Restoring Courage

Years ago, after dark, in the summer months,
I could be found in our front yard barefoot...garden hose in hand watering every inch of the grass for hours.
In the house were small and medium size humans I called my kids. I usually prayed they were sleeping, not tossing each other and food around. Sometimes the prayers made their way to heaven, other times, well, who knows what happened to them.

Tonight while watering some dry spots on our grass, with bare feet, a wave of tender courage washed over my soul, realizing how connecting with mother earth seemed to restore my courage to face a new day, way back when as well as tonight.

My days are different, trials have changed and new pains attached to the art of living...but the truth remains.
Time spent talking to God, feet planted firmly on his green earth, just steps away from reality is still my recipe for Restoring my Courage.
Try it on for size in the world of automatic sprinklers and such.

Air Piano and other joys

Driving has always been a great love of mine. Self confessed former multi-tasker while driving, I find it very tough to "just drive". Really there are so many things I can be doing and trust me, want to be doing.

I have narrowed it down to my very favorites:
1. Praying...cause He is always listening
2. Singing...with anyone who is on my CD at the time.
3. Air anything... I am so good at air piano, guitar, flute
violin, bells and much more.

What I love most about these amazing talents I take on in my car is this: I am so good. I smile, and just groove with greatness. My fellow travelers (in my car or the ones next to me) get a kick out of my not yet Broadway show.
More importantly is how purely silly and joyful my soul is fed. Yes, I love my soul to be fed with more than veggies and sugar>>>
Silly feels GOOD~!!

Next time you see me and my arms are flying about, just remember a star is being born.
And you, my friends can be one too~!! Because when it comes right down to it the decision to
BEE happy is all in YOUR mind (or arms and voice).
And if I can help you get a chuckle out of your day~!! My am happy. ( yes I said MY am happy) The phrase if borrowed from my sweet Skyler.

Dying.... ain't no way to avoid, as though it were a pot hole

I am so happy to be in the service of the "death and dying" world.
My eyes have been opened as to the blessing of the need for the wearing out of things.
How many years would you use and re-use the dish cloth given at your bridal shower? Maybe ten if you got lots of them and are very lucky. But after much use and dedication to your dishes and counters it has to go on ... for the dish cloth it will be the garbage. For us, each of us precious souls, it will be to refinement. Continued growth and use to Father we never imagined.
As I reflect on the decline (so we call it) of the elderly, I can't help but see far before that. Yes, before. In what I know was the Pre-earth life. Time spent at Father in Heaven's knee...being taught and nurtured. I envision our learning and growing until it became time to enter our earthly state. To take a beautiful body. Soul unites with body and creates a mortal person. Crafted to perfection>>> EVEN those who may not appear to us as Perfect. God knows, we are HIS.
So, now we spend time on earth, learning, growing, loving. Really what else is there. Getting Stuff?
Then as our clocks wind down through a natural process and age shows itself in ways no one is fond of we just often pretend it is not taking place. I have often wondered why we are so hesitant to move beyond the veil and return home. I believe our will to live is instilled by our God. Good thing too or everyone would be dying to get back to heaven. (pun intended)
My message today is this: Coach the process as we were coached in heaven to come here, as birth parents are coached to give birth. Not only is it okay, but can be a learning experience like no other.
At least prepare your own minds to accept the reality of decline and simply make peace with your own reservations. Consider the stages in grieving:
1.Denial and Isolation
2. Anger
3. Bargaining
4. Depression
5. Acceptance
I feel as though I repeat those steps a lot....with big family crisis, job loss etc.
If only one thought sticks with you today let it be this.

EMBRACE THE TRIAL AND GROW FROM IT. LET IT TEACH YOUR SPIRIT.

You can be as vigil as you want, death sneaks up and takes you (and your loved ones) off to the new journey no matter what.

Aged parents

Since parents do get old sometimes ...just who is responsible to care for them? I say it is my siblings. After all I am pretty sure I was adopted.
Ok, never mind that, how about the state. Can I just put "her" somewhere and claim poverty, letting the expense be picked up by my fellow tax payers.
The only other solution would be just to go on with my life as though "she" is just fine. When a call comes from a neighbor I know I will be surprised to find she was on the floor for 3 days and had no way to call for help. (Sarcasm)
So in all seriousness
Perhaps I have over looked the real solution. The one that makes us family in the first place. The old fashion values I was raised on as well as my memory of teaching a lesson or two on Charity, a few on Remembering and the doctrines taught by our Savior Jesus Christ.
My mother will be cared for in a manner pleasing unto my Father in Heaven. She will be respected and treated with dignity to her dying breath.
Most important she will be LOVED.
I so wish I could see the rewind movie of my infancy. Helpless and unsteady. Making faces, throwing food, as well as throwing up. Talking nonsense, making big messes in places no one wants messes in....... and you know the rest of being a tiny one relying on others to help you through to the next phase in life.
That's the plan for my mom as she declines and prepares for the next phase.
Thanks mom. for a real chance to give back.