How do you manage when life says, “Stop?!” The dreams and aspirations I had for 2025 were all on track for the first half of the year. Suddenly, though, in the last half of the year, life screamed stop! Nothing I planned for stayed on track, and a new sort of path demanded my attention. What’s a person to do?
‘You are here: I’m there with you’ is a phrase I’ve coined in my personal journey around caregiving for an aging parent. It’s easy when caring for a loved one with memory loss to get frustrated with the changes we see and experience. In my personal experience, the dad I used to know and remember shifts into someone different. Some days he seems like a completely different person. Oi! What’s a person to do with that?
Our thoughts and the things we do to improve our lives also make the world better. There’s something to the power of one person making a difference. Think about it. If we take one moment to get our self-universe centered, our energies are different; focused and drawing what we want in our lives. If 5 people do that, what do you suppose the impact of that would be universally, outside of ourselves? Now think about that same picture, but imagine thousands of people doing it; millions. How do you think our experience of the world would change?
Watch out for the sweet spot! Maybe yours is finding the perfect place on the head of a golf club to smack that little white ball into the playing field. Or maybe you’re having a conversation and the perfect timing happens for you to say something. Oh, then there’s a spot in nature that’s just right for hanging a hammock. (If you’re unaware, I live for hammock moments!) The sweet spot!
What is it about finding the right spot on a calendar? It works for you; it works for them, and everyone seems to be happy. Okay. Dinner is at 6:30 on Thursday. Perfect.
Did you notice the moment the sleeping grass woke up and turned green? Maybe you noticed a daffodil emerging through the warming earth. While you were busy cleaning the dishes or writing that memo, a squirrel dropped by, looking for a morsel of goodness. Did you see that little fella?
Maybe you noticed something new growing on your body. Did you know your ears and nose never stop growing? Or maybe a freckle happened in a place you’ve never had one before. I stepped outside to snatch up a breath of fresh air and sunshine and noticed the lizards were back, looking for delicious bugs to consume. Oh, and there’s a bunny, back for more backyard adventures.
Turkey and gratitude: it must be Thanksgiving. Some of you have already celebrated your Thanksgiving this year. In the United States, we’re just getting around to these shenanigans. Yesterday was our holiday, but we historically make a long weekend of it. I practice gratitude year-round, but it is nice to have a day where we focus on being thankful. The traditional eats are nice, too.
I’m grateful to be alive to celebrate this holiday. There was a day in my past when that was questionable. I practice being aware and grateful each year for the grace that allowed me to survive. Home, family, friends, and being able to live my dreams every day are things I also feel grateful for. It’s good to say these things out loud.
