Relax and Live

There is a time in life for everything.  When I was young I wanted to change the world and I found in time I had enough to handle to change myself.  In fact I found that was the only place I could effectively and completely change.

Speaking with a friend today as older women we both agreed that looking back in history it took radical actions of a few to get the attention for social change to occur.  The radical actions of women that are most effective are unexpected, unruly, but usually law abiding.  Violence to other human beings is not the norm for most women. 

Remember when you were young and you visited older retired people?  I often thought, cruises, bridge games, tourists, checkers on the boardwalk, why would anyone do this for the rest of your life?  This looks boring.  What is the purpose of this life?

And then I grew older, wiser, living in this crazy world and see, at some point you have to stop criticizing, condemning, and complaining and get on with your life. You have to find how you fit in and do that.

The world is a big, big, big, place and the problems among its humans were created over thousands of years and millions of differing opinions and yet the earth still rotates around the sun with or without each of us. The solutions will take thousands of years and thousands of humans looking inside to change.

To finally get to a place you can be thankful, read a book for fun, play a game of cards with friends, sit and play checkers on a boardwalk to me means you have arrived at knowing that to live is a wonderful thing and like the Dalai Lama teaches...



  

Variety is The Spice of Life,So are Differing Viewpoints

Every day we all meet people and if you talk to each one long enough you will find two things about the other person, 1) you have things you agree on and 2) you have things you disagree on.

Now, the challenge is: do you agree to disagree and choose to find a way to live in peace? 

As a southerner, I love to cook "southern" dishes. As a Yankee, my husband has "northern" taste for his. When we first were married I would get upset when I prepared a delicious meal and he would he would come home and start tasting it and telling me: "This needs a little allspice, this needs a little turmeric, this needs a little dill,..."  To my way of tasting it needed nothing but for him to be thankful I prepared it and to be eaten!

And so meal after meal, he would doctor the dishes and I would get angry. Besides not wanting him to doctor my perfect dish, after he doctored it, I did not like the taste and could not eat it. I made it. It took me hours, now thanks to his doctoring it with Yankee spices, I could not eat it. It was strange tasting and I did  not want the strange taste, my dish was good enough.

Finally, he did this doctoring enough, that I stopped cooking for him altogether, I told him to eat at this mother's.  I could eat a quick banana sandwich and voila, no dishes to clean or wash, I cut my time in the kitchen to zero.  Banana sandwiches make grocery shopping easier too. I really disliked grocery shopping! 

He was not happy with my decision. His mother cooked for him every day of his life, when he was home, he thought a wife would too. I gave him a recipe book and said, "You can read, you can learn to cook!"

In time after years of marriage, many things changed for the better, he learned to cook, (bonus, he loved to cook) and he loved to go to the grocery store shopping, we each cooked our dish and would separate out a portion for the other to flavor it to individual tastes, and he learned to like some of my Southern dishes, and I learn to like some of his Yankee dishes.  We laugh now when we think of the arguments over  cooking we use to share.  We both are great cooks and now we both cook holiday meals. I make the southern dishes we like as a family and he makes his Yankee dishes, the children are great cooks as well.  Holiday dinners have everyone's favorite dish on the table.

Everyone helps to buy, cook, and clean up the dishes. There are no disagreements anymore.

Thankful for disagreeable viewpoints that cause change. If peace is to be, we all need to pitch in to help. First ground rules are set, respect for the rules, and all agree to work towards the goal and in time, the respect for differing opinions with the agreement to work together. If peace is to be, it must begin with me.  Now there is peace in the kitchen, it can spread to the world if we work together.


 

What Happened to Women's Right To Vote being Non-Partisan?

In different parts of the country there are local smaller celebrations of this day.  Many equate this day with the beginning of feminism.  In reality it does not matter the date feminism was founded. I am not a feminist, however, I appreciate the suffragettes and their strength to pursue the much needed law to pass for "women to vote." This has helped all men and women of the world. 

Feminists today seem to have evolved into a male hating group.  I love men. Yes, I applaud equal rights, pay, and the choice to choose but these are human rights even though the evidence of the inequality is seen more in the feminine.

The presentations I heard today seem to lean on a focus  of women taking over the house and the senate and the presidency.  This is not equal. This is a domination that the males have already proven does not work.  As long as we have male and females on earth, we need input from both to enact laws that work for all. Women do not know how to deal with all men.  This is proven by the domestic violence many endure even today. Some women will not, do not, put men in jail for hurting them or their children too many times.  Likewise many men do not know how to deal with women and the social needs of family, this is proven by their inability to feel responsible to provide for his children and control their anger.

Now because of this, we need laws that provide equal choice for childcare as needed, legal abortions, including maternity/paternity leave, equal pay for women in all workplaces. We need laws to be put in place for family needs, women are more attuned to this. Everyone agrees family is the most important unit for any nation to survive but government needs to address this in a more beneficial way.  Women have better ideas of social reforms, that need to be discussed in government and possibly made into law if agreed upon. We need input from both sides to have a fair and equal government.

The right for women to vote was not "to vote for women only," not in the books I've read. The right to vote for women was for women to have the right to vote period.  It is for women to vote with their own conscious for the candidate they believe will do the best job.  I do not want women I do not agree with their political view to become a political figure simply because they are women. No these will not get my vote.  The kind of change I am looking for includes following the laws in tact and improving upon them with input and example of how to make these laws better. 

I fear what the women are crusading for in these celebrations, has already been accomplished and the focus should be more on a suitable female candidate we all agree should get our vote.

Women already have the right to be elected to any political seat in the USA government...what we need is women candidates that all women want to vote for.  American women see the need for change but we want women that prove they are going to provide the change we want to see, not perpetuate the same old government. 

Thinking out loud, thinking for myself and to you.  I don't know, do you think any modern "League of Women's Votes" will allow me to join?  The organizations do not seem to be non-partisan anymore.

Speaking To Family Members About A Sensitive Issue Is Necessary If You Care

Have you ever thought that someone you love may be heading for trouble but you hesitated to say anything because you think, "It's none of my business?"

Family. When you have a genuine concern coming from your good heart and caring for another, do you say anything?   At the most you risk the other will be offended and cut you off, at the best he/she will appreciate your concern and look into it, understanding your heart of concern and say thank you for noticing and caring.

Respecting elders is not remaining silent when you have a differing opinion but rather responding in positive conversation when someone expresses concern. A conversation talking openly about any concerns, no matter the outcome keeps communication flowing both ways.

Native Americans teach their young to listen to and learn from those that have lived before, lived longer, and to heed advice.  This modern generation seems to be afraid that an elder does not have their best interest at heart. Maybe this comes from earlier conditioning of distrust of elders?  Maybe it comes from too much pride, youth has loads of this. I did.

To walk in fear of saying something to help another in our family, is not my way.  Speaking to warn anyone in the younger generation in my family of danger, I will speak, and so I do. Checking with my heart, if it is coming from a loving place, I speak. The decision to do anything about the situation is up to the individual, but as an elder I believe if you really care, you must speak before anything bad possibly develops.  If nothing bad develops, good, but at least you showed you care. If you set in motion an alarm that curtails harm, that is good too.

There are alcoholics in our family on both sides. I have told our children to be careful about consuming alcohol, it is dangerously deceptive.  The best way not to become hooked on alcohol is not to drink it at all.  But if you must try it be careful, no one plans to become hooked on it, but many do.  The children of alcoholic parents suffer the most, both my husband and I have had to deal with the damage of alcoholic parents. What starts as a harmless drink to take the edge off can become a bad habit without noticing how it developed. When a  parent reaches for the bottle when anxious, children see this. If children see this, they do the same because they witness Mom and/or Dad doing it.

Better to teach meditation. "Pure Meditation" a book by Pema Chodron has been the easiest to understand and apply the methods that I have found.  You can find your own teacher, whatever works for you is best.

Meditation instead of medication or alcohol will give greater results for relief of anxiety but you have to learn how to do it.  Alcohol is dangerously deceptive. It takes effort and daily discipline to learn to meditate instead, but it is much healthier for mental health of everyone in the family.

Thankful to have dodged that bullet in my life. 

What Am I doing With My Life? That's a Good Question For Us All

It's much easier to be accomplished and move forward when, as a child you are adored, supported, and have older siblings and parents going before you to show you direction. Parents that teach you there is a higher purpose outside of basic survival because you already know how to survive. No need to fear the world, it is a great place to discover.

And then there are us who discover this on our own, we have to. There was a young man (33 y o) I met and he was so friendly and helpful, I asked him, "Are you related to the family that owns this business or just here for the summer?"

He said he was here for the summer, I asked him where he lives and how he heard of this campground?  I had not heard of "Glamping" until I received my Clipper Magazine last month.

I talked to him a while and not wanting to be self-centered, I eventually asked about his life.

He was hesitant but his honesty was endearing. He became homeless on the streets of Albany, for 17 years.  He was doing drugs, drinking alcohol, and woke up Thanksgiving 2017 last year with his eyes frozen shut and frozen snot icicles on his beard. He thought,"What I am doing with my life?" He went to a nearby bus stop, asked the driver for a ride to the hospital. The bus driver took him to St. Peter's Hospital. From here he went into rehab and the counselors helped him get  a job. He is clean 9 months.  Wow!

His former boss was friends with this business owner and this guy decided to give him a chance.  I love people who give people a chance.

Living life without drugs and alcohol is a journey within. In the beginning going inside to change fearful thoughts of self beliefs that cause you to reach for the bottle the first time, is scary. Much easier to make the investigation in the beginning before ending up hooked on drugs.  Addiction is a hard road back to civilization.

The first question, "What am I doing with my life?"  That's a good question for us all.

I hope he makes it with his dear girlfriend, lord knows they both have suffered enough.  He reminds me the human spirit is resilient and can awaken us all if we ask, "What am I doing with my life?"
We have not because we ask not, where did I read that before?

Thankful to have met this young man he confirms to me the world is getting better every day one self question at a time.  I believe Byron Katie teaches question your self defeating thoughts and the self defeating thoughts let go of you.  To learn how to do this miraculous change she teaches it best at www.thework.com.  You can learn anything on the internet now, even this.

Making Waves In the Air and Water

Sweetheart wanted to go parasailing and parasailing we did.  We even opted for a dip.  On board were two other couples, one the mother and dad, and the other two young girls that were friends. The dad and his daughter had gone before and they convinced her mother and the daughter's girlfriend to go for the first time.

I expected it to be physically challenging but the reality... you don't have to do a thing except step into a harness and lean back and fly 150 feet over Lake George. The views are definitely worth the ride.  The crew told us they took up a 96 year old woman on her birthday so you know it is easy.

Fun ride, spectacular views, great memory of our fortieth anniversary. There's a first time for everything and we seem to be coming up with these "first" every year.

Thankful to grow older with an adventurous Sweetheart. 

"Parasail Joe's" on Lake George, NY. I recommend highly, no pun intended. 😉

What A Gal! Sandra Weber Author

The first day in Shepard's Park, Lake George I met an author. The reason it was so unbelievably fascinating is two weeks before, I ordered a photograph of "The Portrait Monument" of Lucretia Mott, Susan B. Anthony, and Elizabeth Cady Stanton that is located in the US Capitol Rotunda, this author wrote a book about the statue. What? Coincidence?

These women (Mott, Anthony, & Stanton) were pivotal in getting the right to vote for women made into law here in the USA.  It is a right that many women take for granted, but not all of us.  Susan B. Anthony and her very accomplished friends wrote incredible documents, speeches, and spoke publicly about women coming out from behind their husbands' coattails to have a voice in the laws governing all women. It must have been exciting to be united as women working together for the right to vote.

This author Sandra Weber, wrote  a book, about this statue.  She obtained a month long permission to be in Washington DC to do scholarly research about Adelaide Johnson, the sculptor.  When I met her I was thrilled to meet a woman, like me, that was interested in the women that originally started the women's movement back in 1848 in Seneca Falls, NY.  The founders of any movement  are worth studying to get true insight into who they were and what they stood for, and the true foundation of the movement hey founded.

Sandra Weber also does portrayals, lectures, and book signings, You can contact her: https://www.sandraweber.info/book.html

Her next appearance is next week August 26, 2018 in Chapman Museum 1-3 pm, Glens Falls, NY.
What a gal! Thankful to have met her, hope to be friends.

Happy Fortieth Anniversary

What is the greatest benefit of a "good" marriage after 40 years?  

Only you can define a "good" marriage if you think you have a good marriage.

Familiarity, memories, laughter, really knowing each other now that you have come so far.  Seeing the communication gaps that caused unnecessary division years ago.  Being unafraid to speak your mind now and know it will be respected if not in agreement.

Feeling safe, at home, unconditionally loved, accepted, understood.  Knowing that the other person has your back, gives you a soft place to land if needed. Knowing the other will help guide you home when you feel lost, and because of this, you can speak out of love and concern to you about anything. Being able to talk things out without fear of rejection or judgment.

I read in the Bible when I was young, "Perfect love casts out fear."

It doesn't mean love is perfect, it means when you have perfect love you have no need to fear to connect, communicate, to forgive.  The other person  knows you have their best interest at heart so you can speak without fear.  

Forty years later we have time to go back and say what we were really thinking in any situation and in so doing clarity comes.  We can look back with honesty.  Pride melts away. We are just friends, that is all we ever were, friends that loved each other's company.

The two of us could only do this once, we were not built for more. Thankful we made it this far.

  

Happy Children, Happy Families

While in Lake George there were many families from all over the world.  The Dads were as engaged with their children as the Moms and this was good to see. Children were polite, parents were admonishing kindly and playing with the children and it was so relatively quiet in Shepard's Park and the campground...we were amazed.  Yes I like to enjoy children instead of wish they were not around.

Every restaurant, park we visited, tubing on the river, the children were well behaved, not being loud, intrusive, or disrespectful of others, everyone picked up their trash and disposed of it in the trash cans, everyone was friendly and smiled. Yes, I like for us all to take care of public parks and land. We heard many different tongues spoken but all smiled when our eyes met. A smile is understood in every language.

The world is getting better. Seeing fathers so close to their children, caring for them, feeding them, changing diapers, playing with them, made this heart glad.  Children need their Dad and Mom, it seems the modern father is more aware of this than ever before and the children will certainly benefit. Fun to see many children playing and being their own sweet self, happy children, happy families.

Thankful to relax and enjoy the people around us. Good times.




 

Night Sky

Sitting outside our campsite at Adirondack Safari we enjoyed the night sky once again.  The stars are something we don't give much thought to as we see them every night.  We sit outside, we walk the driveway, we sleep outside for fun. We live in the country.

So when a NYC couple (mid to late 20s I guessed) said they had never seen the sky full of stars until the first night sitting by their campfire I was amazed. Born and raised in NYC they had never been camping and evidently never noticed the heaven full of stars before. This must have been a magical scene to behold the first time in their life.  Maybe in the city one cannot see the full sky because of  all the buildings?

Such a simple beauty, we enjoy locating the North Star and different constellations year round, never entered our minds that anyone had not seen this before.  The city, city folk, another world to me, one I know little about.

Nature gives so much peace. Walks in the night a favorite. Sleeping out on the trampoline is comfortable and relaxing watching shadows, looking for shooting stars. 

Now I must remember to be thankful for the night sky, and thankful for eyes to see it.

And So The Adventure Continues

Judge others? Of course I Do

Just read Esther Perel's book The State of Affairs and I can say her book opened my eyes to a world of situations and reasons for an extramarital affairs I never considered.

Now I'm not saying this is for me, it absolutely is not. I'm way too busy living a life with goals outside of myself to be bothered with a second relationship outside of my marriage. Who has the freaking time to do this?

You must be uber bored with your day job, definitely not living with purpose. When you live with laser focus and purpose, "sex" with too many other people is not on the horizon, you have much bigger goals than a 5 senses fling.

One affair is enough to deal with but multiple affairs is a real problem.  Is there ever a good excuse? You read and let me know your thoughts.

Any how, after reading her book, I have much more insight and I have a softer judgement about those that do this than before.  Before I immediately dismissed these people, now well, I still dismiss them because it is none of my business but I do it much gentler now.

Thankful not to be caught up in this nonsense, we have 40 years coming up next week and they have been challenging but we are closer than ever because we chose to lean in to this relationship instead of going outside it for answers.

Life is wonderful.

https://www.ted.com/talks/esther_perel_rethinking_infidelity_a_talk_for_anyone_who_has_ever_loved

Alcohol, Drugs, Sex, Hatred, A Temporary Fix To A Deeper Hurt

When you know a peaceful purpose that can heal the world, you will get committed to living it and sharing your knowledge. I listened to Byron  Katie in another interview last night and she said she would teach the work as long as she had a breath left in her, as long as there are people who can be helped by it and of course everything she has to offer is free on her website. www.thework.com
BK has found her purpose.

There was a day when I thought I had to speak up and let others know what is right and wrong according to my way of thinking, I was arrogant and prideful. My idea of right and wrong was not always correct. In time I learned to mind my own business to the point I let others make mistakes, on their own, I stayed out of it.  This is safe and causes little confrontation.

My studies of kindness and compassion have lead me to know, it is everyone's purpose to live a peaceful life that offers assistance to others.

What I found is you do not need money to find answers, thank God. I had none anyway, when my search began as a teenager.  But you do need to be humble enough to say, "I don't know everything, and I'm open to listen and decide for myself what is good and true. Living with alcohol, drugs, food addiction, sexual addiction, hateful negative attitudes, as a solution is no more than a temporary fix, a place to hide, that cannot deal with the real problem inside. I needed a long term fix."

When you search with a laser focus you will find ways (controlling your mind to be free from depression and anger) that are free for the discovery and practice. These methods have been taught  for thousands of years by wise sages before we were we born. Religions do not hold all the answers for anyone. You can find other ways of obtaining inner peace if you look. God will see to this, my job is to remain open to receive with an open heart the wisdom of the universe,which is and has always been peaceful and kind resolutions.

Boundaries must be set with confidence if we are to protect our minds from predators. These peaceful methods we found become paramount to practice if we are to maintain inner peace in a chaotic world. It can be done with the discipline to practice daily.

Thankful for the meditation I choose to practice every day instead of fearful actions and hateful negative thinking.  There is another way but you must seek it out, no one can do it for you. Once you find it, hold on.





 

Anger, Let It Be Until it Passes

Anger in all of us is the need to express our point when we feel we are not being heard.

An unconfused mind knows to not lash out and harm another, and not to repress the anger, this harms self.  So what do we do with this anger?

We bring it closer to home, we lean in, we root out what we are fearing. We admit we are angry and we investigate why. If we can't discover the root cause of it now, we sit with it. We let it be, knowing this is a natural human experience. 

We don't get ashamed we can't get to the root of it, we sit with calm attention, let it pass through us. The more you resist the anger, the more hardened it becomes. The hardness makes it more uncomfortable and the mind cannot receive the peace of understanding that comes with the calm mind.

When we come to the understanding that we don't yell and lash out at others when we are angry, and we don't internalise the anger to stress and sickness, now we are getting somewhere closer to the truth. The Dalai Lama taught when I heard him speak, "Talk, talk, truth will out." 

If the offender of your anger will not talk it out, you can still go inside and make peace with yourself.

In present moment, in meditation, all will be revealed to you in time. In the meantime, we patiently wait.  That we can do as wait for anger to pass through us.

As a former person of much anger, I am thankful to learn not to resist, but let it be.  Much to be learned just from this simple, not knowing, but let it be.

Wait a Minute, Wait a MInute

Don't confuse the issue.

Studying the "present moment" and claiming this is the way to inner peace for me I listened to a Buddhist teach "there is no present. "

No present?  What do you mean I asked? So I listened and listened to the teaching again and again until a light went on in my brain.

The "present" Eckhart Tolle teaches and I apply in every situation I am confused or stressed is the "moment of peace" in your mind that you bring calm to your thoughts, this relieves stressful thinking.

The "present that is not" as taught in the Buddhist CD I'm studying, is the understanding that "life is never present" or static, "life like time, is dynamic and constantly moving." Energy is not still ever, energy is constant vibration and we are are made up of this. Matter of fact the entire world is interconnected because of this energy we share.

I laughed at the Buddhist teacher when she said in studying and making these Buddhist teachings your own, you may interpret it "homemade."  But that is the point to get closer to universal truth is it not?

Question everything, and until you make sense of it, do not accept it. You have a brain, a good heart, use it and believe in your own good self.

Now to learn "not to believe anything you think"...well that's another lesson for another day.  I get it.

A Friend Said, Enough Already

He said, "I have had enough of Eckhart Tolle to last a lifetime."

Me, "Until I master peace of mind in every moment, I am continuing my study of his teachings, Byron Katie Mitchell, Pema Chodron, Thich Nhat Hanh, and thankful to do it."

Stevie Nicks, can I ever get enough? No.

Journey, can I ever get enough?  No.

My sweetheart husband, can I ever get enough? No.

My wonderful children, can I ever get enough? No.

Meeting great people everywhere I go, can I ever get enough? No.

Writing, can I ever get enough?  Only time will tell.

TV, social media, news, politics, negative angry attitudes?  Yes, enough!

You choose where you spend your mind, and I'll choose where I spend my mind.

It's a wonderful life.

Thankful. If none of these are me, who am I ET?  That is why I study to be aware of me. By George I think I'm getting closer, I know I am!

Accept, Embrace, Reconcile All the Same

It depends on what word you like best to do the same thing.  Accept each moment as if you have chosen it and take action to change, leave, or accept the situation.  All else leads to madness about things you cannot control.

The higher vibration that keeps us in a positive state of mind brings calmness and clarity. To have clarity we must have order. Think of a junk room in your house and how every time you look in you just want to close the door. Bringing order to this room means taking everything out and discarding much trash and making the room functional by organizing it. 

Once you have order then you must discipline yourself to not clutter the room again. Less stuff, more space to move and breathe.

Our mind is like this.  To get clarity one must remove or unlearn angry, negative thoughts.  When anything that you don't like happens see this as an opportunity for change. Look for new ideas, and while waiting teach yourself to be patient. If you alone cannot change a situation, patiently accept and wait. Next year the world will look different and better if you only accept, embrace, reconcile the now.

Peaceful waters of the mind are so healing. Thankful for peaceful music and meditation anytime.
Turn off TV and social media permanently if you can, rest now, your mind needs rest, your thoughts need space. 

Keep Going If You Really Want to taste Freedom Keep Going

Harriet Tubman is a quite a woman.  Auburn, NY has a museum and a couple of houses that were hers.  Presently money is being collected to to restore the property to keep her story alive. I wonder how many people know her and care about what she did for abolition. 

When I moved to Troy, NY in 1976, I walked the streets to discover the town and found a plaque on one of the city walls about her.  This was my introduction to her and I began to read more about her dangerous life and cause, to free slaves.

She led 300 slaves to freedom on the Underground Railroad in 19 trips with a gun in her hand.  She vowed to kill any slave that wanted to turn back, this was not allowed.  With this conviction every slave that traveled with her made it to freedom in Canada. 

Her motto if you really want to taste freedom, keep going applies to my own search for the peace of mind I sought for many years. If we are slaves to our thoughts we are not free. I found freedom in being present and meditation.  What I know, if anyone wants to taste freedom, if you keep searching, keep going, you will find it in your own way in your time.  Keep going, peace is worth it.

Thankful to be in the right direction now, thankful to know women like Harriet Tubman who succeeded against all odds. If she can do it, we can do it too.

Agnes and Kayleigh

On my way to Rochester I met a beautiful mother, daughter duo.  The mother was stopped at the rest stop taking a break from driving, standing outside the car. I walked out to my car after getting a latte, and thought I'd say, "Hi, where you heading?"  So I did...

She and her daughter (17) were traveling the Northeast looking at engineering colleges for her daughter.  The trip would be a wonderful memory of a lifetime for both of them.  Their home was Florida and although they like Florida, her daughter wanted to possibly go to school in a cooler climate. So the two were out visiting college campuses and exploring, cannot know unless you take a look.

The trip's focus was to check out colleges but the adventure of being on the road alone with your mother at this very impressionable age would be the best classroom of life teachings for her daughter before heading out into a world without her mother. Her mother, Agnes and I spoke of women, education, confidence, the world today, and how much the world has changed, how much we have changed from our own mothers.

Both of our mothers are fearful of the world and believe the  role of a woman is singular. Both of our mothers are fearful of us driving alone, especially traveling on the road for hours in the night in strange states.  But we both agree if you have triple A and a cell phone you can always get help. Agnes told me, "If worse comes to worse, I can change a tire myself!"

Many times daughters follow in their footsteps but sometimes daughters like Agnes and me take a different route.  This brave woman is currently an engineer working in a research center in Florida.  Previously living up north, one day she decided her life needed a change so she packed up her life in a car with her daughter and just drove to Florida to live. They have a great life there.  Women like this that devote the well being of the child first, seek to get the child educated and support the individual endeavors of the child, are the best type of parent to my way of thinking. 

Single mothers have always and will always have a special place in my heart.  For it is the parent, be it mom or dad, that stays with the child, raises the child, listens to the child's individual thoughts and supports the child's dream, that I believe make America great again.  It always starts in the home. It starts with the family.

Thankful to have met another woman that has heart, education, direction, and confidence.  Thanks Agnes for taking your time to share with me your story. Can hardly wait to hear what college Kayleigh chooses and if it is anywhere near Albany, NY, you can always stay with me in your travels, I'll keep a light on for you. 😉

Evolve or Die

Collective consciousness by individual world leaders is the way to "world peace." 

The step to "my" peace is to become conscious myself.  It is not my job to change others but it is my job to change myself.

Thankful to know that change however hard while going through it, is worth the effort.
The other side of confusion is clarity and unity. Thankful for Eckhart Tolle and Byron Katie Mitchell and the ability to read and practice presence at my will.

How will you get there? Clue: It does not come to you through anger and rebellion.
Study Eckhart Tolle's book, "A New Earth." 

Buddha in the Elevator

Two lies we learned living in this world:

1) Life should be perfect

2) Life should be easy

Neither of these are true. Life is not always perfect, is not always easy, but in our mind we can meet the challenge and overcome.

In the elevator of Yale Medical Hospital yesterday I entered, "Hi, How are you?"

The response from a young man, (about 20 something), answered, "The morning started off rough but it has to get better right?"

So I told him, "Two lies we learned somewhere, life should always be perfect and easy. Truth is, life is neither and the challenge of each day's problems keeps life interesting and fun."

He did not answer he looked flaccid.  Simple truths I have come to know might be helpful to another but it is not my job to interrupt his journey. Just my job to be present and kind.

Thankful.

  

If You are Human You are Going to Experience Pain

As long as we have a human body, you will have pain.

The body may have pain but only your mind can make you suffer.

If you have pain and you cannot control it with your mind, let the pain come. Keep your mind calm as much as possible for as long as you endure the physical pain.

This will enable you to let the pain pass quicker through you.  If anyone has experienced this you know it makes the pain easier to bear.

To keep your mind calm, focus on your breath, let your mind space out in no thought.

Practice.  It works. Thankful that I am getting really good at spacing out. Who knew slowing down, turning off TV, social media, could be so peaceful?  Focus on space, peace will come.