Full of Love

The last eighteen months of my father's life were a constant lesson in counting our blessings, every extra day we were given was part of a greater miracle.

At his passing, the outpouring of love and support, the Facebook messages, visits to my parents' home, as well as those who gave of their time to bring food, or attend the Visitation, Funeral Service or Internment was an amazing, comforting and humbling experience.

So.  Today.  Journal about a time when something you would rather avoid became, instead, a blessing.

Adulthood

I am 58 years young, but sometimes, when presented with the trials of life, I mentally stomp my foot, look up at God and firmly announce that I am too young for this s&@  uhh… stuff! 

I remember driving up at the funeral home last week after the death of my Daddy, thinking "I can't do this...I can't do this...God, I really can't do this."  

But, with His help, I took a deep breath and did my best to take care of the task at hand. 

My attempts were nowhere near perfect but adulthood is about doing my best, whatever that may be.   

So.  Today.  Journal about a task, trial or event that you didn't WANT to handle, but you did.  

Attitude

This morning, in my journal, I jotted down memories of my father.  Silly things like, when I was a girl he didn't eat rice (wait, that never changed…), and he preferred jalapenos on his pizza.  I described what he called pork and bean sandwiches. 

There is a note about the hundreds of pounds of pecans he picked out every year, the tomatoes and peppers he grew when I was a girl, and all the times I got into the stinging nettle in the garden even though he showed me over and over what the offending plant looked like. 

I am tired beyond belief, numb with grief, but somehow consciously choosing to preserve the good thoughts helps so much.  

How about you?  

What memories can you journal about today that can help turn an ordeal into an adventure?

In Honor of my Father

My father was buried yesterday.  
I am numb with grief yet at peace.  

Born during the great depression, Daddy grew up in a house without plumbing or electricity; as a young man he hitched a wagon, plowed fields then served in the Korean Conflict. He married, had children, farmed, and drove a school bus for thirty three years.  

A quiet, humble, yet sometimes infuriating man, he left a loving wife, two children, six grandchildren and fourteen great grandchildren. 


The outpouring of love and condolences has been nothing short of amazing.  After a service honoring him, the Patriot Guard escorted his body from the church to the cemetery. An honor guard from Fort Hood played Taps and executed a perfect flag folding ceremony.  He would have been genuinely surprised at the outpouring of love and caring.  

Yuton died with a look of peace about him.  Even though his life was full of physical suffering from a long term and debilitating back condition, heart issues, COPD and a handful of other health problems, he never complained.  He wasn't perfect but he somehow danced to the music life chose for him.  

How about you?

How are you choosing to dance?  

In memory of 
Yuton H. Harris

Sidetracked

Sidetracked.  Yup, that's me.  

I have good intentions but suddenly my attention is drawn in another direction and what I wanted/needed/intended to do goes uncompleted.

Unfortunately that happens to me more often than I'd like to admit.  

If I'm honest, though, I'm often sidetracked simply because I didn't choose to complete the task at hand...or procrastination...or a lack of self discipline...or my give-a-flip is broken...or I'd rather mindlessly flip through Facebook or Pinterest or Instagram...or I'm daydreaming...or I just don't want to work on whatever-it-is.

In our multi-tasking world we are constantly bombarded with interruptions in our personal and professional lives both from without and within.  Add family to that mix and intrusions on our thought processes are the norm.  Is it a wonder that we are a nation of sidetracked individuals?  

So.  Today.  Journal about a few of the ways you end up sidetracked.   

Happy Journaling.

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Journal Prompt -

Dreams are an interesting thing.  They are amazingly wonderful and frightening as all get out.  Sometimes dreams feel elusive and sometimes they are in the palm of our hand just waiting on us to grasp them.  

What about you?  What are your dreams?  

So.  Today.  Pick one dream, no matter how big or how small, journal about it. 

Happy journaling.


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A few years ago I was asked to describe myself in just two words.  They came immediately:  "brilliant airhead."  
Strangely enough, I have come to be comfortable with the acknowledgement of that part of myself! 

So.  Today. In just two words, who are you?  Are you comfortable with that?  Why or why not?

Happy journaling!

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Many years ago my husband's youngest brother gave one of our sons a very noisy toy.

A. Very.  NOISY. Well loved toy. 

Hubby swore he was going to get even with this particular sibling but, unfortunately, the brother passed away suddenly and tragically many years ago before that could happen.  

Over the years, the pain of loss has given way to a softer part of myself.  Now, I inwardly snicker when I think of how much I'd still love to pay him back for that toy!  

Does this remind you of something in your life?  Does it inspire a feeling of vengeance or has it become one of those things that makes you smile?  

Happy journaling!


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Journal Prompt - Find the calm

I spent most of my life living in what felt like barely controlled chaos.

Now (most days) I admit that it was my own fault.

I lived much of my life missing the fact that life is a dance and that I'm only the choreographer of my own movements. I thought if I could just control the chaos around me, everything would be just fine.

Wrong.

I am coming to realize that I can only control myself and I am privileged to be able to choose how I respond to the chaos.

So.  Today.  Name one way that you can find CALM in the chaos of your life.

Happy Journaling!

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Journal prompt -- laughter is the best medicine

I have a irreverent sense of humor.  I've worked in medicine (which has it's own warped sense of humor), have been around men most of my life, and what I find funny is sometimes...ummm… not quite as ladylike as I'd like.  

But.  It's.  Funny. 

Everything is funnier when I'm not allowed to laugh.  It's a fact of life.   The harder I try, the funnier it becomes.  In my mind, on my face, out of my mouth...Snicker.  Snort.  Snarf.  Hold it in. 

I can't seem to help myself.

When is the last time you found something funny but were not in a place/situation to laugh?  What did you do? 

Happy Journaling!  

Journal post - Life...one constant change in plans

"The best made plans of mice and men" (and moms and grandmothers and Dads and employees and students...)

I'm a bit of a free spirit.  My family often jokes that I wake up in a different world every morning.  To counteract that trait I try to plan, then those plans get changed four times before I even get started.

Irritating.  Annoying.  PIA.

I've seen other Memes that show the "what actually happened" part as a cute succession of swirls and curls but my life doesn't seem to work out that way. Fits and starts and interruptions and my procrastination and a thousand other ways my plans get changed.

Don't tell anybody but, actually, I'm kinda glad. Left to my own plans I get stale, stodgy and unyielding.

So.  Today.  Instead of making a list of how things got all changed up, messed up and otherwise annoyingly discombuberated, journal about an unexpected blessing that came about from an unwelcome change in plans.  

Happy journaling.

Journal Prompt - Too many tabs open

My mind is an interesting thing.  If I could contain all that crazy and apply it to the current task at hand I could conquer the world...or at least get my to-do list done.  

Today's journaling prompt is to think of some creative ways to close some of those open tabs in your life.  Don't just stop there.  Implement one of those ideas.  Journal about what you did and how it made you feel.  

Happy journaling!  

Journal Prompt - TKB (Takin' Care of Business)

Sometimes I feel like I'm two different people wrapped up in one body.  

I'm either WORRIED about Every. Single. Tiny. Detail. … or I'm completely oblivious.  There doesn't seem to be a happy medium.  

I long to TKB (that's 70's speak for Takin' Care of Business) AND yet to be at peace.  

How about you?  

Happy journaling!

Journal Prompt -- Life changing moments

There are moments that changed my life forever.  Becoming a grandmother was just one of them.  

Today, take a few moments to journal about a day that changed your life.  What was it?  When?  How did it change things?  

Happy journaling!

Journal Prompt - Up a Creek Without A Paddle?

Ever felt like you were up a creek without a paddle?  

Journal about a time when you felt that way but you survived (obviously or you wouldn't be reading this journal prompt...)

Happy journaling!

Journal Prompt - Storms of life

This wonderful photo was taken of our home by a neighbor who was cutting hay as this storm cloud approached.  

It looked as if we were going to get a terrible storm, but, gratefully, all we experienced was a few minutes of wind and less than a quarter inch of much needed rain. What looked dangerous and frightening fizzled into a memory and this great photo.  

Today's journal prompt is to write about a life storm you worried about or was expected that then didn't happen or was much less severe than expected.  

Happy journaling!

Journal Prompt - Forgiveness

Forgiveness.

Not easy.

Definitely not easy.

Today's journal prompt:  to write about forgiveness.  What it is, what it means to you, why it is important.