So there are several Thanksgiving turkeys that come to mind...there is the one that came apart from being so overcooked...that was one of the first I ever did on my own...Then there was the one my mother and husband, Michael, almost rolled across the camp floor one year...Now as often as I can I go to a daughter's house and I bring vegetables:) So much safer that way! Mostly, I just like to watch the parade and eat:)
This Thanksgiving there is as much as ever to be thankful for. There are the children who are all holding their own, the daughter in college and raising her son after so many years of her life being out of control, the daughter and grandson in Maine that I so miss because of all the things we did together before they move d away, The daughters and their families that always make one smile, there are all the good reports from Michael's cancer screenings, there are such good friends and extended family to pray for and give thanks for.
This Thanksgiving there is one who will be missed more than words can say. My Mother... She was graceful even when she was upset about something, she was loving and a giver of sound advice, she was a tribute to her mother who gave of her quiet self daily...She was a gift to all who knew her. She knew how to make a great turkey dinner and turkey soup after! And even though I was rarely able to have Thanksgiving dinner with her, I will greatly miss her presence either by phone or through doing the preparations she taught me. She made every holiday special...
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Surviving One of Life's Greatest Losses
On March 4th I lost my mother...I literally feel as if I lost her , as in I left her unattended and I lost her...She was not alone...she was with one of my wonderful, beautiful nieces...in good hands, and with medical personnel. She was not alone and I did not misplace her...she died...most unexpectedly...And now I am trying to survive that greatest of losses.
Mom was one of God's miracles. She had a book called "Making Miracles" that she read from every day. She told me that if she read the affirmations she found there often enough, they would become part of her. So, in the early morning quiet, before she had to deal with doctor's and tests, on the day she died, she shared again from her book. She practically knew the pages by heart but it was in the sharing that she was comforted.
These are a couple of the affirmations that were especially important to her on that day...
"This is the day the Lord has made. I shall rejoice and be glad, be gladder than glad. I give myself permission to see all the happiness that is in my world, to think of the happiness, and to speak of the happiness. The Creator has filled the world with unlimited joy that is mine for the taking." (p. 41)
It's the happiness thing...she wanted everyone to be happy! She tried to spread happiness in so many ways...to her family, friends, and even the clients she worked with,,,Because even at 83 she was taking care of others, sharing parts of their world and dropping nuggets of joy wherever she could.
The second reading was about determination. It speaks of all those tremendous qualities that were the embodiment of our mother...
"My spirit is rich..." all that she gained from these affirmations was not to keep something precious for herself , but to give away.Her determination to share joy, love, forgiveness, enthusiasm...that was what amazes me the most about her. She copied this quote from somewhere, " Faith grows out of love, and is inseparable from courage." In her life she was the most courageous woman I've ever known.
Her spirit was indomitable...not to be broken. Her faith was unwavering. Regardless of her circumstances, she was filled with faith for God and was certain of His power in her life. It was that faith that gave her also the sweet gentle spirit that was her sharing point with all of us.
When I was little, sometimes our days were difficult and we moved very frequently because Dad was in the Air Force. In spite of that, Mama taught rootedness in other ways...
She made her space, wherever that was, beautiful...Always she found a place to make a little garden. She would fill it with nasturtiums, marigolds, sweet peas and morning glories.
She taught us to pray and to expect a miracle.
She spent hours crocheting wheels of doilies for her tables and I am very certain she prayed for someone with every working of her crochet hook...
She would sing songs, like "Catch a falling Star, Put it in your pocket, and never let it go..." Another one of her little lessons.
She put as much beauty as she could in every dark corner of her life and the lives of those around her.
More recently she made beautiful weavings and quilts... My sisters, my brother, and I ...we are my mother's quilt. We are made of different colors, shapes, with our own points and curves, but together we make a whole block...one our mother has infused with her tremendous love...Her message was one always of love and peace. She was a very special lady, determined to seek the light. I am honored to have had her as my mother.
Mom was one of God's miracles. She had a book called "Making Miracles" that she read from every day. She told me that if she read the affirmations she found there often enough, they would become part of her. So, in the early morning quiet, before she had to deal with doctor's and tests, on the day she died, she shared again from her book. She practically knew the pages by heart but it was in the sharing that she was comforted.
These are a couple of the affirmations that were especially important to her on that day...
"This is the day the Lord has made. I shall rejoice and be glad, be gladder than glad. I give myself permission to see all the happiness that is in my world, to think of the happiness, and to speak of the happiness. The Creator has filled the world with unlimited joy that is mine for the taking." (p. 41)
It's the happiness thing...she wanted everyone to be happy! She tried to spread happiness in so many ways...to her family, friends, and even the clients she worked with,,,Because even at 83 she was taking care of others, sharing parts of their world and dropping nuggets of joy wherever she could.
The second reading was about determination. It speaks of all those tremendous qualities that were the embodiment of our mother...
"My spirit is rich..." all that she gained from these affirmations was not to keep something precious for herself , but to give away.Her determination to share joy, love, forgiveness, enthusiasm...that was what amazes me the most about her. She copied this quote from somewhere, " Faith grows out of love, and is inseparable from courage." In her life she was the most courageous woman I've ever known.
Her spirit was indomitable...not to be broken. Her faith was unwavering. Regardless of her circumstances, she was filled with faith for God and was certain of His power in her life. It was that faith that gave her also the sweet gentle spirit that was her sharing point with all of us.
When I was little, sometimes our days were difficult and we moved very frequently because Dad was in the Air Force. In spite of that, Mama taught rootedness in other ways...
She made her space, wherever that was, beautiful...Always she found a place to make a little garden. She would fill it with nasturtiums, marigolds, sweet peas and morning glories.
She taught us to pray and to expect a miracle.
She spent hours crocheting wheels of doilies for her tables and I am very certain she prayed for someone with every working of her crochet hook...
She would sing songs, like "Catch a falling Star, Put it in your pocket, and never let it go..." Another one of her little lessons.
She put as much beauty as she could in every dark corner of her life and the lives of those around her.
More recently she made beautiful weavings and quilts... My sisters, my brother, and I ...we are my mother's quilt. We are made of different colors, shapes, with our own points and curves, but together we make a whole block...one our mother has infused with her tremendous love...Her message was one always of love and peace. She was a very special lady, determined to seek the light. I am honored to have had her as my mother.
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Surviving the Chaos
Have you thought about what it means to survive? It seems in our family we are always surviving some crisis...we outrun the pain of whatever the event is and go on in spite of our disappointment, sickness, loss, pain, etc. We are a family of mostly women. Our men are definitely in the minority...in fact the loss of our men, at least in this family, is one of the areas we are good at surviving in spite of!
Strong women...Women of strength...What do we put our faith in if not the day to day dealings that are precarious at best? I put my faith in God and have seen through the years that God is good and always faithful. He gives me place to rest when I am very weary. And there seem to be so many of those times. What do you, other women in my family or my women friends, put your faith in to help get you through?
Sharing our strenghts and our sorrows gets us all through another day...it is in the sharing of our hopes and dreams, our hurts and our pain, that we all gain notes of songs to push aside the tears of distress...
Strong women...Women of strength...What do we put our faith in if not the day to day dealings that are precarious at best? I put my faith in God and have seen through the years that God is good and always faithful. He gives me place to rest when I am very weary. And there seem to be so many of those times. What do you, other women in my family or my women friends, put your faith in to help get you through?
Sharing our strenghts and our sorrows gets us all through another day...it is in the sharing of our hopes and dreams, our hurts and our pain, that we all gain notes of songs to push aside the tears of distress...
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
A Little of Life's Chaos...
Does it seem as if life is passing by too fast?
As if we are travelling at warp speed through time?
Does it feel chaotic when you open your door and step into the new day?
If so, then maybe you are like me...trying to find firm footing on the slippery slope of life! It just seems that we are on a fast track to somewhere, but I am never quite sure where. All around are contradictions...Here we are racing through life, trying to gorge ourselves on everything as quickly as possible, a smorgasbord of delights constantly available to us...while at the same time we are also trying to slow down our aging process by pumping up our skin, our muscles, our psyches, cutting down on food, calories, and fats...trying to outrun the inevitable while grabbing gobs of aesthetic delights on our way by...
Do you wonder who we are becoming? What have we given up in order to merely survive in this dichotomous environment?
This is a beginning. I don't expect an end , but I look forward to a mid-land of ideas and inspiration that will make this journey as much a delight as any of the offerings in our fast paced society.
For starters, there is a health tip of the day that I hope will be a help in understanding our body machines so we can keep them conditioned to function in a healthy way. I would also invite you go to my Arbonne page (www.vikingship.myarbonne.com) to discover some wonderful all natural delights for your skin. They decrease the stressful aging effects on your skin from living this hectic journey.
Comments are welcome. I look forward to journeying with others...
As if we are travelling at warp speed through time?
Does it feel chaotic when you open your door and step into the new day?
If so, then maybe you are like me...trying to find firm footing on the slippery slope of life! It just seems that we are on a fast track to somewhere, but I am never quite sure where. All around are contradictions...Here we are racing through life, trying to gorge ourselves on everything as quickly as possible, a smorgasbord of delights constantly available to us...while at the same time we are also trying to slow down our aging process by pumping up our skin, our muscles, our psyches, cutting down on food, calories, and fats...trying to outrun the inevitable while grabbing gobs of aesthetic delights on our way by...
Do you wonder who we are becoming? What have we given up in order to merely survive in this dichotomous environment?
This is a beginning. I don't expect an end , but I look forward to a mid-land of ideas and inspiration that will make this journey as much a delight as any of the offerings in our fast paced society.
For starters, there is a health tip of the day that I hope will be a help in understanding our body machines so we can keep them conditioned to function in a healthy way. I would also invite you go to my Arbonne page (www.vikingship.myarbonne.com) to discover some wonderful all natural delights for your skin. They decrease the stressful aging effects on your skin from living this hectic journey.
Comments are welcome. I look forward to journeying with others...
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