What Are You Holding On To?

I read a wonderful story yesterday about holding onto stones in our hands...

If we hold onto something to long we never free our hands to enjoy life's beauty.

We need our hands to beat a drum so music can be heard, to hold a brush in order to paint the beauty all around us, to clap with excitement for what we are thankful for, to wrap our arms around another person, to touch and caress....By dropping what we are holding onto, we free our hands in order to truly embrace the life and love all around us....

Drop whatever it is that you are holding so tight to, your hands represent the freedom within... Release your grip, open your hands and free your heart!

In awe of life lessons!

" I Can Do It"

"I Can Do It"

Those four little words that brought me back to being a mom with young children... Those words "I can do it"
rang clearly as my 88 year old father said them yesterday. As I tried to help him button his pants, I smiled as I realized he was no different then my 3 year old son was when he wanted so badly to button his own pants...
I've come full circle with my children and now my parents....

Then there's me, waiting in the wings for my time to say "I can do it" I'm not looking forward to that moment, and I pray the years go by slow enough to enjoy life everyday.
For now I continue to be aware of just how precious life is and how fleeting the moments are...
Finding that balance between
"care taking" of someone else and
"Taking Care" of myself is a fine line, but a line that must be drawn,
And I know .... " I can do it!"

In awe of life

Timing...

Timing Timing Timing!!!

They say "location, location, location" is everything and I would agree. I say timing, timing, timing... is everything!!!

Timing seems to be the key to many successful ventures. From investments, to job opportunities, to relationships, timing seems to play a huge part in life.

How has your timing been?

It's the perfect time to Do... What you are dreaming of...

Love Awe and Wonder

What Time Do You Have?

NOW

This clock picture was posted on Facebook over the past several weeks. I love creative minds!

The Time is NOW!
Need I say more?

In awe of wonder...

A Funny Emotion ... Love!

Funny Emotion, LOVE Is!

Love...some seldom feel it, others feel it too often...
Love is often over rated they say...
Some believe the word love is even over used...

There are all kinds of love
Love of things and people...
In love
Filled with love
Love for life
Love food
Love of things
Love, love, love!!!
I love this, you love that, they love each other!

I love a lot of things in life, yet seldom do I love to a depth of my soul ...

That's a scary love, vulnerability plays a huge piece in that kind of love... but alas, a feeling not to be denied. If embraced for oneself or for another it is truly a gift!

Life is short, love can be eternal ...
So why not embrace LOVE today,
Tomorrow may be to late....

What do you Love?
Who do you love?
Where do you love?

In awe and wonder of LOVE...

A Path To Your "New Normal"

New Normal,
A Path into the unknown...

What is normal?

according to Definitions.net
Normal means:
conforming to the standard or the common type; usual; regular; natural.

What was normal to me yesterday isn't the same normal to me today!
The path I was on a few short years ago is not the same path I walk today.

I have come to embrace my new path to be my new normal. Whether it's life, health, love, relationships, things change, our path changes, our "normal" changes....
What I have realized is my "new normal" is my normal... Which some may just call change!

Being flexible to change and to what used to be normal is a state of mind we must accept. A healthy way of moving forward in life is to embrace
change and our new normal. Nothing stays the same, life continues to change all around us and within us...
Change is good, along with loving your New Normal, and embracing your new life's path...

What's your New Normal?
Where is your new path leading you?

In love awe and wonder of life's new path....

Swim Nemo Swim

Finding Nemo...

I got thinking about a goldfish the other day. Being trapped in a bowl going around and around in circles all day long, made me think of my own life...

I had felt stuck in the same bowl, in the same water, in the same circle for years... it's been the last several years that has got me thinking and wondering so much more about life.

Perhaps brought on by my age, being an empty nester, being single, or just being present to life!

I've come to realize there is a huge ocean out there to swim in...
People to see, place to go, life to be lived....

And I thought, what if I was to leave my little fishbowl and I swam into that huge ocean of life... It certainly could be scary and I could be eaten alive.. Then I realized it's a chance I have to take, embrace, Live, to truly be set free....

And after I was all done wondering, I realized that makes me Nemo...
Finding Nemo means finding Me!

"Swim Nemo Swim!"
N nature vs nurture
E excitement vs excellence
M meaningful vs Mindful
O original vs ordinary

Love wondering ....

Really Being Alone...

A Life Changing Moment...

As I waited for a friend for breakfast, I watched, as a blind man with his collapsible cain, waited to be seated...

He was alone in his own dark world. He rocked back and forth, waiting patiently for a table. As fate would have it the hostess came up to him and said "Mr Hill your table is ready you can just slide over" the table next to the waiting area was available. He smiled and said isn't that convenient!

What changed my life was as I watched him acclimate himself to his surroundings, the waitress asked if he was waiting for anyone...
Mr. Hill simply said
"No, I'm not waiting for anyone"
A moment that made me sad, words that moved me. I watched as a blind man ate alone and I couldn't help but wonder about many things in life ....

I'm still wondering ....

Finding Patience Through a Murse!

A Murse = A man purse

I've come to realize patience is a gift that I have acquired as I've aged. Life is filled with the unknown. Patience has helped me in many situations, like waiting for a delayed airplane, dealing with elderly parents to even where my personal life is today.

I am thankful for my newer acquired patience, I'm not even sure where it comes from when needed...
They say " it is what it is" so I have to believe patience allows me to be tolerant to a fast changing world
around me.

I sat for 12 hours waiting for my father to be admitted into the hospital, love played a huge part in my patience. Even when he wouldn't let go of his murse (man purse) and insisted on keeping it close to him, all I could do was be patient with him and smile!

Life isn't always easy, I certainly struggle personally being a single women at this age, but for now I will be patient with my life (at least try)
as my life continues to move in the direction of Love Awe and Wonder...
I continue to learn the lesson of patience daily, yesterday, love played a huge part and my fathers murse just made me smile and gave me peace and contentment!

“Patience is a gift you give others as much as yourself" aw

Who will you be patient with today?

The Journey

The Vessel The Storm!

It sails through ruff seas, heading towards an unknown destination.
Water all around, beating on it's surface. Not knowing where it will land, determined to stay afloat.
The vessel filled with cargo and sailors to guided its journey, only to feel the emptiness during its voyage.
Made of strong wood, hard, resilient
and tuff, tested by its surroundings, driven by its determination to make it through the storm. The vessel best known for its triumph during any storm, no matter the size, no matter the length, it stays afloat, ready to make it to the other side.
Only to come through the storm as a survivor, all intact ready for another voyage! Guided by the light above...

Use A Phone... Call A Loved One...

Talk To Your Loved Ones!!!

I realized the other day my adult children often tex and rarely call...

So that should be good enough right?

Then after two acquaintances lost family members this week at the ages of 23 and 57 I thought, NO ... I want to hear my children's voices!

Life is too short, call your loved ones more often. There are only so many days you will ever get to hear their voice!

Who will you call for a change?

A Close Encounter of Two Don's

"The Kangaroo Method"

I've met two Dons recently. Both have touched my life in a profound way...

To some, sitting next to a stranger on an airplane is an annoyance, to me, it is a gift! Don from AZ came to Rochester to bury his brother. A story I hope to write and share at a later time... For almost two hours we laughed, I cried, we shared ... Two lives touched by each other, both strangers, both walked away changed souls! Why? Because we cared enough to listen to one another!

The second Don, an author of
"The Kangaroo Method", a wonderful small book to " help you learn how to unlocked your verbal intelligence" A book, for me, that was filled with life encouragement... Which again, allowed me to realize how important life's journey truly is. Being present to every moment, every word and every life experience beyond what we think we see, is living in Awe and Wonder, which is what I Love!

The book The Kangaroo Method, helped me to understand myself more and showed me I wasn't alone in what I thought and how I learned!

I love the history of the meaning of the word Kangaroo ... I'll let you read it for yourself ...
But originally the word was Gangurru which meant " I don't understand you"
For me sometimes life, our lessons, and situations that happen, makes me say Gangurru ! "
I don't understand you... me, or life!"

Take a moment to read "The Kangaroo Method" and " become the person you most want to be!"

In awe of connection ...

Three Hour Layover or Groundhog Day?

A Three Hour Layover

Making the most out of a three hour layover isn't so bad....

Instead of focusing on the negative, I was looking forward to people watching for what I thought was a three hour layover...

The funny thing is, every hour that goes by for this layover an extra hour is added on due to weather...

So the three hour layover has been a three hour layover for the past three hours!!!
For me nothing but laughter, over living groundhog day over and over!!!

"When life gives you a delay be thankful you are fortunate enough to be coming or going somewhere!"

In awe of loving life...

The Art Of Living Knows No Bounds!

A sign I saw in a window at Pearl St Mall in Boulder CO.
"The Art Of Living Knows No Bounds"

Having visited Denver, Vail, Minturn, Georgetown, Breckenridge, Boulder just to name a few towns, I have fallen in love yet again with Colorado ...

All beautiful towns I had the privilege to visit on this trip.
From riding an old train to a silver mine in Georgetown to ATVing near Vail, paragliding in Wilcott and enjoying the the Colorado University band marching through Pearl St mall what a wonderful state!!

This whole trip has been an awesome experience and I am thankful knowing "the art of living knows no bounds!!"

Unexpected

So Unexpected ...

My Colorado trip continues... On our way to ATVing the other day I looked up and saw some people paragliding.
Not having paragliding on my
my bucket list it caught my attention.
Knowing skydiving was no longer an option due to back surgery, I thought hmmm maybe, just maybe, paragliding was an option! And it was...
Not having any reservations, I knew I had to seize the moment and I did, twice!
The experience was peaceful, breathtaking and exhilarating...
This trip was filled with a number of unexpected experiences and I am so thankful for the opportunity to eat dirt (ATVing) and to fly with birds (paragliding) ; )

ATVING And My Bucket List

Not On My Bucket List....

I have a list of adventures I would like to experience on my bucket list, ATVing was not one of them.

Yesterday, my group of friends have gone ATVing many times and wanted to go here in Vail Colorado.

OMG what an awesome experience!
The views, the rush of the speed, the experience of being aware and in control every second was an amazing experience.

So, although sitting on a four wheeler, getting filthy dirty, and going up hills into the unknown was never on my bucket list.... It was a blast and I am so glad I personally experienced it here in Colorado !!!

The views alone were breathtaking....

Back to being in awe...