath.
What is your plan for this one life? I am still planning!
Saturday, March 2, 2013
Destiny
Destiny--
Recently I wrote a blog about an experience in the Seattle Airport.
I wrote about sharing with a man whose daughter was close to death. Over the next few weeks we kept in contact. Just this week he wrote me that she had died. Only 31 years old. A young mother of two.
He wrote me that he doesn't believe in chance. He said he believes that we met for a reason, and that reason was to share and carry one another's sorrows. I agree with him.
A chapter of life has closed. A new chapter of life has opened. I will continue to remember he and his family in thoughts and prayers as they walk these new, unchartered waters.
What did I learn from this experience? I hope I learned to listen to others. To care for them. To share life. To offer support. And to be grateful for these very precious moments in life.
Recently I wrote a blog about an experience in the Seattle Airport.
I wrote about sharing with a man whose daughter was close to death. Over the next few weeks we kept in contact. Just this week he wrote me that she had died. Only 31 years old. A young mother of two.
He wrote me that he doesn't believe in chance. He said he believes that we met for a reason, and that reason was to share and carry one another's sorrows. I agree with him.
A chapter of life has closed. A new chapter of life has opened. I will continue to remember he and his family in thoughts and prayers as they walk these new, unchartered waters.
What did I learn from this experience? I hope I learned to listen to others. To care for them. To share life. To offer support. And to be grateful for these very precious moments in life.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)