seasons

Funny how our lives are seasonal. They say every 7 years we reinvent ourselves. This really seems to be the case.
Look around or look at your own life. Are you the same person that you were 7 years ago? I would have to say no. And that is a good thing. It's good to "molt" and shed the old skin and grow new, fresh perspectives and interests. Oh, I think we basically are the same people in the general sense. Shy people will most always be shy somewhat, usually people who never have liked liver will never like it. But maturity and life's lessons keep a cycle of refreshment in our lives going that is necessary for dealing with all our natural cycles. We all deal with deaths, births, people leaving, change of locations, disappointments. Sometimes the emotion takes over and we have little control on how we
handle things. In the big picture, we do have a choice in how we "handle" things. I am an adult child of an alcoholic, and one of the skills we learn as children of "out of control people" is how to handle large things as if they are small things. During my life I have dealt with massive problems while those alongside me had no idea. Is this healthy? Probably not.
Children in turbulent homes learn to mask the worry, concern and fear and put on a smiling face for others. I have seen this working with children who are in those situations. As an adult, I would say I have learned to share feelings and emotions in a healthy way, it took me a long, long time to realize this was the best way to go about things, but overall I am now happier sharing than not (maybe those around me wish I didn't share quite so much!) Now, when I see people get bent out of shape over small things, my first thoughts are..this person never had a real problem to deal with such as death, addiction, divorce, etc.
Those who have been in the lap of chaos know that locking your keys in your car, etc. isn't the end of the world. These daily problems are part of walking on the earth. How you handle the large things in life is what tells how you have matured, how you process life itself, how you chose to live your life.
My zest for life has always been there. It has changed over time, as it should

At one time it was going as fast as the boat would go across the water. Today it's morning sun across my little yard with flowers and squash plants and bees and holding hands with my sweet husband. Tomorrow it might be painting, learning piano, international travel (that last one especially). I welcome the seasons and the changes and the consistencies. I choose to be good to those around me and love those who aren't always deserving and not judge others. I resolve to handle it as gracefully and honestly as this life has taught me. Live and let live and be glad the seasons are still rolling around.

Bloom or a weed?

Ever heard the old quote "work with what you have, where you are with you've got"? We all the misfortune sometimes of falling into places or situations that are not our ideal setting or situation. First thing I try to remember is nothing is forever. Everything changes every 7 years. And usually these are life changing (have kids, see kids grow and leave, lose a loved one, change a job, sell a house, lose weight, start school again) These are all things that we usually don't make it through a decade without witnessing and it changes our life.

Our every waking moment is spent getting through the day, the week, til the next vacation, the next payday, through the next test. Those moments will come without question. We can't be a part of this planet without these changes.

What we have immediate control over is how we spend moments. Moments are the things that you will pull out of your memory bank at 80. Not decades, but MOMENTS. That is why it's important to have lunch with that old friend, or tell your parents you love them, or thank our maker for providing such a pretty stage for us to play on. Those fragments of your day is what sews together your life - each day is a stitch.

It's important to handle the day, don't let it handle you. I start mine with prayer and meditation, I listen to old gospel hymns that my Grandmother so loved. It sets my brain for going to the office and dealing with what comes there. At lunch it's always rejuvenating to go to the port, the beach, the park (yesterday the cemetery), but focus on what we have been given. We should all move forward at all times, but we should all be careful about what we chase. If we get caught up in getting that promotion, buying new cars, houses, etc. then we lose so much..and we don't see that until it's too late.

Sew your day up with sweet moments. This is something that has to be consciously done, it doesn't usually just happen. But if you stop and look up at the sky or at a honeybee performing miracles, that is what makes the bloom on you.