A Work in Progress

It wasn’t long ago that there was no worry or pain nor hurt. Do you remember that era? I do, it was when I was a young girl. Riding my bike, seeing how fast I could peddle, jumping rope, racing against my own legs. Swinging on the school swings. I can still hear my voice as I laughed full of freedom. Let’s see how high we can go!

Realizing when we got home from school our parents would be there or an entrusted sitter. We didn’t wonder if there would be a snack to eat, we knew it. We didn’t go straight to our room and throw our bodies on the bed and weep for what was to come.

I don’t think I actually felt a deep pain until my first break-up with my boyfriend in high school. I really believe for me, this is when I began to question who I was. Oh, I didn’t question the deep brain thoughts, I questioned my hair style, my clothes and probably my weight. I fretted about what the kids in school would say when they learned that WE were no longer going steady. Would I be able to handle seeing him without wanting to die?

Oh to have some of the simplistic life today. I still ponder on life but in different ways. I now no longer worry what people say about my clothes, because the major underside is comfort. I need comfort to be able to function from my gut problems of daily swelling. I don’t worry about make-up anymore because I rarely go out. I do think about how I look when my daughter comes to visit. I guess I never want her to see through me and guess my pain, so it is easier to play dress-up.

Today, I wake up and immediately thank God for a new day. I tell him my concerns and I pray for my children and their relationships and I pray for our President and our country. I ask him for strength to get through the day and I ask him for his healing.

Today, I still try to think of little things I can do or say to others. I believe we all, more than ever, need to know we are loved and needed. I believe that one smile is worth feeling alone. I firmly believe in Peace today. Peace within myself. Realizing that I made a ton of mistakes growing up and raising my family and peace that I can not go back and change one thing.

I want to know when that day arrives that Jesus lifts me up, I will have forgiven myself and that I am going to a beautiful home. When I look back, I smile at myself, at the progress I have made. I am far from being where I need to be, but I am making progress. I am what I would consider, a work in progress.

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There is no Difference

I am generally not one who picks at things but I can’t help but notice the media, and I won’t mention any particular one, but in general, we do get our news from the internet, TV news, or radio, can cause an uproar.

I am beginning to feel like someone wants us to be upset, to notice the negative around us. I notice we are not one people anymore, oh, we really are but someone wants us to be divided.

On the news, I hear statements like,” A young, black lady.” Why? Why do they say that? Isn’t the story what we are really interested in and not the color of the skin? Would it make the story any different if the color of the skin was purple polka dots? Why not just simply say, “A young lady.”

Are colored people the only ones who riot? Are whites the only ones who are of wealth?

I just don’t like it. God created us all equal in his eyes.

God’s word is very clear in telling us that all men are created equal and every single person can be a child of God, receiving the full inheritance of heaven. We can look toward the Bible to learn how to love and serve everyone no matter what their age, color, or ethnicity, gender or nationality.

I just wish our countries would work on stop the dividing instead of becoming divided because it doesn’t have to be this way.

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  Low angle portrait of a group of young businesspeople huddled together in solidarity

The View

Well, within minutes, we exchange one year for another. People get real pumped about the new year coming in. I think more than usual this year because of the unwelcome things that entered into our lives.

It wasn’t just our close ones that upset or worried us. We had to hear and read about our government and our hospitals. We learned about the common families that lives were turned upside down.

We heard of more hunger, that was not outside our own country. We learned to go back to some of our basic skills that were taught to us while young. We pulled together in many areas and used our hearts and minds and thought of various ways to help our neighbors.

This last sentence warms my heart. Isn’t that what we were placed on this blue marble for in the beginning? John 15:12: This is my commandment, that ye love one another, even as I have loved you.

It is when we remember what we learned as children, that the world will finally begin to bring balance together. No one will look different in color, race or gender. We will look at each other as our neighbor.

I pray that we see more calm and dedication in the year 2021.

Happy New Year, friends and readers.

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There is Only today to Live

Wow, where did the year go? I can’t believe this is the last month of the year and also Christmas. What does the year say for you? How do you feel about Christmas?

For me, although I worried about remaining safe and my family not getting the virus; I am blessed today, as I am not one of those in the over crowded hospitals. I think what helps me follow the virus rules is, I don’t want to lie in a cold, hard bed all alone, and maybe die alone with my family and friends not being able to hold my hand.

I have always been afraid of being alone and it is quite actually silly because I am not alone at all. I never have been since I chose to let God live in my life and so I am not one of those anymore all excited about the presents and blitz, although I do love the soft lights of Christmas and the spirit of people’s hearts.

I am thankful that I made it to this day, to this month and to this year. I am sixty-six and I don’t know how many opportunities I am going to be given, so for me I will say thank-you each day I live.

Today, thirteen years ago, my hero of my life was taken to heaven. My daddy, how I still find some days to be as close as that day, is still being missed by me as much as the first day he left. Hand in hand, I heard him take his last breath. I love and miss you Daddy.

Covid-19 and Daily Living

I have hesitated for awhile now in writing on my blog, only because my life seems the same today or yesterday. Then I thought; well maybe someone eles’s life is boring too and mine may be something different to read.

I don’t get out too much anymore because I have too many health issues that make doing trips not so much fun; but when I do, I take great notice in the changing of colors here in my area in the trees. I am just blown away how beautiful Fall is and I think God is just the smartest man ever, especially when he knew some of us didn’t like the cold winters coming, so he created a gorgeous Fall to come before the cold.

I have taken a lot of photos of the trees, as you probably realize since you have followed my blog for some time. I love the camera. So many times I take a photo and a few moments later that picture I saw is no longer there.

I have put out some Halloween decorations and plan on being involved this weekend with the Trick-or treat walk in our neighborhood. I am giving out single-wrapped granola bars. I hope the kids like them and I believe they will not be a Covid-19 threat to anyone. I have always enjoyed this time of year but I have to admit, I have had to push myself especially this year to get involved. I really believe this worldly virus has played some heavy attacks on our minds.

As I listen to the news, I am sad to hear that the virus is beginning to peak again here in Indiana, and already, the hospitals are seeing more cases. I wonder if we will go backwards, and start shutting the state down again.

The virus is hope to be beaten by a vaccine maybe by the end of this year. When it will be ready for all Americans; I don’t know. I am a skeptic though. I want proof. I want to see many people not have deep side-effects from this vaccine, so who is going to go first? Someone has to, I just don’t want it to be me. What about you? Are you a skeptic or are you eager to jump right in there and be one of the first?

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A Cheap Shower Curtain Says it All

The strangest things pop in my head at times. I blame this on the fact that I am a constant thinker. I actually was in the ladies’ room and was sitting on the throne. I looked at the shower curtain as I probably do most times, but saw things I hadn’t seen before.

I bought this shower curtain three weeks ago. It is in the blue hues and is checkered. It isn’t anything fancy and was a product of WalMart. Suddenly I took notice of the inside of the checker pattern. There is scribbles of a gold enhancer so it is supposed to look like water trickling down the curtain but I saw something different. I saw crosses. Yes, there was a cross in each square, all in gold. I had no problem detailing each one and as you looked outside of the checks, you could see straight lines along with wrinkles from how the curtain rest against the tub.

I was putting a puzzle together. I saw my life as I walked down the straight and narrow, sometimes running into bumps but, always ahead, I could see the gold cross. I knew that I was not alone on this travel called life. God is always with me and beside me. He is right there for you and for me. He is only waiting for us to seek him out.

Isn’t that good to know? With the changes in our world today, that aren’t all good, we can count on not being alone. This brings me inner peace. With this pandemic, it is easy to feel very alone, but we aren’t. When you can see the proof in a cheap, WalMart shower curtain, you know that God is real. Hugs everyone.

Photo taken by me.

We Are Stronger Than We Think

What do you do when you are fighting symptoms that will remain with you until death and you discover another soul in life needs your help? You pray. Yes, you pray. When you have gone the routes that I and most others have taken first, which is to figure things out yourself and then you realize you are not staying ahead of the game, you finally remember to turn to the one who will answer all of your prayers; God.

I am in that position now. Strength and will power, an inner drive to be of help to others does take its toll on a body and yet you want and at times need to push forward. Every day there is a lost soul somewhere, maybe standing or sitting right next to you. Many have too much pride to ask for help so they continue to suffer.

When the opportunity rises and you can be of help to another but you just don’t think you have the energy or the time, turn to God and ask him to help you. This is our job here on earth. It is what God wants us to do. Love and be kind to others. Talk to them about God and help them get to the point where Jesus heals them in the only way he knows best.

I will continue to pray and do what I know needs to be done. It does me good to be there for others and it takes my mind off of my own aches and pains and life’s daily problems.

Oh the Valleys we Travel Through on our way to Heaven

It seems so right that I changed the name of my blog page to Who Am I, months ago. Why? Because anymore, I don’t really know who I am.

I know I am a child of God, but here on earth, I just don’t know. I know I am a mom to three and a grandma to several, but some days, I don’t feel like a good mom. I have one child who pretty much has disowned me, it seems. I have begged, pleaded, called and text but no answers are provided for me on what I may have done.

This has turned my health upside down. My blood pressure is now messed up going higher than lower. I am stressed with sadness that keeps my veil of happiness covered by blackness.

I have apologized, sat for hours wondering what I may have said or done without realizing it may hurt others. I am getting sick and I find myself wishing I was at the end of my journey here on earth.

I snap out of that thought though because I am not really ready to die yet. I even called my primary and neurologist and have spoken to both about this up and down blood pressure problem I am having.

I know that my diagnosis has been changed from Parkinson’s to probable MSA. This sickens me. Not so much because it will shorten my life; but because I won’t be as lucky as my brother was in having a sister to take care of him. I will go through this alone with God beside me; which means I am truly not alone.

Life has not been a bowl of cherries as of the past few weeks and I am grateful that Spring as officially arrived and I can get lost in my camera once again outdoors.

Oh the valleys we travel through on our way to heaven.

I Had to Smile

I wrote yesterday about my chaotic week. Full of hurt and loss from loved ones. After repeating to myself over and over, See through your eyes Lord, Hear through your ears, Love through your heart; I am more calm this morning.

I can not control how I am feeling in my heart from people’s actions but I can control how I let it affect me. There is nothing worse than being un-friended by a loved one or knowing there is an issue but the other person won’t allow you to know what it is.

What can I do about it? Pray, give it to God, let him deal with it. He knows how to fix things. The other thing I do when I get to bombarded by the “stuff” in this world is look for something that makes just me  happy, and this is what I did.

I went to my favorite second-hand store. I looked at everything, knowing I had a budget I had to stick to. I saw this piece that I had been wanting for about a month. Every time I went inside this store, there it sat.

Yesterday, I decided; this would make me smile. This would make me feel good every time I went into my bathroom, which is where I placed my new piece. Here is a photo of it and yes, I am still smiling over it.

It is about four foot tall. It is slender which fits my bathroom perfect. I filled it with toilet paper and soaps. I love it. Of course I love old things. What do you think? Do you like it? Do you ever buy yourself treats when life gets you down? Does it help when you do?

I am Strong Because I have a Shield of Love

Don’t ever tell yourself, “I got it made” or “Life is a piece of cake.” I swear as soon as you say that; you will be shut down.

This has been a rotten week. I am glad this is Friday. Hoping for a new week with less stress and sadness.

I was with my family during the loss of a family member. A viewing one day, the funeral the next day.

I have  had issues with a family member also. It is plum crazy when the issues arise and for the love of God; I don’t know what the problem is. The other party won’t open up and therefore I am left with a feeling of being helpless and lost.

I also lost a very close friend to the same disease that took my brother; Multiple System Atrophy. I tell you; she was one strong fighter. She carried hope and a bright spirit to the end.

I wasn’t expecting it and my emotions ran a muck. Maybe with a prior funeral and then this major loss, I went over the top with my tears. I will miss you forever and ever Bonnie.

I am a pretty emotional person. With the final encounter; I found my blood pressure rising, my neck was  hurting along with my head. My stomach ached and I felt like I had been tossed to the wind.

My girlfriend has been helping me through this. She has reminded me of how to take issues I can not fix and give them over to the Lord. I am doing this and I have found myself calmer and now laughing again. The problem isn’t fixed but knowing God has this covered and will fix it; I can go about my life.

She told me something that I really like repeating over and over in my head.

Lord, let me see through your eyes. Let me hear through your ears. Let me love through your heart.

She also gave me a precious song to listen to and I play it often. It brings me comfort.

 

 

So although this week has been a big blow to my spirit; I have also learned I am strong because I am protected by a shield of love.