Thursday, January 18, 2024

January Doesn't Have To Be A Let Down

I'm embarrassed to say it's been a few months since I've shared anything. The autumn leading into the seasonal holidays is always busy. The leaves turn orange and yellow and red. The air starts to get cooler. We celebrate Thanksgiving and then start decorating for Christmas. We hang the outdoor lights, begin our holiday shopping, and fill our calendars with social events. Many people are so anxious and busy preparing for the festivities that they're exhausted when the month of December actually arrives.

Where I live in Michigan we generally anticipate having a white Christmas; fresh snow and crisp air. It adds something magical to the season. Christmas of 2023 arrived with cloudy skies, rain, and foggy air ... then gloomily stuck around through New Year's Day.

Usually by the time we get through New Year's people are packing away their holiday decorations and gearing up for a quiet January, which usually includes a feeling of things being quiet and a bit slower. Some people have a hard time dealing with the drastic change. No more nostalgic music on the radio, no more twinkling lights on the trees, and for many no more happy visits with friends and family dropping by. January can be sad for some; they're looking for something to lift their spirits.

Here we are, half way through January and the snow and cold temperatures have finally arrived for my area; only a few weeks late. One of our state's universities had an exciting end to their football season when they ended up the champs! Go Blue! Our NFL team has made it to the playoffs, something I'm not sure I thought I'd ever see. There's literally a football frenzy in the air; excitement and joy everywhere.

January is turning out to be anything but quiet or boring. I've started reading a new book for a book club. I'm finishing up a winter painting. I purchased a new BIG canvas for an upcoming project (trust me, that's a big leap of faith).We're meeting up with friends for our monthly dinner and conversation. And we're making an effort to get out and use some of our restaurant gift cards (the pile was starting to get pretty big).

Sometimes life deals us obstacles we have no control over, but sometimes life can be what we make of it. For me, I'm making this January a fun one. I'm not sitting back and letting it pass me by.

What are you doing this January to make it fun?

Tuesday, September 19, 2023

What is your current season?

It's nearing the end of September; the kids are back in school, summer feels like it is winding down, and you can start unpacking your sweaters. Weather-wise, we're finishing up summer and gearing up for autumn. The leaves will soon be changing colors, some people have already been putting up their Halloween outside décor, and your favorite hobby stores are beginning to  display their Christmas stock.

Calendar seasons are one thing - just follow the dates posted on your fridge. I'll admit I'm not ready for colder weather, but I am ready to pull the summer flowers (all the red and pink and purple) and replace them with colorful mums! I am ready for oranges and yellows. I'm ready to walk in the crisp air and stop by the cider mill. But I also don't want time to go too fast because we all know that after autumn comes cold and snow and sometimes ice!

There are also the different seasons in our lives, depending on our ages. There's our teenage years, there's the college days, and the years of independence. For many there are the years of parenthood, the years we spend building our careers, and the years we work toward empty nests and retirement. There were the years we were caregivers to our mothers or fathers and all that it entailed. 

If someone were to ask me what season I am currently in I would have to say the season of floundering and discovery. I've always been the type of person to work toward the future, to make lists, and plan ahead ... often forgetting to savor the moments of today. My heart knows I need to find a better balance, but my mind tends to get in the way and make things more difficult than they need to be.

My husband and I are parents to two adults and grandparents to four awesome grandkids, we're empty nesters, we're no longer caregivers, and we both still work full time. Somehow we're just as busy now as we always have been, but we do try take some time for ourselves. We each have hobbies that we find intriguing, creative, and relaxing to us. But truth be told some times we can go weeks before we are able to carve some time out of our responsibilities to make time for ourselves. That is my goal for this week. We both had a really busy month of August and so far September hasn't seemed to slow down any. You get to the point that you're not just physically tired, but you're also mentally drained.

I am finally taking a couple of overdue days off. Of course I plan to finish cleaning out my summer flower gardens and get into the autumn spirit with fall décor including mums and pumpkins. I always try to do the MUST DO'S first so I won't feel guilty about doing the WANNA DO'S. Pathetic I know. My fun plans? Some reading, some shopping, and some painting. Hopefully a little ME time will get me back on track and feeling re-energized once again.

Hopefully my season of floundering and feeling a little lost and off kilter will lead the way to a better season filled with hope and joy and rest and contentment.

What season do you find yourself currently in? 

Is it what you thought it would be or is it different somehow?


Wednesday, July 12, 2023

No Place For Judgement


Has anyone ever accused you of being judgmental? Have you ever inadvertently shamed someone? Everyone, including you, has feelings. Many people will try to hide their emotions; others display them front and center for the whole world to see. Do they really want everyone's input or do they just like the attention they get? Good or bad, maybe they need the attention to feel validated or noticed.


I know this is a big topic and can cover a pretty broad scope of situations. Let's break down a few examples. 

  • Have you ever had someone point out something you're wearing and suggest that it might not be appropriate? Unless you're required to wear a uniform for your profession or you have an expected written dress code, then their opinion of your attire may be just that ... their opinion.
  • Have you ever felt 'shamed' by things people have said to you for being too tall or too short or too heavy or too skinny? Or too emotional? People don't need to point out you're too old or too young for this or that; that's your business. Often our ages are just numbers on paper; if your mind and body tell you that you can still do something, then do it. Dance like no one is watching!
  • If you're like me you may find that you judge the people driving on your right that speed up and then wait til the last minute to merge left into your lane in front of you (like they didn't see the sign with the arrow a block behind you). I don't know their story. I don't know if they didn't see the sign or never drove on that street before. But I can assume and that what gets me in trouble.

I have a fear of going to the dentist. It's a legitimate anxiety; my heart races, my skin gets very blotchy, and I get clammy. It only takes one bad experience for anyone to develop a fear of something. Maybe a dog bit you when you were six and were getting off the school bus; it would be legitimate for you to feel uneasy around dogs you don't know. It certainly doesn't help when a dog's owner belittles your fear by saying, 'Oh, don't be afraid. Fido never bit anyone. He's very gentle with most people.' The fact that Fido weighs 100# and is straining his leash while barking at you might be deterring you from believing them.

My dentist retired a while back and I needed to find a new practice. I finally took the step and made an appointment with a new one. It went fine, mostly because they didn't judge me for not having been to a dentist in a while. They acknowledged my fear for what it was and tried to support me so I could have a better experience. It doesn't mean my dental anxieties have magically disappeared, but it was a good first step toward regaining some trust.

The thing is that we should do things that are positive because they are right. We don't walk in other people shoes and we certainly don't know everyone's back stories. If someone asks for help, do what you can but don't judge or shame them for being in a position where they needed to ask for help. Maybe it took them a week to work up the courage to ask for help or maybe it took them a year and half to make the dentist appointment. 

Unless you wear a black robe and sit in a judge's chair and have a gavel in your hand and the law on your side, you really don't have the right to judge anyone.

Choose your actions and your words carefully. What's the saying about a tube of toothpaste? Words are like toothpaste, once they're out you can't put them back in the tube.

Just something to think about?

When have you felt judged or shamed?

How did it make you feel?

Monday, May 22, 2023

Who gets to define 'older'?

I'm probably showing my age a little bit, but I remember being in elementary school and thinking that all of my teachers were old. In reality they weren't, but they dressed older and very conservatively. So not having any real concept of time and age I thought they were all in their 60s and that seemed ancient. Wow, how times have changed. Styles have changed and people have more choices now in their hair color and clothing styles, not to mention people are living longer and doing more. Nowadays if you are smart you will never try to guess someone's age.

When my kids were in school the teachers all got younger. For that fact, so did the policemen, the firefighters, and the doctors. Maybe it's partly a new reality and partly perception. People seem more active now than when I was younger.

What do they say? 80 is the new 60, and 60 is the new 40? I can't tell you how often I hear people say their age may be one number but in their mind they're still 20 years younger. When I was young the only activities I saw my parents partake in was playing cards. I never saw them do anything active or break a sweat. My mother did play the piano, but always with grace and dignity.

I recently just turned 60, but don't feel like it. My friends say they would never guess that was my age if I didn't tell them - but maybe they're just being nice.

A friend told me a funny story the other day that she was somewhere trying to get some records and a stranger made a comment to her that birth certificates are only online going back a certain amount of time. He said he'd been around a LONG time and knew this for a fact. She asked when he was born and he replied, '1981'. OMG! Seriously? That's the year I graduated from high school. I have news for him, records go back a bit longer than that, lol. He was defining 'older' in a whole new way.

So WHO exactly gets to define 'older'? And who gets to categorize people and label them and what makes them feel qualified to do that? I certainly wouldn't want that responsibility. I'd like to keep my friends, thank you very much.

Do you feel age is just a number? 

Do you let your age define you by someone else's definition?


Wednesday, April 5, 2023

How do you measure time?

There are many ways to measure time? Maybe you have a techy calendar on your phone or a paper one on your refrigerator. These will certainly help you keep track of birthdays, vacation days, and upcoming appointments. But what about remembering the seasons of your life? Remembering when you experienced the highs and lows?

People experience different levels and stages in their lives. Maybe you're at the place where you measure your life by everything that happened before and after retirement. Before you had a family to raise or when you started re-experiencing life with an empty nest.

Our parents and grandparents may refer to how life was before or after a war. 

A patient may define their journey as before or after their medical diagnosis. 

A young adult may label their accomplishments as before or after their college graduation.

Whatever category you find yourself in it's interesting to understand the perspective you bring to the table. What situations or life events altered your journey?

Almost anyone these days could measure family gatherings or vacations as before Covid complicated life or now when people have resumed many of their activities.

How do you measure your life; what you've accomplished or what your current goals are? 

What stage do you find yourself in?

Tuesday, February 28, 2023

Show The Real You

You've probably heard the phrases, "Put your best foot forward" and "You only get one chance to make a first impression". They sound simple enough, but are they? They sound like a whole lot of pressure to me. Most people want to do their best and act their best and look their best. Those are things we strive for, but not necessarily how we are on a daily basis or even at a moment's notice.

We fail and try again and again until we get where we want to be. It's important that we let people see both sides of us; the times when we struggle and the times when we achieve. Blend the two sides of ourselves together and we hopefully get a better and balanced (real) version to share. That's the person we want others to see; the relatable and approachable version, the version that is honest.

Sure we all want others to like us, to approve of the things we say and do, and to admire our efforts. But if we're play-acting and putting on a façade we aren't being honest with them or ourselves. Good or bad, weak or strong it's important to just keep it real.

Do you feel comfortable or vulnerable exposing the real you?

It can be daunting at times, but weighs a lot less on your shoulders than putting yourself on a pedestal. There's another saying, "The higher your pedestal the further you have to fall." That doesn't sound fun. My suggestion? Be real, be honest and just be yourself. That's the person you want others to see and admire.

Do you feel you're sharing the real you? What's been your biggest hurdle?



Thursday, December 29, 2022

Where Did You Find Your Happiness in 2022?

It's that time of year when many set goals for themselves, define their vision for the new year, or even make their proverbial resolution. Is that what you do? I used to, til I decided I was putting way too much pressure on myself and basically setting myself up for failure. Our mindset going into a new year should be a positive one, not one filled with unneeded stress.

So what will my approach be this year? Great question. I think I will begin by simply reflecting. What positive (and negative) things were in my life during the last 12 months? What things kept me up at night with worry or what things did I find myself looking forward to for the next day? I dealt with the death of a parent, my routines as a caregiver changed, my goals changed, and some of my priorities. I will always be about lists, and adding more to my plate, raising money for causes that mean something to me, and trying to create a better life balance. Like every other year some things I succeeded at and some times I failed miserably. But with every failure is the reminder that I put myself out there and I tried. With every failure also comes knowledge and growth.

For today I will reflect on what things made me happy during 2022. I had meaningful conversations with both of my adult children, I hugged and played with my grandchildren, I took walks and held hands with my husband, not to mention our cheap date nights when we got a carryout and ate McDonalds in a parking lot and just enjoyed each other's company and talked about our day. I found time to work in my flower gardens, paint my pictures (adult PBN, I think I'm addicted), and read a lot of books from the library. Sure there will always be things I wish I had done differently, like not dwell so much on the past and what could have been or let people get under my skin over things that I just found irritating.

Going into 2023 I will continue to strive for a healthier life balance. We are true empty nesters now after 30+ years and that takes getting used to. What we always did in the past for holidays is now just that; the past. Going forward it's about finding what works in any given year. I need to learn not to have things so set in stone in my mind, but rather be more open and accepting to the ways things are now. Traditions can be difficult sometimes; maybe it's about developing new ones but still keeping a few of the old.

Where do you stand today as you reflect on 2022?

What were some of your highs and lows?

Where do you see yourself heading in 2023?