A New Venture--
Life presents new challenges almost on a daily basis. Recently I accepted a new challenge. You are the first to know.
Soon I will be opening a little shop. Its name is Daffodil Lane. The shop will be all about the home. New and refurbished furniture, lamps, rugs, original paintings and many other items will be available for browsing and purchase. In addition, I will be happy to assist anyone who wants a few suggestions about room arrangement and such.
The plan is to open by May 1. But, much has to happen before that can become a reality. Soon there will be a Facebook page to like. Please do so.
Lexington is the home of my new shop.
It is never too late to start something new that brings joy and fun into our lives and the lives of others!!
Hope to see you at Daffodil Lane.
Wednesday, March 9, 2016
There Is Time
There Is Time--
Life is filled with thoughtful moments. Moments when we stop for a bit and reflect. Moments that take us to another place and time in our lives. Thoughtful moments that slow us down. We think differently if only for a moment.
One of those thoughtful moments crashed in on me recently. You know how this happens because it has probably happened to you, too. These moments can be brought on by something we see, something someone says. Or we might find ourselves witnessing an event through new eyes. However they happen, they do happen.
It was a busy day. Traffic was crazy. People were hurrying in all directions with destinations heavy on their minds. It seemed to me that everyone but me had somewhere specific to be at a designated time. No leisurely driving around for fun. Driving with a purpose. And then I saw it.
Just ahead and on my left was a funeral home. That funeral home has been there for years and years. In fact, I don't remember a time when the building was anything but a funeral home. On this particular day the parking lot was empty. I remember being thankful for that. A brief moment in a day. A quick look while driving past.
Usually when something comes into my sight line or my mind, it remains for a short period of time. I acknowledge it and move on. But this day was different. New thoughts flooded my mind. And for some reason, I could not allow them to quickly pass through. I was stuck with them. It was as if they arrived to help me understand a new truth or an old truth that was neatly tucked away. Whatever the reason, these thoughts brought me to a new and better place in life.
My first thought was one day I would be there. Maybe not in that particular location but definitely inside a facility quite like this one. I would not be attending to show respect or celebrate the life of someone I knew and cared about. It would be me. My name on the remembrance envelopes. My family saying goodbye. My friends laughing about times shared.
While that may seem morbid to some, it served as a wake-up call to me. Thoughts crashed into my mind. The lessons I saw from this were all about the time left. What would I make of it? How would I spend it? How would my being alive on this planet help others? What habits were destructive and in need of change? Was an attitude adjustment necessary? Am I living a life from a place of love or a place of complacency?
Eventually I arrived at a traffic light. Everyone moved together in the direction of their destination. So did I. It was time to move forward with the day. My mind centered on finding a parking space. Getting to the coffee shop in time to locate an empty table and two chairs for my friend and me. We meet often to discuss the important events of life. OK.. Maybe not the world's important challenges. Mostly the challenges and joys of our lives.
I locked the earlier thoughts of the day in a safe place to be revisited another time. So, here we are discussing them. It has been a few months since that morning. I will share with you that I have thought about them often. Somewhere deep inside I feel they might be guiding me to a more peaceful place. Sanding off the edges. Removing pieces that must be thrown away. Taking me to a higher level. Causing me to stop and think before passing judgement or being critical. A lesson in love.
Isn't it wonderful how we can be caught off guard by the simplest things? How a flowering tree or shrub or the first daffodil of spring can cause us to catch our breath? It is all about the little things. The things that bring us the greatest joy are those things that do not come wrapped in lovely packages with big bows. They are those words we spoke that made others laugh. The holidays we celebrated with a meal and rememberances. The walks when we shared our deepest hurts and disappointments. Those and many others are the simple things in life that make us who we are.
Here is one thing I know. Between this moment and that day there is time.
Life is filled with thoughtful moments. Moments when we stop for a bit and reflect. Moments that take us to another place and time in our lives. Thoughtful moments that slow us down. We think differently if only for a moment.
One of those thoughtful moments crashed in on me recently. You know how this happens because it has probably happened to you, too. These moments can be brought on by something we see, something someone says. Or we might find ourselves witnessing an event through new eyes. However they happen, they do happen.
It was a busy day. Traffic was crazy. People were hurrying in all directions with destinations heavy on their minds. It seemed to me that everyone but me had somewhere specific to be at a designated time. No leisurely driving around for fun. Driving with a purpose. And then I saw it.
Just ahead and on my left was a funeral home. That funeral home has been there for years and years. In fact, I don't remember a time when the building was anything but a funeral home. On this particular day the parking lot was empty. I remember being thankful for that. A brief moment in a day. A quick look while driving past.
Usually when something comes into my sight line or my mind, it remains for a short period of time. I acknowledge it and move on. But this day was different. New thoughts flooded my mind. And for some reason, I could not allow them to quickly pass through. I was stuck with them. It was as if they arrived to help me understand a new truth or an old truth that was neatly tucked away. Whatever the reason, these thoughts brought me to a new and better place in life.
My first thought was one day I would be there. Maybe not in that particular location but definitely inside a facility quite like this one. I would not be attending to show respect or celebrate the life of someone I knew and cared about. It would be me. My name on the remembrance envelopes. My family saying goodbye. My friends laughing about times shared.
While that may seem morbid to some, it served as a wake-up call to me. Thoughts crashed into my mind. The lessons I saw from this were all about the time left. What would I make of it? How would I spend it? How would my being alive on this planet help others? What habits were destructive and in need of change? Was an attitude adjustment necessary? Am I living a life from a place of love or a place of complacency?
Eventually I arrived at a traffic light. Everyone moved together in the direction of their destination. So did I. It was time to move forward with the day. My mind centered on finding a parking space. Getting to the coffee shop in time to locate an empty table and two chairs for my friend and me. We meet often to discuss the important events of life. OK.. Maybe not the world's important challenges. Mostly the challenges and joys of our lives.
I locked the earlier thoughts of the day in a safe place to be revisited another time. So, here we are discussing them. It has been a few months since that morning. I will share with you that I have thought about them often. Somewhere deep inside I feel they might be guiding me to a more peaceful place. Sanding off the edges. Removing pieces that must be thrown away. Taking me to a higher level. Causing me to stop and think before passing judgement or being critical. A lesson in love.
Isn't it wonderful how we can be caught off guard by the simplest things? How a flowering tree or shrub or the first daffodil of spring can cause us to catch our breath? It is all about the little things. The things that bring us the greatest joy are those things that do not come wrapped in lovely packages with big bows. They are those words we spoke that made others laugh. The holidays we celebrated with a meal and rememberances. The walks when we shared our deepest hurts and disappointments. Those and many others are the simple things in life that make us who we are.
Here is one thing I know. Between this moment and that day there is time.
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