Blessings of 2010

I work in the city. The scenery in the city consists primarily of transients, asphalt, traffic, and rooftops. From where I park in the parking garage, I can see the top of a Catholic Church which has a cross that rises high enough that it can be seen above everything else. This is the first thing I see as I arrive in the morning and the last thing I see as I leave work each day. The sight of this cross is my personal reminder that there is more to life than what goes on in the office. It reminds me that problems are always temporary and all things happen for a reason. That cross symbolizes that life is not defined by the rules of society, what we wear, or where we live.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CBOTrj94wig


Over the past two months work has been unusually demanding. The sight of that cross at the end of the day is a calming force that re-energizes me before I begin my trip home. A few weeks ago I left work late and it had been a particularly difficult day. It was late, dark, I was both mentally and physically tired. I walked toward the parking garage in the dark feeling a sense of disappointment because, especially on that particular day, I truly needed the feeling of peace the sight of that cross brings me. As I got in my vehicle I glanced in the general direction of the church. To my amazement, the cross was illuminated by light and glowing in the night sky for all to see. I could only sit and stare.  Before I began my journey home I said a silent prayer of gratitude. Seeing the cross that evening was a gentle reminder that I need to focus on faith instead of  what I don’t have  otherwise I end up overlooking the blessings in my life.



The sight of the cross is more than just a refresher for my spirit. It is a reminder that my thoughts have been on everything except my many blessings. When I was young, my father told me to look at the sunset and sunrise when I am troubled. He said our troubles are never permanent. Change is inevitable and the change begins with the dawn of a new day.



A new year is only hours away and I have been thinking about my blessings in 2010. My life is filled with family and friends that I am extremely grateful for. Part of my family includes two incredible dogs that have given me unconditional love. I have a job I enjoy and life has taught me that there is something to delight me every single day whether it be a  cross rising above the rooftops or a sunrise that is so spectacular it defies description. I am grateful for parents who taught me to be strong, independent, with the courage to step out of my comfort zone and experience new things. These are traits that I share with my own children.



My New Year resolution for 2011 is to take time every day to invest in life. I tend to become extremely task focused  to the point that I will look up to realize that days have gone and I failed to set aside time to ‘just be.’ It takes a gentle reminder, like the view of a cross glowing through the darkness after a hard day, to remind me that life is not just about work or household chores. My resolution for 2011 is to remember that life is meant to be lived.  I must not become so engrossed in my work or my responsibilities that I lose focus of the blessings in my life today.

My attitude will define the year 2011 for me, not the events. So I bid goodbye to the year 2010, not with parties and chapagne, but with my most precious blessings.  I end this year in the company of my dogs, my family, my kids, and a bottle of apple cider while I am curled up on the couch with my sweet granddaughter, crayons, color books, and a spongebob cartoon.  I am content.  I am happy.

I'll Take Some Whine With my Cheese

Life has just been crazy busy lately.  I have no time to prepare for Christmas, deal with daily household tasks, spend time with friends, take care of myself like I should, or find time to unwind and recharge.  The result is that due to stress I need to be careful that I don't speak harshly and hurt someone's feelings.

"How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time!"

Barbara Johnson

I read that unfiinished tasks tend to cause more stress than projects we haven't started. This made so much sense that I decided to finish all of the unfinished tasks around my house, one at a time.  I started with the unfinished bottle of wine in my refrigerator. I feel much better already!  

Yesterday a friend told me that her Christmas tree is decorated, her Christmas cards have been sent, most of the shopping is done and the gifts are wrapped.  Since I have barely had time to buy my cards, for just a moment I really felt inept.    My oldest sister is a perfectionist so it surprised me when she said that she doesn't worry too much about the holidays being picture perfect anymore.  She said that "The imperfections of the day is what makes it special."

 I have to agree.  A perfect memory is created by an unique experience causing that particular window of time to stand out from the rest.   My best memories are of times when things were not as organized or didn't go as planned. 

One of my favorite memories is a trip to Sedona to see the Christmas lights at Poco Diablo Resort. We met my sister and brother in law, my neice,her husband, and their children at our favorite restaurant for dinner. My brother in law has a big heart but he is a 'take charge kind of guy' ...even when he should let someone else take charge.  After dinner, we walked down the hill to the resort. Since it was cold, my neice and her husband decided to load the children into their Ford Explorer and drive them down the hill.  It was very busy and when my brother in law spotted an empty parking space being vacated near the entrance, he ran over,  stood in the space,  and refused to allow anyone else to park there.  When he saw the Ford Explorer pull into the parking lot he waived his arms signalling dramatically for the vehicle to pull into the space.  Then he ran back and forth to stop  all other cars while directing the Ford Explorer into the tight parking spot.  Once he was satisfied that the car was parked  he gave a big thumbs up and  turned to us and said,"Now THAT is how it is done."   About this time my niece and her family came walking from the other side of the parking lot (where they had to park because someone was stopping all of the traffic in that parking aisle) as a complete stranger and his family  stepped out the the Ford Explorer and said "Gee, Thanks Mister. That was so nice of you!"  The look on my brother in law's face was priceless! 

"If we treat every problem as though it were a life or death decision, we will face death many times."

                                                                       Barbara Johnson

Feeling sorry for myself because I couldn't finish everything I want to do is pointless.  I have household tasks that need to be done but I am grateful that I have a house.  My job is demanding but I am grateful that I have a job.  There are presents to buy and limited time to shop but I am so grateful that I have special people in my life to buy presents for and money to purchse them. 

About fifteen years ago I heard a motivational speaker talk about stress. He said that "A lump in your oatmeal is an inconvenience. A lump in your breast is a problem.  Unfortunately, many people are unable to distinguish the difference and react to each one in the same way."  

When our focus is on what we don't have, we fail to appreciate our blessings.  Abraham Lincoln said "Most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be."  Life will never go as planned, it is all about living and loving well.  The decorations are merely a disposable detail.  My difficult schedule is an inconvenience, not a problem. Christmas is not about the Christmas trees, the decorations, or even the gifts.  Christmas is about the people in our lives and about loving others. My wish is that this holiday season will be filled with wonderful surprises and that I can focus on my blessings and the memories to be made. 

"Blessed are the flexible for they shall not be bent out of shape."

Unknown