And Then We All Had Tea: What I know for Sure

Showing posts with label What I know for Sure. Show all posts

Wednesday, November 7, 2018

What I know for sure . . .

Life is full of ups and downs, wins and losses, sweet and sour, dark and light. You don't get to be my age without having learned a few truths. This is some of what I know for sure . . .

Adversity does not build character, it reveals it.

You could take ten different people and plop them down into the same harrowing experience and you would observe ten completely different reactions to the same thing. Who we are quickly rises to the surface when we are faced with obstacles, challenges . . . adversity.

There is the "why me" person. This is the person who takes everything personally, seeing the slings and arrows that life throws at them as some sort of punishment for something they may or may not have done in the past.

There is the "why not me" person. This is the person who accepts that bad things happen to good people all the time. Its not personal. Its just life. You roll with the punches.

There is the "Yes, a challenge!" person. This is the person who sees all of lives little ups and downs as challenges and likes to rise to them and conquer them if possible.

There is the "Quitter" person, who as soon as things get rough, they give up and lay down.

There is the "Throw the other person under the bus" person. They always point the finger of blame elsewhere and refuse to acknowledge responsability for anything that might go wrong in their lives. They're always more than willing to let other people bear the slings and arrows.

There is the "Leader" who quickly takes charge and starts planning a way to get everyone out safely.

There is the "Follower" who wants someone else to assume control and is willing to do or follow this person wherever they lead them, no matter the direction taken.

How you react to the slings and arrows of life will either awaken the Giant within you, or reveal the mouse that lurks within your soul.

I love Disney movies . . . with Princesses and Princes, etc. There is always a great challenge that they must face and overcome. It is the same in every story. They begin with once upon a time, but they always end with, and they lived happily ever after . . . but in the middle there is always a great battle and an enemy that they must learn to overcome. A journey of sorts that they must take. Adversity . . . and through it all they reveal the strength of their character, and who they truly are.

The truth is that Adversity teaches us things that we would not otherwise be able to learn, and takes us on a magical journey towards becoming the best that we can be. Adversity can help to mould us into better people . . . but only if we let it. How we react to that adversity is key and it is everything. If you don't like the person that is revealed when the bullets begin to fly, it is within your power to change. Nothing is written in stone.

I have seen all of those things above in me from time to time. I have been the courageous one, and the one who wants to lie down and quit. I have wondered why me, and then quickly reminded myself why not me. I have wanted to point the finger. Sometimes I have been brave and been the one who roared, who led . . . I think there is a tiny bit of all of those things in each of us . . . but who we truly are is the person who emerges, triumphant . . . from the end of the tunnel.

What I know for sure is this one thing . . . we cannot do it on our own. A bit of faith is required. Faith in ourselves, yes . . .but mostly faith in a higher power, and a willingness to do whatever it is that we need to do to get to where we need to go. The scriptures tell us that even if we only have faith the size of a mustard seed, it can enable us to do great things and to move mountains.

It is that faith I have in me that . . . every single day of my life . . . encourages me and sustains me, and gives me the power to do hard things, especially when I don't think I can do them on my own. And trust me when I say, that is more often than not.

We have a very busy day ahead of us here. This morning Todd has a consult at the hospital about his cataracts. I hope he doesn't have to wait too long for surgery. This afternoon we have a Missionary Correlation meeting at the chapel. In between we have the stuff of every day!

A thought to carry with you . . .

° * 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ •
•。★★ 。* 。
° 。 ° ˛˚˛ * _Π_____*。*˚
˚ ˛ •˛•˚ */______/~＼。˚ ˚ ˛
˚ ˛ •˛• ˚ ｜田田｜門 ★
*.˛.Don't limit yourself, and don't let others

convince you that you are limited

in what you can do. Believe in yourself,

and then live so as to reach your possibilities.

You can achieve what you believe you can.

~Thomas S Monson •。★★ 。* 。

In The English Kitchen today . . . Butter, Herb & Garlic Basted Steaks. Delicious!

I wish for each of you a lovely Wednesday. Be positive and don't forget!

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═══════════ ღೋƸ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒღೋ ═══════════

And I do too!

Wednesday, October 31, 2018

What I know for sure , , ,

Life is full of ups and downs, wins and losses, sweet and sour, dark and light. You don't get to be my age without having learned a few truths. This is some of what I know for sure . . .

Its the little things in life which mean the most . . . its not the clothes you wear, or the car that you drive . . . the house that you live in, or even the place that you live.

Its small things like having someone notice that you weren't on church on Sunday, so they give you a call or a message to make sure you're alright. Knowing that you are missed when you are not there, and that people care.

Its having fresh sheets on the bed, especially if they have been hung out on the line to dry. They smell so beautiful. Its being able to reach over in the middle of the night and feel the warmth of someone close by and knowing you are not alone, and if you are at the stage where you are living on your own, its knowing that you were and are loved, even if they're not right there.

Its sitting in the comfort of your own home, with your feet up relaxing, with a hot cuppa in your hands after having done something hard and physically taxing, and rejoicing in a job well done. Even if your physically hard and taxing isn't moving the same mountain that someone else's hard and taxing is. Its knowing that you've done your very best and being content with that.

Its small gestures like cheerful hellos, even from strangers. A pat on the back. A shake of the hand. A friendly wave. A smile. People making a space for you in their lives. Being remembered, cherished, loved, valued . . . . just for being you . . . . and in remembering, cherishing, valuing, loving others, just for being them.

The taste of a crisp sweet apple when you first bite into it . . . bread and butter and jam. Its just having bread and butter and jam to enjoy . . . its being able to appreciate what true wealth is and knowing its not just $$$ in the bank or hand, that make you truly wealthy . . . but that by just having even the most basic things, basic necessities covered, you have much more than many in this world have. This is what makes you rich. Its in recognising that true wealth comes when you recognise that you have enough. Enough to live and to love. Anything more is icing, on an already pretty tasty cake.

Sun rises, sun sets . . . and everything in between. Its being able to get the most out of a every day, be it a sunny day or a rainy day, a warm one or a cold one. Its in being able to find the joy in living and being and recognising that true joy comes from within and not without. People, things and experiences don't make you happy. YOU make you happy. Joy is within your power to create. You make the glass half full or half empty. Its about choice. We may not be able to choose what happens to us, but we can choose how we react to what happens to us, and how we react is . . . everything.

Its in loving and in being loved. If we love first, then being loved is sure to follow. Maybe not necessarily from those we have loved, but a kindness given/shared/entertained is never wasted. Like karma, what you put out into the universe all comes back to you in one way or another. If all that you do, think, say is motivated from a truly loving centre . . . a place of love . . . then that is what matters most.

The little things in life aren’t really little. They become the cornerstone of our days and they create the life we live. They gradually paint the masterpiece that is life, yet we mistakenly believe that only the big things make a profound difference. Let this be your happy challenge today: be mindful of the smaller details of your moments.

We had a lovely visit yesterday from Sister Turnbull who served here in Chester last year, just prior to finishing her mission and returning home to Oz. It was so lovely to see her and to know that being in our home while she was here, our spending time with her . . . meant enough to her that spending time with us was something she wanted to do upon her return for a visit to all the places she served when she was on her mission. We had a lovely visit each other for a couple of hours. She is such an amazing young woman! We love you Mads!

Happy Halloween! I hope you have got some goodies in for all the ghosties and ghoulies that will be tap, tap, tapping at your door tonight! I picked up some yesterday. Each year we seem to get a few more than we did the year before. I think there is going to be a Trunk and Treat at the church as well. We never go to that because we don't want to leave our dog on her own. People tend to shoot of fireworks and they really distress her. This next week is going to be very hard on her. People tend to be shooting them off every night. She spent last night hovering between us on the sofa. I found that putting a blanket over her, helped her a lot. This fear of fireworks seems to be getting worse for her the older she gets. They never bothered her when she was a puppy. Its strange that.

And with that I will leave you with a thought for the day . . .

° * 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ •
•。★★ 。* 。
° 。 ° ˛˚˛ * _Π_____*。*˚
˚ ˛ •˛•˚ */______/~＼。˚ ˚ ˛
˚ ˛ •˛• ˚ ｜田田｜門 ★
*.˛.Be yourself,

because an original

is worth infinitely more

than a copy. •。★★ 。* 。

Cooking in The English Kitchen today . . . A Simple Cottage Pie. YUM!

I wish for each of you a lovely Wednesday. Be positive and don't forget!

And I do too!

PS - I am a bit disappointed this morning. I had an e-mail from my Editor. I had e-mailed him last week because he had been really quiet. It seems now that the release of my next book will not be until January now. Apparently they have fallen behind on production. (I have a theory about that but will keep it to myself.) Anyways, it won't be out now until January. I am a bit sad to miss the Christmas Sales period, but it is what it is. At least I am having another book published so am trying hard to focus on the positive aspect of it all. To have one book published is anyone's dream come true, but to have two published, well, that's even more of a dream come true.

Wednesday, September 26, 2018

What I know for sure . . .

Life is full of ups and downs, wins and losses, sweet and sour, dark and light. You don't get to be my age without having learned a few truths. This is some of what I know for sure . . .

Life is hard. Its not meant to be easy, but what I know for sure is this. IT IS WORTH ALL THE PAIN AND THE STRUGGLE. Morning always follows night. There is light at the end of every tunnel.

We are living in a world where Suicide is at epidemic proportions. I do not want to demean people's feelings. I know how real they are and how very painful. I have been there. I have been in that place where I did not want to be here for one more minute, where I couldn't see any hope, when the struggle didn't seem worth it . . . I have been to the bottom. I have felt totally and utterly alone. I have felt unloved and unwanted and worthless.

I have felt like the choice to stay was the cowardly one to make.

But at the age of 63, I am grateful I was a coward,

and that I chose to stay.

All of those kids who called me names when I was at school, who made my days utter misery, who made me feel like a piece of garbage . . . they have not mattered in a very long time. The struggle made me stronger, more compassionate, more caring. I learnt to never treat another human being that way that I was treated. I have learnt that it was more about them and their weaknesses than it ever was about me. I have learnt that I never was garbage and never will be.

All those things I thought I had failed at? I learned that sometimes the greatest lessons come in failing. That even our failures have great worth and that sometimes the greatest growth comes in our "Failures," and that really, there is no such thing as failure. Failure only comes in life when you decide to give up. Failure is in not trying.

I learned that we are never, ever . . . truly alone, no matter how alone we might feel at any given time. There is always someone who will listen. But they can't listen unless we let them know that we need to be heard, that we are hurting, that we are at the bottom of what seems like a very deep hole. We need to learn to reach out to the helping hand, the listening ear, the caring heart, no matter how much of a struggle it might feel like in doing so. Those words "Nobody cares" are the lies of the great deceiver. Someone always cares, and they are waiting for us to open up to them, to share, to unburden ourselves, to listen, and yes . . . to help. One of life's great universal truths it that there is ALWAYS someone who cares, about you and about how you are feeling. You. Are. Never. Alone. Just be brave enough to reach out. Just take every speck of courage you have in your soul and reach out. To your family if that is possible. To your Pastor. To your teachers. To your family Doctor. To your friends. To strangers. If you will reach out, I promise you someone will grab your hand and hold on and try to help you to reach that safe place, that maybe you can't see right now, but that I can promise you is there. You are NOT alone, no matter how alone you might feel.

Just keep moving forward, never giving up, hoping and believing that there will be an end to the way you are feeling right now, the light at the end of the tunnel, and end to the darkness and it doesn't come by giving up. It comes from moving forward, from taking even just the tiniest glimmer of hope and holding onto it. Please, please, please oh please don't think that this, right now, is all that there is in this life for you, or all that life holds for you. Just have the courage to hang on and work your way through whatever it is that is dragging you down. Courage is not in giving up and lying down. THAT is the cowards way . . . Courage truly is that quiet voice at the end of the day that says . . . I will try again tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow and however many tomorrows it takes.

Because YOU truly IS loved, and I know for a fact

that the bad times are not forever. Just have the courage to hang on

for a little while longer and to reach out your hand.

I promise you someone will grab it.

You will get through this.

The way you are feeling right now. It matters.

YOU matter.

Give life and the people around you the time

to prove it to you.

I have learned that the pain that others cause me, says much more about them than it does about me, and I accept that. That doesn't mean that things don't still hurt. There are some things in my life that will always hurt. But I can live with them, even if I don't understand them now. I have faith that I will one day. There is help out there to help you find that faith also. Where there is faith there is always hope, and where there is hope, there is a tomorrow, and it can be much brighter than you can imagine. It doesn't mean that I still don't fall or fail or have days when I feel worthless, or even unloved. When I feel those things, I reach out and help always comes . . . I pray, I believe, I hope.

A thought to carry with you . . .

° * 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ •
•。★★ 。* 。
° 。 ° ˛˚˛ * _Π_____*。*˚
˚ ˛ •˛•˚ */______/~＼。˚ ˚ ˛
˚ ˛ •˛• ˚ ｜田田｜門 ★
*.˛.Success if not final, failure is not fatal,

it is the courage to continue that counts.

~Winston Churchill •。★★ 。* 。

In the kitchen today . . . Boiled Dinner. One of my favourite things.

I wish for each of you a lovely Wednesday. Be positive and don't forget!

And I do too!

Wednesday, September 19, 2018

What I know for sure . . .

Life is full of ups and downs, wins and losses, sweet and sour, dark and light. You don't get to be my age without having learned a few truths. This is some of what I know for sure . . .

We all have regrets. Nobody gets to this stage of their life without having some woulda, coulda, shoulda's. We . . . . NOT one of us . . . are perfect, and we don't live perfect lives. We're not meant to. That's not what life is all about. We are meant to make mistakes. That's how we grow and learn and become.

Only a fool trips on what is behind him.

There are lots of things in my life that, if I had the opportunity to live my life over again, I wouldn't do next time around, or that I wouldn't choose next time around . . . or things I would do differently had I that chance. But, in life there are no do-overs. We live. We make mistakes. We make poor choices. We stumble. We fall. This is not unique. It happens to all of us to one varying degree or another at some point. Anyone who thinks that it will never happen to them is deluding themselves. Sometimes you don't realise you are living a regret, in fact most-times . . . until you are in the future and looking back on it.

Regrets are sad and mournful things. Regrets are clouds that hide the sunshine in our lives. Regrets are not meant to be held onto, or carried with us. A heavy bucket of regrets . . . can only weigh us down. Have them, yes . . . acknowledge them, yes . . . but then let them go. Don't let them paint/colour/destroy your future.

One special thing about our regrets is that they are a window into learning more about ourselves, and an opportunity for change. What do we regret? Is there anything we can do to make it right? Some things we can make right and we should try to do so, others we can't. One thing is for sure . . . we can move forward, adopting the changes we can make and living a life which reflects the lessons we have learned along the way. I promise you the load becomes much lighter to bear the more we start to live our lives with purpose, in the present . . . and with gratitude for the journey we have taken, and the lessons we have learned along the way.

Forgiveness is a great eraser. We do need to forgive others and we especially need to be able to forgive ourselves. Know that any one of us is doing the very best we know how to do at any given time in our lives, and that when we know better we do better. Nobody can, or should ask any more from us than that, and if they do . . . then that will be their regret to carry, not yours.

Somebody came to see me last night. I was so pleased and I got to spoil her for a few minutes, and her mama too. Ariana had inadvertantly locked herself out of her house and so she dropped in on us to wait while Jose made a quick trip back from work to drop off his key to her. I so enjoyed the interlude very much. Grace is growing like a weed and has such a beautiful little smile, which I know you can't see here, but trust me, it is there. I love that Ariana feels like she can come to us and trust us and I love that this wee baby is a part of our lives. Its all so very special. I got to bounce her on my lap and coo to her and just enjoy holding her. (Grace, not Ariana, lol) Mitzie is very curious about this baby. She sniffs but then wants all the attention to come back to her. With Mitzie, its ME ME ME! lol I expect that as Grace grows older and will actually play, then things will change.

We have a gusty windy day out there today and indeed it was the same yesterday. I looked out at one point to see our patio umbrella, being lifted up and carried across the garden just like Mary Poppin's umbrella. It is put away safely now. I expect more pears have blown down and we will need to go pick the ones that are left. No time for me to do anything with them today however as the gas man is coming to service our boiler, which is in the kitchen. I can't take the risk of being stuck in the middle of cooking/doing something when he comes.

Oh and thanks for your prayers. The scan came back and my sister doesn't have a DVT, it was probably just an allergic reaction to a bug bite or something. Whew! Thank God for that!

Oh, and not being able to take a shower and wash my hair that way bites. My hair is too long and gets far too tangled. It took me ages last night to comb it all out. I have ordered myself a boot to put on over my foot so I can take a shower. I hope it works. I don't think I could handle 6 weeks of not being able to shower! I know, I know . . . in the olden days they did it all at the sink, but I am spoilt.