Life shakes us all up sometimes. The old quote "Life is what happens when you're making other plans" (attributed to John Lennon but first written by a female writer in the 1930s whose name stubbornly escapes me) is apt.
We all know those times when things seem to happen one after another, barely letting us catch our breath. Between the economic news, the sad loss of one of my beloved dogs, and a bunch of other stuff, I've been panting for a few weeks now.
So I have made a resolution, and I mean to stick to it: Life happens but very little is a crisis unless you decide it is. I will draw deep breaths, let the storm pass (emotional storms are gone within 90 seconds physiologically) and then focus on what I can do. I will not worry about the multitude of things beyond my control.
Good resolution. Will I be able to stick to it? Hah! I know myself better than that. I'm a worrier by nature, a fixer by nature, and entirely too inclined to get frustrated when I can't do something.
But I'm also getting older, and with age we're supposed to develop a little perspective and wisdom, right? So along with my resolution, I've made up my mind to resume meditating for 60 minutes a day, and to be grateful.
Gratitude is often easy to forget. "Counting your blessings" is often hard to do when you stare into the maw of some overwhelming problem. And yet some of the most grateful people I have known in my life were people with huge problems, from cancer to poverty.
However, the more gratitude we can feel for waking up in the morning, or having a bite to eat, or a family, or a pet or... just anything... the more we can feel those little bits of gratitude, the happier we become. And the less overwhelming a problem seems.
A friend of mine who was dying of cancer (and what a brave, remarkable woman she was!) once reminded me: If you can fix it with money, it's not a problem.
Given the economic times, a lot of us are going to have to go even farther than that. I know a lot of you visiting here are experiencing your own hardships, or have friends and family who are finding it tough to get by.
But as of this point, some things are still free: waking up, a sunny day, a good soaking rain, a smile from someone you know or don't know. A smile you offer to someone else.
So here and now I am going to be grateful for all my readers who make it possible for me to visit Conard County again, and grateful for all of you who bother to visit and read this page.
I am sending you smiles and hugs, and I want you to know that I will keep you all in my prayers. My mother loved to say, "It's always darkest before dawn," and "Every cloud has a silver lining."
At 58, I can say she was right. Every bad time brought with it an opportunity, even though it was not immediately apparent. If nothing else, this difficult time brings me the opportunity to express my gratitude to you all.
And if you have any suggestions for how you deal with the tough times, please post them on the forum or elsewhere. I always love to hear from you.