Labor

I have been extremely busy lately and sleeping very little. I have a quicker heart beat these days and my stress level has increased by 400% - but it is all good. I can reveal what I have been up to in a little over a week so stay tuned. In the midst of all of this I have really come to appreciate physical labor. Physically working on something that requires very little brain power and mostly brawn is very satisfying. Your muscles ache and you feel like you "did" something. Most of the time you can see your progress and appreciate the final result quickly. I have been asking my kids to participate in this labor and it took me back to my own childhood. I would complain about pulling weeds or washing cars or mowing the lawn but really I enjoyed it. Who doesn't enjoy pounding a nail now and then? I think I need to ask them to do these things more often so they can see what they are capable of. I want them to know that working hard and pushing yourself has great rewards. In this age of TV, video games and cell phones it is easy to forget the joys of working together and mastering a skill. I am off to my next challenge today - June 14th (my one year anniversary of being cancer free) is quickly approaching and I want to give you my big announcement by then!

Competition

When I was a kid I avoided competition at all costs. I did not like team sports or the pressure of having to perform better than someone else so I disengaged. Even grade wise in school - I knew I had the ability to out perform others but my fear of failure prevented me from even trying hard. If you don't try you can't fail right? Wrong. It took me many years to realize that it only makes life unrewarding. Today I thrive on competition. I wouldn't say it is because I want others to fail - I just want to see how far I can go. Most of the time I am competing with myself but on occasion I find myself wanting to rise to the challenge of another's performance. I think it is healthy. How else can we grow as adults if we are not pushed - by ourselves or others - to do better. Competition makes it fun - yes it is a bit scary but also so rewarding. So here is to everyone who pushes me to do better just by doing what you do. I appreciate your abilities and strengths - I admire your determination and I strive to rise to the bar you set. When you reach the finish line I hope you turn your head sideways and I am right there with you.

Risk

I have been thinking a lot about this lately - the reason for which you will find out soon. When people describe something as "risky" what are they really saying. Financially risky? Emotionally risky? Physically risky? You go through a lot of that when you are dealing with health issues. Constantly weighing the risk/benefit ratio. Then you have to ask - who is it risky for? Is it strictly personal? Will whatever you are considering be risky to others? What happens if you don't take the risk? Notice a recurring theme here? Lots of question marks. That is what I think it really boils down to. When you are taking a risk it is risky because you don't have the answers. You don't yet know the outcome. This can sometimes be scary and sometimes be exciting - or both. All I know is that it gets your blood pumping a little faster and your mind working a little harder and that can't be all bad right?

Serve Day

At one of our local churches they have "serve day". They pick a few projects in the community and people sign up to come on that day to help. Fantastic idea right? This is not our church but one that many of our friends go to. One of the projects was to help a friend of mine get her house fixed up. She is a single mother of two girls and works full time to take care of them. She recently built an in-law unit on her property so she could have a renter. This renter would alleviate some of the financial stress that I am sure she deals with on a daily basis. The in-law unit needed a small kitchenette installed - counters, cabinets, sink, plumbing, electricity etc. She also had a lot of yard work that needed to be done that would have taken her many weekends to accomplish on her own. Several people pitched in and got it all done in one day. Most of these people I know. Someone even made a delicious lunch to serve everyone who was serving. I, unfortunately, missed this event because I had a previous engagement. The great news is I got to hear all about it from the "servers" - who were just thrilled to be helping someone and accomplishing so much. I am sure I will hear from the "servee" shortly and I can only imagine her gratitude. It reminded me of the amish and how they do barn raising. It truly is amazing what we can accomplish when we work together for a greater good. We need more of that.

It's a comin....

Determination

If you get knocked down and you try to get back up and then you get knocked down again - you learn. You learn to be stronger. You learn to be steadier on your feet. You learn who to trust. You learn resolve. So many people when they get knocked down decided to just stay down. It takes courage and fire and determination to keep getting up. To know who you are. To take the risk and to really live. If you want to win the race and find your dream you are bound to stumble along the way but somewhere there is a finish line waiting for you.

Snow Globe

I wonder if this life is much like a snow globe. If you were inside of one it would feel very, very real. Your life contained in a wrapped up package - sometimes still, sometimes turbulent. Surrounded by distractions - both beautiful and ugly. Perhaps when we die that sphere of wall just fades away and what is left is our true reality. Perhaps when we die our vision becomes clear - the light turned on - and we finally see only beauty and love. No judgement - no distractions.