I was at our son, Walker's tennis banquet tonight and spoke with friend of mine about this "season" of our lives. She had been reading my blog and we talked about how so many of us feel a little out of sorts when our children leave the home and "the children" have been our main job, if not our only one, for many, many years.
Let's all take time out to consider and then realize our dreams...perhaps just like Susan Boyle, a candidate in the Britain's Got Talent 2009 contest.
My friend, Lynn sent this to me via email and I had to share it with you!
If you have not seen Susan's performance, you must as soon as possible.
Go to:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6PP1KOyaqaQ
After you view this, consider what your dream, your passion is, then let's go after them together!
Let me know what you think about Susan Boyle's "I Dreamed a Dream" from Les Miserables.
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
WHICH PATH?
Today as I was driving home, there was a huge traffic jam in my community, a suberb just north of Atlanta. All of the roads within blocks from the square in all directions were tangled up with congestion. I was on a road just a few cars from a RR crossing, which should have been a fine route home, except for the fact that the train was sitting at a dead stop.
What to do? Which route to take? Do I wait on the train? If so, will it be a terribly long wait? As I sat and processed all this, many commuters behind me had already begun to make their decision and were turning around. I was hesitant to do this because as I looked in my rear view mirror, I saw that all the roads were blocked. So, I choose to sit and wait. 5, 10, 20, 25 minutes while cars all around me choose to perform u-turns. I open both windows and allow the cool spring day to blow into my car. I hear shouts of the children at a nearby church playground, and I wait on this train that may never move.
As I continued to wait, I thought about how in life we have a lot of paths we can choose. I was reminded of Robert Frost's memorable poem:
"The Road Not Taken"
Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,...and I-took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference.
Now that we are 50 something women, it may seem that we are faced with more news than usual, and the news, unfortunately, is not always good. Maybe it is because our circle of friends has broadened as we have grown. Perhaps it is because we have greater knowledge, greater wisdom, shall I say, about what can come about as life progresses.
Whatever the reason, it would do our hearts good to consider what path we will take when faced with difficult news. We can collapse into nothingness...and if we do that for a bit, it is understandable. We can decide to take the path of courage amidst trial and follow down that path with encouragement from God and friends who care. WE might choose anger and stay stuck there for awhile. And sometimes news will just cause us to sit and wait until it sinks in. If we really stop and think about it, we can even choose to look for the upside of a situation. As I waited for the train to move, an elderly gentleman, a pedestrian, walked over to my car and instructed me on how, in his opinion, I should turn around and find a new route. And I did...arriving home in less than a half hour.
Which path will you choose today?
What to do? Which route to take? Do I wait on the train? If so, will it be a terribly long wait? As I sat and processed all this, many commuters behind me had already begun to make their decision and were turning around. I was hesitant to do this because as I looked in my rear view mirror, I saw that all the roads were blocked. So, I choose to sit and wait. 5, 10, 20, 25 minutes while cars all around me choose to perform u-turns. I open both windows and allow the cool spring day to blow into my car. I hear shouts of the children at a nearby church playground, and I wait on this train that may never move.
As I continued to wait, I thought about how in life we have a lot of paths we can choose. I was reminded of Robert Frost's memorable poem:
"The Road Not Taken"
Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,...and I-took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference.
Now that we are 50 something women, it may seem that we are faced with more news than usual, and the news, unfortunately, is not always good. Maybe it is because our circle of friends has broadened as we have grown. Perhaps it is because we have greater knowledge, greater wisdom, shall I say, about what can come about as life progresses.
Whatever the reason, it would do our hearts good to consider what path we will take when faced with difficult news. We can collapse into nothingness...and if we do that for a bit, it is understandable. We can decide to take the path of courage amidst trial and follow down that path with encouragement from God and friends who care. WE might choose anger and stay stuck there for awhile. And sometimes news will just cause us to sit and wait until it sinks in. If we really stop and think about it, we can even choose to look for the upside of a situation. As I waited for the train to move, an elderly gentleman, a pedestrian, walked over to my car and instructed me on how, in his opinion, I should turn around and find a new route. And I did...arriving home in less than a half hour.
Which path will you choose today?
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
YES, It's a new day!
Now that I believe I am back on track with my fitness and food plan, I want to share a few things that I have found to be very helpful. First of all, fitness is vital for us to feel good the rest of our journey. So, I look for ways to get fit at every turn! MOVE, MOVE, MOVE! Take the stairs, never the elevator. Park far from the store fronts. Walk the dog. Hike a mountain. Take a power walk with a heart friend. MOVE, MOVE, MOVE!
And now for a word from Bob Greene's Best Life program: "Although the scale may inch up during or after a holiday, keep in mind that weight fluctuations are perfectly normal. To gain an actual pound of body fat, you'd have to consume a lot of calories: 3,500 to be exact-and this is on top of what you normally eat in a given day. And even if the number on the scale does climb, that doesn't mean you've gained actual body fat. When you step on a scale, you're weighing muscle, bone, body fat, water (one gallon weighs 8 lbs), undigested food, and waste that your body has not eliminated yet." (see thebestlife.com for more)
Another resource I have found to be very motivating is a paperback book you can pick up anywhere: YOUNGER NEXT YEAR By, Chris Crowley & Henry S. Lodge, M.D. There is copy for women (hot pink) and one for men (bright yellow) My copy is torn and tattered and highlighted because I have read and reread many parts of it in the past year.
I don't know about you, but my main goal has become to FEEL GOOD, not to get skinny for some special reunion, wedding or another occasion. Very simply to feel good and be as healthy as I can be.
So here we go! Today is a new day!
And now for a word from Bob Greene's Best Life program: "Although the scale may inch up during or after a holiday, keep in mind that weight fluctuations are perfectly normal. To gain an actual pound of body fat, you'd have to consume a lot of calories: 3,500 to be exact-and this is on top of what you normally eat in a given day. And even if the number on the scale does climb, that doesn't mean you've gained actual body fat. When you step on a scale, you're weighing muscle, bone, body fat, water (one gallon weighs 8 lbs), undigested food, and waste that your body has not eliminated yet." (see thebestlife.com for more)
Another resource I have found to be very motivating is a paperback book you can pick up anywhere: YOUNGER NEXT YEAR By, Chris Crowley & Henry S. Lodge, M.D. There is copy for women (hot pink) and one for men (bright yellow) My copy is torn and tattered and highlighted because I have read and reread many parts of it in the past year.
I don't know about you, but my main goal has become to FEEL GOOD, not to get skinny for some special reunion, wedding or another occasion. Very simply to feel good and be as healthy as I can be.
So here we go! Today is a new day!
Monday, April 13, 2009
POWER OUTAGE
I have spoken with three close girlfriends in the past 24 hours and we have talked through personal issues. What great comfort and therapy it is to have a girlfriend, a heart friend, that you know you can trust with your deepest concerns! As we bantered back and forth, these friends and I, it was confirmed to me once again how hard this life is. In fact, the first line in Scott Peck's book, The Road Less Traveled is: LIFE IS DIFFICULT. Even though the circumstances I discussed with each of these friends was very different, the bottom line was the same...Life can deal you some pretty tough cards.
How we play our cards, many times determines how our future unfolds. However, more likely, we will have times that we have to just let go and accept things as they are. My Mama raised six children and as we grew up into adults, I remember her saying often that she was not "worried" about a particular situation, but that she was definitely "concerned". Maybe that was her way of caring, but not carrying the burden that was on her heart.
This reminds me of the Serenity Prayer that I believe is vital for the 50 something woman as we journey through our days:
"God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference."
One thing I do know is that the power that is in GOD is a power I would not want to live without. This morning, our community had a rough rainstorm and we lost all electirical power in our home for more than three hours. As I meandered through our home, I would flip a switch and receive no light because of the outage.
Once our power was restored, I began to think about what life would be like without power...and worse, what if we had no Divine Creator to turn to, to pray to. Where would we be?
All three of these heart friends seek God in their journey and the Word promises that when we seek Him, we will find Him. There is much power in seeking and finding the Living God and we can be assured that there will never be a power outage with Him!
How we play our cards, many times determines how our future unfolds. However, more likely, we will have times that we have to just let go and accept things as they are. My Mama raised six children and as we grew up into adults, I remember her saying often that she was not "worried" about a particular situation, but that she was definitely "concerned". Maybe that was her way of caring, but not carrying the burden that was on her heart.
This reminds me of the Serenity Prayer that I believe is vital for the 50 something woman as we journey through our days:
"God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference."
One thing I do know is that the power that is in GOD is a power I would not want to live without. This morning, our community had a rough rainstorm and we lost all electirical power in our home for more than three hours. As I meandered through our home, I would flip a switch and receive no light because of the outage.
Once our power was restored, I began to think about what life would be like without power...and worse, what if we had no Divine Creator to turn to, to pray to. Where would we be?
All three of these heart friends seek God in their journey and the Word promises that when we seek Him, we will find Him. There is much power in seeking and finding the Living God and we can be assured that there will never be a power outage with Him!
Sunday, April 12, 2009
THE CAB RIDE
As I checked my email today, I came upon the following story, a forward from my friend, Jolie. I think it serves as a grand reminder, no matter our age, that life is not a dress rehearsal. WE ONLY GET ONE CHANCE TO LIVE AND TO LOVE!
THE CAB RIDE
I walked to the door and knocked. "Just a minute,"answered a frail, elderly voice. I could hear something being dragged across the floor.
After a long pause, the door opened. A small woman in her nineties stood before me. She was wearing a print dress and a pillbox hat with a veil pinned on it, like someone out of a 1940's movie.
By her side was a small nylon suitcase. The apartment looked as if no one had lived in it for years. All the furniture was covered with sheets.
There were no clocks on the walls, no knickknacks or utensils on the counters. In the corner was a cardboard box filled with photos and glassware.
"Would you carry my bag out to the car?" she said. I took the suitcase to the cab, then returned to assist the woman.
She took my arm and we walked slowly toward the curb.
She kept thanking me for my kindness. "It's nothing, "I told her. "I just try to treat my passengers the way I would want my mother treated."
"Oh, you're such a good boy,"she said. When we got in the cab, she gave me an address, and then asked, "Could you drive through downtown?"
"It's not the shortest way, "I answered quickly.
"Oh, I don't mind," she said..."I'm in no hurry. I'm on my way to a hospice."
I looked in the rear-view mirror. Her eyes were glistening. "I don't have any family left,"she continued. "The doctor says I don't have very long." I quietly reached over and shut off the meter.
"What route would you like to take." I asked.
For the next two hours, we drove through the city. She showed me the building she had once worked as an elevator operator.
We drove through the neighborhood where she and her husband had lived when they were newlyweds. She had me pull up in front of a furniture warehouse that had once been a ballroom where she had gone dancing as a girl.
Sometimes she'd ask me to slow in front of a particular building or corner and we would sit staring into the darkness, saying nothing.
As the first hint of the sun was creasing the horizon, she suddenly said, "I'm tired. Let's go now."
We drove in silence to the address she had given me. It was a low building, like a small convalescent home, with a driveway that passed under a portico.
Two orderlies came out to the cab as soon as we pulled up. They were solicitous and intent, watching her every move. They must have been expecting her.
I opened the trunk and took the small suitcase to the door. The woman was already seated in a wheelchair.
"How much do I owe you?" she asked, reaching into her purse.
"Nothing," I said.
"You have to make a living,"she answered.
"There are other passengers." I responded.
Almost without thinking, I bent and gave her a hug. She held onto me tightly.
"You gave an old woman a little moment of JOY." she said.
"Thank you."
I squeezed her hand, and then walked into the dim morning light. Behind me, a door shut. It was the sound of the closing of a life.
I didn't pick up any more passengers that shift. I drove aimlessly lost in thought. For the rest of that day, I could hardly talk. What if that woman had gotten an angry driver, or one who was impatient to end his shift?
What if I had refused to take the run, or had honked once, then driven away?
On a quick review, I don't think that I have done anything more important in my life.
We're conditioned to think that our lives revolve around great moments.
But great moments often catch us unaware-beautifully wrapped in what others may consider a small one.
PEOPLE MAY NOT REMEMBER EXACTLY WHAT YOU DID, OR WHAT YOU SAID, ~BUT~
THEY WILL ALWAYS REMEMBER HOW YOU MADE THEM FEEL.
"WE CAN DO SMALL THINGS WITH GREAT LOVE." Mother Teresa
THE CAB RIDE
I walked to the door and knocked. "Just a minute,"answered a frail, elderly voice. I could hear something being dragged across the floor.
After a long pause, the door opened. A small woman in her nineties stood before me. She was wearing a print dress and a pillbox hat with a veil pinned on it, like someone out of a 1940's movie.
By her side was a small nylon suitcase. The apartment looked as if no one had lived in it for years. All the furniture was covered with sheets.
There were no clocks on the walls, no knickknacks or utensils on the counters. In the corner was a cardboard box filled with photos and glassware.
"Would you carry my bag out to the car?" she said. I took the suitcase to the cab, then returned to assist the woman.
She took my arm and we walked slowly toward the curb.
She kept thanking me for my kindness. "It's nothing, "I told her. "I just try to treat my passengers the way I would want my mother treated."
"Oh, you're such a good boy,"she said. When we got in the cab, she gave me an address, and then asked, "Could you drive through downtown?"
"It's not the shortest way, "I answered quickly.
"Oh, I don't mind," she said..."I'm in no hurry. I'm on my way to a hospice."
I looked in the rear-view mirror. Her eyes were glistening. "I don't have any family left,"she continued. "The doctor says I don't have very long." I quietly reached over and shut off the meter.
"What route would you like to take." I asked.
For the next two hours, we drove through the city. She showed me the building she had once worked as an elevator operator.
We drove through the neighborhood where she and her husband had lived when they were newlyweds. She had me pull up in front of a furniture warehouse that had once been a ballroom where she had gone dancing as a girl.
Sometimes she'd ask me to slow in front of a particular building or corner and we would sit staring into the darkness, saying nothing.
As the first hint of the sun was creasing the horizon, she suddenly said, "I'm tired. Let's go now."
We drove in silence to the address she had given me. It was a low building, like a small convalescent home, with a driveway that passed under a portico.
Two orderlies came out to the cab as soon as we pulled up. They were solicitous and intent, watching her every move. They must have been expecting her.
I opened the trunk and took the small suitcase to the door. The woman was already seated in a wheelchair.
"How much do I owe you?" she asked, reaching into her purse.
"Nothing," I said.
"You have to make a living,"she answered.
"There are other passengers." I responded.
Almost without thinking, I bent and gave her a hug. She held onto me tightly.
"You gave an old woman a little moment of JOY." she said.
"Thank you."
I squeezed her hand, and then walked into the dim morning light. Behind me, a door shut. It was the sound of the closing of a life.
I didn't pick up any more passengers that shift. I drove aimlessly lost in thought. For the rest of that day, I could hardly talk. What if that woman had gotten an angry driver, or one who was impatient to end his shift?
What if I had refused to take the run, or had honked once, then driven away?
On a quick review, I don't think that I have done anything more important in my life.
We're conditioned to think that our lives revolve around great moments.
But great moments often catch us unaware-beautifully wrapped in what others may consider a small one.
PEOPLE MAY NOT REMEMBER EXACTLY WHAT YOU DID, OR WHAT YOU SAID, ~BUT~
THEY WILL ALWAYS REMEMBER HOW YOU MADE THEM FEEL.
"WE CAN DO SMALL THINGS WITH GREAT LOVE." Mother Teresa
A BEAUTIFUL EASTER DAY
This day was pretty near perfect from my perspective. My family and I arose early at 6:30 a.m. in order to drive home from North Georgia, deposit our three dogs to our home, and still make it to our church for Easter morning worship...Quite an accomplishment, and so worth it! Our daughter just left to drive back to Auburn University, our son is playing catch up with his rest from his recent international mission trip and I was sitting here reminiscing about this day.
As we got settled into our pew, Billy and Missy scooted into the row in front of us. They are young parents, in fact, new parents of Sammie, just born on March 20, 2009. The service had not quite begun, so we had a minute to say hello and Missy told us that she reluctantly had taken Sammie to the nursery for the very first time...we assured her that all would be well and that it was good for she and Billy to have this time together to worship. The memories for me began to flood back to October 1988 when our first born was only a few weeks old and in the church nursery for the very first time. I remember feeling just like Missy, hesitant and a bit anxious. As the service neared the end, Missy slipped out and returned with a baby carrier with, you guessed it, newborn Sammie bundled inside of it. As the pastor closed the morning with prayer, I gazed at the tiny hands of this little girl. Where exactly had the past twenty years gone??? Following the service, Leah, our newborn baby girl (in 1988) came over to admire Sammie, the perfect example I can come up with to prove that Easter is truly a new beginning, especially when we stop long enough to consider all the new things popping up in our midst...the azaleas and dogwoods on the beautiful Masters'Golf Course, new baby birds, and YES, even a new season in our lives as 50 something women.
As we got settled into our pew, Billy and Missy scooted into the row in front of us. They are young parents, in fact, new parents of Sammie, just born on March 20, 2009. The service had not quite begun, so we had a minute to say hello and Missy told us that she reluctantly had taken Sammie to the nursery for the very first time...we assured her that all would be well and that it was good for she and Billy to have this time together to worship. The memories for me began to flood back to October 1988 when our first born was only a few weeks old and in the church nursery for the very first time. I remember feeling just like Missy, hesitant and a bit anxious. As the service neared the end, Missy slipped out and returned with a baby carrier with, you guessed it, newborn Sammie bundled inside of it. As the pastor closed the morning with prayer, I gazed at the tiny hands of this little girl. Where exactly had the past twenty years gone??? Following the service, Leah, our newborn baby girl (in 1988) came over to admire Sammie, the perfect example I can come up with to prove that Easter is truly a new beginning, especially when we stop long enough to consider all the new things popping up in our midst...the azaleas and dogwoods on the beautiful Masters'Golf Course, new baby birds, and YES, even a new season in our lives as 50 something women.
Friday, April 10, 2009
IT IS VERY LATE
Easter Weekend is here and I am up late waiting for our children to drive up to join us here at our log cabin in North Georgia. Our son, Walker's plane from Dominican Republic was a little late, but thankfully, our daughter, Leah was happy to wait patiently for him and she will do the driving tonight. The trip is under two hours and she had a good nap this afternoon, so I feel certain, they will be fine!
Thanks for the comments you have left in response to my Blog. I really appreciate your thoughts and the connectiveness that we have as women.
I believe each one of us wants to know that we have a purpose here until we take our last breath...What that purpose is may not be readily clear to us.
One tool I have really enjoyed for the past two decades is personal journaling. I try to write an entry 3-4 days per week. At the end of the year, I reread my entire journal between the holidays of Christmas and New Years, highlighting common themes that "keep coming up" as I read...These end up being things I want to work on in the new coming year. Journaling has helped to shed light onto my purposes in my life.
One consistency that has proven to be true for me is a lesson my mother taught me and I have implemented more and more with each passing year. The lesson is that when I find myself feeling down or blue, I make a conscious effort to help someone else by making a difference, big or small, in his/her day. I really encourage you to try this and see how it works for you! Let me hear about your experience of making someone else's day a bit easier.
Thanks for the comments you have left in response to my Blog. I really appreciate your thoughts and the connectiveness that we have as women.
I believe each one of us wants to know that we have a purpose here until we take our last breath...What that purpose is may not be readily clear to us.
One tool I have really enjoyed for the past two decades is personal journaling. I try to write an entry 3-4 days per week. At the end of the year, I reread my entire journal between the holidays of Christmas and New Years, highlighting common themes that "keep coming up" as I read...These end up being things I want to work on in the new coming year. Journaling has helped to shed light onto my purposes in my life.
One consistency that has proven to be true for me is a lesson my mother taught me and I have implemented more and more with each passing year. The lesson is that when I find myself feeling down or blue, I make a conscious effort to help someone else by making a difference, big or small, in his/her day. I really encourage you to try this and see how it works for you! Let me hear about your experience of making someone else's day a bit easier.
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