Being Thankful For What You Are NOT Really Thankful For
I had gotten out of the habit of saying Grace before mealtime. I missed that pause to reflect and be thankful for all that we have. So, I started saying “Grace” over my dog’s food. It gave me that ritual of pause, reflection and letting the feeling of gratitude emerge. (It was also good impulse training for my dog.) It was a ritual we both anticipated and enjoyed.
Letting Go: A Transitional Necessity to Change
Letting go is a transitional necessity for change to occur. We experience letting go or as some call it “loss” throughout our lifetime. Even at birth we let go of the cozy uterus that does all of our needed tasks effortlessly – but then there is life on the “other side”. You can’t be born of you don’t let go of the uterus!
The Lazy Days of Summer
I am a young girl, living on my family homestead in rural Minnesota. The wind is softly blowing in the mighty tres leaves above my head. The quilt on which I am laying is nestled onto a bed of thick green fluffy grass. The textures of the bunchy quilt, the smells of the afternoon air, the sounds of the birds and wind in the trees are my context for imagination.
Chronic Illness: The Unwanted Guest That Just Won’t Leave
When we are hit with a sudden illness or trauma – it interrupts everything. We never schedule it. Many adjustments are instantly made to accommodate the needs of the illness and the ill member. Individuals and families usually have the ability to make the changes needed for a brief time.
When the sudden illness changes to a chronic illness a different energy is required. We can’t just give a little more to the needs at hand. Although that is what we try to do! We attempt to adapt the same style of management to a sudden illness as we do a chronic illness. The chronic illness doesn’t just need adjustments – a chronic illness needs Transformation!
The Divorce Journey
No one plans on divorce.
Divorce surprises you.
Divorce interrupts you.
Divorce changes who you are.
When the Tiger Walked In
Suddenly two eyes appear across the street from me. The eyes are connected to a beautiful but terrifying Tiger. I quietly keep walking but the Tiger’s eyes lock on mine. He stops and starts moving towards it’s prey - it’s me! The Tiger crosses the street, slowly at first, then a full out attach. He’s heading right towards me and “whosh!” he runs through me like I wasn’t there.
To Grace, Accept or Embrace
When I “Embrace” someone metaphorically and/or physically:
· I celebrate who they are and shower them with unconditional love.
· I hold them to my heart and give of who I am to who they are.
· I not only accept you but I take you into my heart.
· I envelope you with my whole being with acceptance and love.
Embrace is a lot! It is not simple. It comes at great cost. It is a free gift.
International Women’s Day and My Great Aunt Glenna
Women have the right to vote in the United States of America. Women in many other countries do not share that voting equality right. They are dependent on those countries with that right to make a difference for everyone! The women in the United States must execute the right to vote for all women. Although the women’s right to vote was introduced in the United States in 1878 - the 19th Amendment that make that possible was not certified until 42 years later in 1920.
I want to introduce you to a woman in my ancestry that lived during those difficult 42 years and went beyond what was the expected role of women in that time
- My Great Aunt Glenna.
Our Family Tree and My Grandma
I made this SoulCollage® Community Suit card to represent my Grandma. The photo in the background shows the only visit I had with her. She is sitting on the bench with my mother and father. The front picture is my Grandma with my dad when he was about the same age as I was when I met her.
Making this SoulCollage® card of Grandma for the Community Suit helps me remember the influences from our ancestors that shape our lives. Grandma might be horrified about where my energy has taken me – but she would recognize that energy as her own.
SoulCollage® is a powerful tool for self-discovery and growth. The real representation of ourselves is a much larger picture than we can fully imagine. SoulCollage® gives us a broader and deeper view of ourselves.
Community Suit - The Well
The Well – a place to nurture thirst, a place to create special memories like cold watermelon, a place to meet, a way to learn patience, a boundary of safety. The Well was a constant in my life as a child and in my dad’s life as well. What creates security? Sometimes it is simply something constant, something trusted, something that is simply there offering itself when you need it the most.