In my last blog, "Just Be", I talked about my freak accident out on my patio. In this blog I'd like to expand a little on that.
It's been ten weeks since my accident. The dressing that the wound clinic puts on me is called a compression dressing. It's four layers thick. Because of that, I haven't been able to put on shoes. I've been wearing a surgical boot from bunyon surgery I had about ten years ago on one foot and a shoe on the other foot. This has made me a little off balance and has thrown my body out of whack. Beside that, it really looks ridiculous.
I own two pair of Berkenstock clogs. One pair is the typical leather upper. But the other pair is very flexable suede. Well it only took me ten weeks to figure out that what I thought was a decorative buckle is actually functional. I loosened the strap and voila, I can wear an actual pair of shoes that MATCH! I'm so excited. I can't stop looking at my feet. It's crazy. Who would have thought that wearing an old pair of Berkenstocks would be such a big deal.
I'm sure you all have things like that in your life...things you ignore and take for granted. Sure it's nice to have nice things, go out to a fancy dinner, take trips and enjoy the finer things, but when it comes down to what is REALLY important...it's the little things.
Love, Paula
Monday, November 15, 2021
Saturday, October 23, 2021
Just BE
On September 4th of this year I had a freak accident on my patio. I was enjoying a fire in our fire pit. I got up to do something, accidently stepped on a log, it rolled, I fell, and somehow one of the pieces of wood went through my leg down to the bone. Emergency room. Thirty-five stitches. Weekly visits to the wound clinic for the last seven weeks (and I'm STILL not done). No driving. I'm supposed to keep my leg elevated as much as possible. Obviously I'm not doing much these days. I'm not telling you this story to get sympathy. I simply want to "set the stage".
I come from the belief that everything happens for a reason and everything happens the way it is supposed to happen. So obviously I'm on a quest to discover the lessons I'm supposed to learn from this experience...the gifts. I know that as things unfold more will come to light, but for now I'd like to share what I've experienced so far. I've been stilled...put on hold...slowed down. Like most people I'm normally BUSY...running here and there totally oblivious to the absolute beauty that surrounds me. Now I can't run around and keep busy. I'm being forced to S-L-O-W D-O-W-N.
You know what happened? I have reconnected to this beautiful, magical, amazing world around me. On nice days I've spent hours on the patio just breathing in the fresh air. I feel the sun on my face and the wind in my hair. I see the last of the beautiful flowers that are gloriously sharing their beauty before winter sets in. I take time to watch the clouds passing by, changing formations as they go and I am fascinated by the wonder of it all. I enjoy watching the moon playing "hide and seek" with the trees in the evening sky. I have truly been experiencing all the "little" things in life instead of running from one thing to the other and not seeing and feeling the beauty of nature. It has been such a gift and I am SO grateful.
I share this story as a reminder to us all that it's okay to be busy living life, as long as we remember to take some time daily for ourselves to just BE.
Love, Paula
I come from the belief that everything happens for a reason and everything happens the way it is supposed to happen. So obviously I'm on a quest to discover the lessons I'm supposed to learn from this experience...the gifts. I know that as things unfold more will come to light, but for now I'd like to share what I've experienced so far. I've been stilled...put on hold...slowed down. Like most people I'm normally BUSY...running here and there totally oblivious to the absolute beauty that surrounds me. Now I can't run around and keep busy. I'm being forced to S-L-O-W D-O-W-N.
You know what happened? I have reconnected to this beautiful, magical, amazing world around me. On nice days I've spent hours on the patio just breathing in the fresh air. I feel the sun on my face and the wind in my hair. I see the last of the beautiful flowers that are gloriously sharing their beauty before winter sets in. I take time to watch the clouds passing by, changing formations as they go and I am fascinated by the wonder of it all. I enjoy watching the moon playing "hide and seek" with the trees in the evening sky. I have truly been experiencing all the "little" things in life instead of running from one thing to the other and not seeing and feeling the beauty of nature. It has been such a gift and I am SO grateful.
I share this story as a reminder to us all that it's okay to be busy living life, as long as we remember to take some time daily for ourselves to just BE.
Love, Paula
Monday, July 19, 2021
THE Best Gift
My husband and I celebrated our 50th Wedding Anniversary last December. Other than my youngest son and his wife not being able to make it in from California because of Covid, it was a perfect celebration. (They joined us via Facetime. Yay technology!) My husband and I only wanted to celebrate with our kids and their families. My son and his girlfriend hosted in their new house. It was perfect.
The gift that the kids gave us was the best gift ever. They contacted friends and family and asked them to write letters about what we meant in their lives. There are pages and pages of memories and things that happened that we didn't realize meant so much to people. They were the kinds of things that people never hear...the kinds of things that people say after you die, or not at all. It was so special. I told my kids that if they were trillionaires, they couldn't have given us a better gift.
I think it's so sad that we never say these things to one another. I challenge all of you...and myself...to let the people in your life know what they mean to you. Tomorrow is never promised and everyone deserves this special gift. Do it now. You won't regret it.
Love, Paula
The gift that the kids gave us was the best gift ever. They contacted friends and family and asked them to write letters about what we meant in their lives. There are pages and pages of memories and things that happened that we didn't realize meant so much to people. They were the kinds of things that people never hear...the kinds of things that people say after you die, or not at all. It was so special. I told my kids that if they were trillionaires, they couldn't have given us a better gift.
I think it's so sad that we never say these things to one another. I challenge all of you...and myself...to let the people in your life know what they mean to you. Tomorrow is never promised and everyone deserves this special gift. Do it now. You won't regret it.
Love, Paula
Monday, July 12, 2021
Metaphors
When I was in college, I took a literature class. The professor was interesting and taught concepts that were new to me...different. She explained that GOOD literature has many levels so it could reach many people at their specific level of understanding at that time. She was in favor of re-reading books because your understanding changes as you grow. She talked in depth about metaphors and challenged us to look for metaphores in our daily lives.
Shortly after that we were invited to a birthday party at my sister-in-law's. Let me set the stage: They lived in a typical ranch house BUT they had a finished basement with a family room and a dining room in it. The bathrooms however, were on the main floor.
My brother-in-law's family were all HIGHLY educated. They were very warm, friendly people, but you got the feeling of intellectual superiority...we were beneath them.
As the party was going on, individuals would go upstairs to use the bathroom. No big deal. BUT when I finally went up, ALL of my brother-in-law's family were in the living room and ALL of our family was still in the basement. I laughed out loud and no one knew why. Talk about metophors in life...we WERE beneath them!!!
I forgot all about that until recently. I'm so glad to have remembered that concept. I'm starting to see the metaphors in my life again. It truly makes life more interesting. I challenge you...and myself...to look for the metaphors in YOUR life. It helps you go through life more consciously...and it's fun!
Love, Paula
Shortly after that we were invited to a birthday party at my sister-in-law's. Let me set the stage: They lived in a typical ranch house BUT they had a finished basement with a family room and a dining room in it. The bathrooms however, were on the main floor.
My brother-in-law's family were all HIGHLY educated. They were very warm, friendly people, but you got the feeling of intellectual superiority...we were beneath them.
As the party was going on, individuals would go upstairs to use the bathroom. No big deal. BUT when I finally went up, ALL of my brother-in-law's family were in the living room and ALL of our family was still in the basement. I laughed out loud and no one knew why. Talk about metophors in life...we WERE beneath them!!!
I forgot all about that until recently. I'm so glad to have remembered that concept. I'm starting to see the metaphors in my life again. It truly makes life more interesting. I challenge you...and myself...to look for the metaphors in YOUR life. It helps you go through life more consciously...and it's fun!
Love, Paula
Tuesday, March 16, 2021
NOW!!! Not later.
My husband's favorite mantra of late is: "If you want to do something, do it! Don't put it off."
In early February my husband said we should invite this very dear friend of ours to dinner sometime. Reminding him of his mantra, I said, "Well, let's call her now and set it up." We called, set the date and time, and met her for dinner on February 8th. At that dinner she said she'd like to make a Reiki appointment sometime soon. I got out my calender and we set up an appointment that night for February 17th. She passed away very unexpectedly on Marth 11th. Although I'm going to miss her terribly, I can take comfort in the fact that we didn't just TALK about getting together, we actually DID get together. We don't have to live with regret.
You remember the saying, "Don't put off until tomorrow what you can do today."? I always equated that to work. But it really isn't just about work, it's about everything...because we never know what tomorrow may bring.
Love, Paula
In early February my husband said we should invite this very dear friend of ours to dinner sometime. Reminding him of his mantra, I said, "Well, let's call her now and set it up." We called, set the date and time, and met her for dinner on February 8th. At that dinner she said she'd like to make a Reiki appointment sometime soon. I got out my calender and we set up an appointment that night for February 17th. She passed away very unexpectedly on Marth 11th. Although I'm going to miss her terribly, I can take comfort in the fact that we didn't just TALK about getting together, we actually DID get together. We don't have to live with regret.
You remember the saying, "Don't put off until tomorrow what you can do today."? I always equated that to work. But it really isn't just about work, it's about everything...because we never know what tomorrow may bring.
Love, Paula
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