Never Give Up...

 Hi!

The world seems a bit crazy right now, okay, more than a bit. I'm sure it has seemed that way in some way, shape, or form during every decade, every generation.

These times, though, feel more precarious than any stretch of time I can remember. Basic rights are in perilous positions. Kindness is being presented and perceived as weakness, as something to be ashamed of rather than something to strive for.

Caring for those who struggle to care for themselves... instead of being the very least we should be doing, is labeled as unnecessary, and uncalled for. They should just pull themselves up by their bootstraps, right? Except, in order to do that, they have to first, have boots. 

The human part humanity seems to be taking a back seat... a blindfolded walk into the abyss.

So what can we do? Those of us who still care, those of us who understand that until all humans have the same rights, human rights don't really exist. Those of us who understand that every human that walks the earth is deserving of safety, food, and shelter. What can we do?

I'll tell you what we don't do... We don't give up. We don't give in. We don't allow ourselves to become so exhausted we become apathetic. 

If we, the ones who get it, give up where does that leave those who need us most?

So, that just can't be an option.

I can't sit in the belief that we are in the minority of living, breathing people who are sharing this planet, in this moment. We just can't be. 

Right now, it can feel dangerous to be loud in our inclusivity. We don't want to put those we are trying to protect in bigger danger. But my fear is if we are quiet, if we become silent, those who need us most will think we have left them to fight this fight all alone. 

If we become quiet, those who wield the hate will assume victory and stomp the souls of the precious even more than they already do. 

Those who find themselves tiptoeing, wanting to give in to the urge to hide, those living scared... please know we are still here. We are still fighting for kindness, equality, inclusivity, and acceptance. 

Tactics may shift, the "how" may change, but please know, we are not abandoning you, or the idea of a world that can be peaceful and safe for everyone. 

If you can be loud, be loud! If you need to be subtle, be subtle! If what you can do lives somewhere in the middle, do that!

Just Don't Quit!

Never Give Up!

Exhaustion doesn't erase the need. 

The best revenge is to restore the joy they think they've destroyed, and live in it, at least in some small way, every... single,,, day. 

A Big Life Lived Quietly...

 

Hi,

I hope you will indulge these personal ramblings, as another chair that surrounds this big family's table finds itself empty.

The eldest Auntie, a Nun, but not the traditional type that you instantly just conjured in your mind. She was the Auntie that, as young nieces and nephews, flitted in and out of our lives, not because she didn't love us, but because her life called her to grand adventures where she touched the lives of countless people in faraway lands in the most profound of ways.

I can only speak for myself, but until she became older and was assigned more stationary posts, she seemed more like Indiana Jones than the boring nuns who taught us at school. 

Now, don't get me wrong, she would not want to be painted as a saint, although she might have accepted the title with her mischievous wink and a nod in family conversation. No, she was a real, full, flawed, person. She was stubborn, could definitely be, shall we say, persuasive, but always and forever curious, mind open, willing to learn and test boundaries.

Now, she is free of the weights of humanity, getting to witness the entire truth of what awaits us. Oh, the wonder that must be enveloping her ever-curious soul. I can picture her reveling in the awesomeness of our unknown. 

Her biology is no longer binding her to an earthly life that she could no longer fully experience or enjoy with her whole self. 

She was blessed with a peaceful transition into what the rest of us can only wonder about, reunited with all the loved ones who cleared the path. 

A big life, lived quietly. Her impact, international, generational. 

Forever felt by many.

We'll miss you Auntie Val. 

The Home Stretch...

Hi!

So, where I call home, once the new year gets underway, it kind of starts feeling like the home stretch of winter is upon us.

Does that mean the days are longer?.... Well, yes, but we are getting there about as quickly as a snail crosses the length of a football field. Each day brings a minute or two of extra daylight. As crazy as it seems, it does make a difference, even if it's a small one, at least to me. 

In life, there are countless times we find ourselves in a home stretch of something. Home stretch of school, home stretch until we are on our own, home stretch planning a wedding, home stretch of a pregnancy, home stretch of becoming an empty nester, home stretch of ending a career, and finally, the home stretch of life itself.

Of course, none of us experience the same home stretches, and even if we have some of those in common, we don't experience them at the same points in our lives, nor do we experience them in the same way.

We are but beings of constant transition. If we take advantage, and do it well, we allow ourselves limitless growth and limited judgment of others. 

As we reach each home stretch, we bring with us bits of the walk that brought us to where we are. It's what makes us human, shapes who we are, and who we become. It all has a hand in the shape and colour of our souls. The trick is to learn what to cling to and what to let go. 

What that is for each of us, is again, unique. I have no way of knowing the depths of what you need any more than you can know mine. Discovering this about ourselves is difficult enough, I wouldn't dream of assuming anything about another's journey. 

For others, all we can do is offer space and support. We do what we can when asked for help or advice. We definitely provide a safe place to land.

For ourselves, all we can do is our best in any circumstance, willing to reach out when we finally remember we don't have to do it alone, that we were never meant to. 

So, here's to the home stretches! They all lead us to where we really belong... until the next one...

 

If You Are Wired...

 

Hi!

At this time of year, I find myself gravitating toward images of warmth and space. 

With all the crazy talk of world domination from people who are supposed to know better, wildfires, wars and the rest of the horrible crap going on, sometimes it's okay to step back and take a breather.

My heart breaks for all who are suffering, it sincerely does, but right now, right in this moment... today, there is nothing I can personally do to change any of it.

If you are wired as a fixer like I am, that can be a tough pill to swallow. I'll rise to do whatever I can another day. But, today, for my own sanity, I need to scroll through pictures of lakes and fields, watch gameshows, old sitcoms, and play silly, mindless games on my phone.

The way stress hits each of us is as varied as the coping skills we use to get through whatever is causing it.

It can be physical, mental, and often, as it is with me, a pretty gnarly combination of the two.

So, I truly and deeply hope things in your life are going really well. 

But, if they are not, it's okay to do whatever you need to do to get through. Just try not to do anything too destructive, that, generally, just adds stress down the road. 

In the long run, everything tends to work out just as it should. And we generally land in a better spot than we left. But the transition can be rough. Sometimes really rough. 

So, I hate to write and run, but I have some episodes of Happy Days to play Candy Crush through. 

Take Care Of You!

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