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Posts by Linda Hunter:
NOTHING need change
December 31st, 2015The last day. A time for many to reflect and to measure; our progress, our accomplishments, our disappointments. We add up the successes and failures, review how many goals were met, determine if it was indeed a good year.
We look ahead, thoughts turn to a fresh page, the creation of a new ‘to do’ list where only forward movement counts; to strive, to complete more, to become more complete. Time is fleeting and we feel the pressure to use what we have been gifted; to make the most of our moments, to be more than we were, and better than we are.
What if this time around, instead of looking forward, we looked down, at where we are planted? What if it was enough that we are still here, awake and aware on this beautiful blue planet. What if we simply carried on, grateful for the time we have, for the moment we are in. What if we lived consciously, aware of those around us. What if we simply did more of the same, and focused on goodness, not greatness. What if it was enough to just live our lives and travel our own path. What if we spent our time grounded, standing firmly in a place of gratitude, for this moment and the next, not harming others, helping where we can, choosing compassion and peace, standing in our truth. What if we simply brought our best self to bear?
What if our first new day was spent the same as our last old day – in integrity, with compassion, held in love.
Would it be enough?
That which LASTS
November 6th, 2015In August, my mother died. Just uttering those words can cause me to catch my breath.
I can hardly believe that I won’t see her sweet face again, won’t hear that wonderful laugh, won’t share another cup of tea or enjoy another conversation. But believe it I do and while my grief has at times been more than I can bear, I have chosen to focus less on what has left me and more on what has been left; on the memories that are keeping her close.
My mother was real – truly brave, intelligent, beautiful, funny, and authentic. She was complex but not complicated, and she lived long, 86 years long – long enough to gather up some experience, some real life, some wisdom, some grace. Much of this she shared with me during the time we spent living together during the past 20 years. What’s wonderful about sharing someone’s later years is that they have time to sit and chat, to impart their insights and to share their stories. And while my mother didn’t spend much time sitting, she did spend her time telling- stories that have helped me shape my own thoughts about the world we live in and the one we leave behind.
When someone dies, the details of death take over your time and space; they cloud your vision. You fill your days with plans, finding a way to honour their life, embracing friends and family, comforted by the company, and knowing this too shall pass. At some point though, you are alone again, with your grief, and for me, with my gratitude.
I am so grateful she chose ‘family’ and that she had sons so I could have brothers. She told me once that all she ever wanted was ‘to have children’ and I am so glad she did. I could not love those boys more, they have made my life rich and so much better for having had them in it.
I learned a great deal from my mother; there were many lessons. She taught me at an early age, that we are all ‘people’, and equal and that “there is no difference between men and women, other than the obvious” so I could do or be anything that I put my mind and heart to. I grew up knowing that I could make my own path, and that she would not get in my way, that nothing was beyond reach unless I chose to lower my own sights.
She taught me not to waste time or talent. She understood that life is finite, and that time starts running out from the moment it starts running. She was a life long learner. She encouraged me to find out what words meant, study maps, listen to the news, read books, join groups, learn new skills and new languages. She was forever ‘learning’ something new – driving in her 20’s, skiing in her 30’s, tap dancing at 75, Bridge at 79, Gmail at 85. She played games and played sports – and practiced them all until she got it right.
She was constantly ‘moving’. She loved music and dance. She sang in choirs, and played her accordion in an orchestra. She danced on kitchen floors and dance floors, by herself and with her husband, in classes and with groups of friends. She stretched every day of her life, did yoga on the living room floor, wore copper and magnets and became a reflexologist later in life. She never missed her massage, and was open to the ‘alternative’. She promoted natural health long before it was natural to do so and questioned everything. If she was given a new supplement, the bottle wasn’t opened until she had done her research. She lived through a World War, lived through a long marriage, lived through 86 years of living. She told me you cannot do that without learning a thing or two.
She had a terrific sense of humour. I loved the way she laughed and the way she made us laugh. She was so very funny, she saw the lighter side, the brighter side, and while she couldn’t tell jokes, she sure could take them. There were moments when we laughed so hard we cried; moments I will cherish.
She was brave and strong and tenacious and endorsed a ‘no whining policy’. She taught us all that there is always someone who is struggling more than us, having a more difficult life than us. She worried about the human condition, about those with little or less, and those who would never have a lighter load. We were not afforded much time for self pity, and while I thought at times, she was hard when she could be soft, she was quick to point out that she had endured enough to know that we would always be better off than those before us and we had a duty to make the most of our lot in life.
She was a ‘maker’ and felt the world was losing its ability to ‘create things’. She could cook. She taught me how to follow a recipe and how to create my own. She made the most of the season, didn’t waste food and knew how to create more with less. She cooked from scratch, because ‘food shouldn’t be fast’, used real ingredients, even made her own yogurt long before it became mainstream; her pastry and scones were the best I’ve tasted. She sewed her own clothes and many of ours, knitted sweaters, made her own Christmas ornaments, fixed things when they broke. She made things last, respected what she owned, took ‘care’ of her things.
She believed in vacations and travel, in seeing the world both near and far. She saved long and hard for family trips, spent many summers on campsites, and encouraged us to spread our wings early on. I will be forever grateful for the trip I took to Scotland with my best friend Kim when I was only 15, no parents in tow. As a mother I recognize how difficult it must have been to put away her fears and to focus on my adventure instead. When my younger brother left home at 17 to see the world, she could not have known he would never return to live in Canada, and still she never complained. She simply said “we have to live our own lives, not the ones our parents wish for, no one would wish for their child to live so far away.”
My mother was not afraid of death, she considered it ‘part of living’. She was prepared; had the tough conversations, signed the necessary papers and even planned her ‘celebration of life’. We were blessed in the final few hours – she didn’t suffer from disease, her mind was intact, her body without pain. She chatted with children and grandchildren, knew what was happening, and spent her last few hours in peace and in a place of grace. She spent only one night in hospital, no machines, no tubes or wires, just a lovely room in a warm bed surrounded by love. I stayed with her that night, not knowing it would be her last, and just before we turned the lights out, she spoke her final words “You’ve been an awesome daughter and I’ve had a wonderful ride”.
For me, as a writer, that’s a great ending to a beautiful story. While she may be gone, she will never truly leave me and I am so very grateful to have been part of her journey and for the legacy she left behind; lessons and love, the only things that last.
Photo courtesy of Nancy Davis
It takes a CHILD….to raise a village
July 1st, 2015Many of us are familiar with the traditional African proverb, “It takes a village to raise a child”. We acknowledge that it cannot be done alone or in isolation, it takes many to provide an open and inclusive, well rounded and well grounded, balanced approach to raising them UP.
Well, for the past five months, that expression has been turned on its head and I have experienced a beautiful and soul solidifying growth spurt of my own, brought on by three thoughtful, spirit filled, heart centered and love focused young women.
For five months, two families have each hosted a wonderful young German student, both of whom arrived as friends, fresh faced and full of possibility, ready to take on everything that their Canadian experience had to offer. And, waiting for them here, a young Canadian host sister who received them with open arms and an open heart.
International students come to Canada for many reasons, not the least of which is to ‘learn’; from their new school, their host parents, their house siblings, a different culture, another way of doing and living. I know that both of these young women have carried home memories and learning experiences they could not even imagine when they arrived. What they may not know is that they left behind, so many more lessons, and I am forever grateful for what they taught me during their stay; I learned to ‘expand’.
I expanded my thinking. These girls introduced a fresh youthful perspective to everything – to my firmly established opinions, to my ‘set in my way’ way of doing things, to my approach to situations, to my feelings of ‘knowing’ and to my understanding of the world. I watched different movies, heard new music and met new artists. They shone a light on what matters to youth, on their current reality, one much different than my own, and they asked important and thoughtful questions, without judgement and unjaded, while remaining open to different or altered answers. They appreciated my wisdom and they offered theirs in return.
I expanded my home, which has never been big but has never felt small. Sharing your space invites compromise and cooperation, giving more than you take, figuring out what works for others. Our home was bursting with news, with excitement, with energy and with teenagers again, all from different families, and some from different countries.
I expanded my celebrations. With someone new and limited time, ordinary becomes extraordinary. We celebrated every occasion, no matter how small. We shared more tables, gave more parties, ate more cake, invited more friends, and ‘showed up’ whenever we could. We didn’t wait for the right time, because we knew we had limited time, so we seized every opportunity to go to the game, to dance to the music, to be at the beach, to ride in the boat, to travel the Island, to visit new places, to enjoy the sunshine, to do new things, to write new stories.
I expanded my understanding of my own language. Our students arrived speaking English but there were many new expressions, weird spellings, words that meant more than one thing, words that didn’t make sense to them, and much used phrases whose origin I had long forgotten. I learned to appreciate what it is to try to think and laugh in a new language, and to have to learn and study in that same language.
I expanded my heart, which I thought was already on the large side – we have helped raise a house full of young people, opened our doors and shared our table for many years, so we know what it is to widen the circle. What I was not prepared for was the way they moved in and settled into my heart, taking up such a large part of it and bringing back those feelings of pride, love, concern, and sheer joy that come when your heart expands to include another.
So to Lina, and Anna, and Maddy, THANK YOU, for spending some time with us, for viewing the world through a less filtered lens, for remaining unstuck and open to new possibility, and for expanding our horizons. Your light will continue to shine on in the imprint you make on others and I for one will be forever grateful, for reminding me that while we think our children come here to learn, they actually come here to teach.
UNTIL then
June 21st, 2015Most of us know someone right now, who is suffering, who is not able to be their best self, who is dying. Many of us continue to pray, to send positive vibes, white light, good energy, and our best wishes to those on the other side of wellness. Many of us accept that this is the way it is and we are at peace, knowing that resistance makes the journey harder and a sense of peace, can pave a path of grace.
For those of us for whom life in this moment, is not filled with these challenges or sadness, many are grateful, for what we have, what we don’t have to face or endure, for the health and wellbeing we currently enjoy. We challenge ourselves to ‘live in the moment’ to understand and embrace that ‘life is short’ and to live our best life.
All this is good and well and needed and appreciated, however, I think we might consider doing more. I think we could make things easier, prettier, happier, not so challenging for others. I think that rather than just ‘being’ grateful, we need to ‘do’ grateful. It is not enough to be thinking about these people, albeit in a positive way, I think we need to be spending time making a difference, to their living.
I propose that we help them in an ordinary way, with their ordinary day. When we make a meal, we can double our efforts, and provide a meal for someone else. When we are buying groceries, consider adding to our cart, grow extra rows in our garden, and when we are at the library, pick up extra books. We can do a load of laundry, mop a floor, clean a house, walk a dog. When we are dining out, order extra and drop it by so they can share in our experience, send them the names of movies we think they might enjoy, and buy flowers again, long after the first flowers we bought are gone. Record the concert when they cannot attend, film the event when they cannot be there, photograph the sunset when they cannot see. We can take them where they need to go, visit when we have a moment, spend some time on the phone, on Skype or on Facebook. We can simply include them in our plans, on our lists, in our day.
What if we wrote more than a ‘to do’ list, what if we wrote a ‘to do for’ list, and added in those we could include and help. Ask them what they need – and fill it – make them more than a passing thought. We are all in this together, and while we walk a personal and solo journey, we are all connected, never truly alone. They are already in our office, in our neighbourhood, in our family, in our heart… why not add them into our life.
www.mealtrain.com – a great way to provide for others.
First things FIRST
June 12th, 2015What if instead of trying to do it all, we did some, most, or only what we could manage, and do well? What if we were more realistic, and less ambitious with our list, and made our goal, not just completion, but satisfaction. A job well done, achieved and relieved, take a breath before moving on, savour the moment.
What if we got back to being focused, on the task at hand, right in front of us. What if we were less fragmented and were able to give it our full attention. What if we were less concerned with how fast we could do it, and more concerned about doing it well. What if finishing was just as important as starting, and what if the process brought as much fulfillment as the result. We could concentrate on the person we are talking to, on the email we are writing, on the car we are driving, on the moment we are in.
Our brains are full. It is a myth that you can get more done multi-tasking; you cannot do all things well at the same time. Something always suffers. We split our attention, we don’t give 100% to any one thing, we can only partly give to what we are doing, we are fragmented. We end up not truly connected or fully engaged in conversation, we combine our efforts, which in truth means we divide our efforts. We miss part of the richness of our present.
You will only ever have 24 hours in a day, and 7 days in a week. Our lists are usually long and the pressure is on, to get through that list. The truth is that you can only achieve so much in the time you have, and with the factors, you may be dealing with outside of time. Perhaps, you might review your list, to see how much you actually ‘need’ to get done. You can still be strategic and clever, find ways to do it faster, smarter, map out routes, combine like items, employ shortcuts to aid your cause. What I am suggesting is that whatever is on the list is simply done, one at a time. I am not suggesting you slow down, just that you dedicate your effort, give your whole self to do one thing, and then another, focused on the present moment, what is right before you. What if we put ourselves in it, fully engaged, committed to completion, without distraction. What if we could actually see only one thing on the list at a time, didn’t forfeit fantastic for finished.
Along the way, we have lost our respect for time and for each other, for sitting and simply being. We have turned the flow into a tidal wave. What we sacrifice by attempting to put so much and so many into the moment, is the actual moment. What we miss out on are valuable pieces of important conversations. We miss the view, we miss the value, we miss the meaning, we miss the opportunity, we miss the lesson, we miss out.
Photography credit: Andrew Chambers Photography (andrew.chambers@live.ca)
BACK to front
May 24th, 2015Anyone who has ever worked on a project, organized an event, or planned a trip, will know what it means to work from the end position, to start with the deadline, working back to the start. It gives you a sense of what is needed in order to achieve the result. It helps you plan how much of your time to devote to the project, each day, week, or month. You can look at the overall timing and at the measures of accomplishment along the way. You can visualize the ‘big picture’ and then break down the project into smaller more manageable chunks, with milestones and success markers along the path; looking long makes it look less overwhelming.
What if we did that with our children? What if we looked down the road twenty years, at the adult destined for greatness, whole and heading out? What if we saw the big picture, a vision of what is possible, and then did everything we could to help them ‘become’. What if we changed how we raised them up?
Having a vision helps keep you on your path, heading in a forward direction. Decision-making is simplified, “if it doesn’t match the vision, then it doesn’t get incorporated into the project.” What if we had a vision for the kind of parent we wanted to be and kind of child we wanted to help raise, it makes sense to me that we could plan for that. With the end in mind, we could focus less on the details, and on what matters more.
We could look past the dirt and the stitches, knowing that the adventurer was already on his path. We could look past the mismatched clothing and odd socks and know the designer was finding her way.
We could help her feel good in her own skin with positive ‘body’ messages, worry less about the outside, and more about the inside, move the mirror and raise the bar.
We could help him become strong and healthy; provide fresh and hand-made food, take him to dance, to hockey, to yoga. We could get out of his way so he could go the distance.
We could help her fear less and live large; avoid apprehension and add a map, do more and have less, help her wonder and wander, clear the path instead of building more walls.
We could help him create more; introduce music and magic, say yes more than no, be open to what he sees, help him believe and share his art. We would mean it when we say, “be whoever you want to be”, even if it’s not what we had in mind.
We could help her stay safe, introduce her to her own voice, the one that hears the message that she can’t ignore, teach her where her strength comes from, how to trust, where to find support.
We could help him be of service, provide opportunities, open doors, find a road less traveled, help him share his gifts with grace. We could help her mediate through madness, share her spirit, find her faith, walk with peace.
If we worked toward helping them get there, we could stay focused on the end game. Worry less about how they look or what others may think. We could understand how they feel and what moves them to be who they are. We could provide the microscope they want instead of the books we think they should read. We could bring a bike home instead of a movie, give them paintbrushes instead of hairbrushes, and know that the video game she is creating moves her mind when she’s in her chair. We could see them for who they are becoming, instead of who we dreamed they might become.
We could help them monitor the progress, face the challenges and track results along the way. We could acknowledge the milestones and celebrate the successes, changing course as needed. Our children could be the designers, and we could help manage the project; let them own their own journey. We could stay true to the vision, offer up resources, tools and support. We could help them face the challenges, and they could solve their own problems.
How about we plan for AMAZING, make it possible to dream, offer up a safe place to land and get out of their way.
Photography credit: Andrew Chambers Photography (andrew.chambers@live.ca)
The times they are a CHANGING
May 18th, 2015No one knows what tomorrow will bring, but you can be fairly certain, it will not look like today. Somewhere it will be different, and if not tomorrow, then next week, or next month. You can count on it, bet money on it, be sure of it; change is coming, and it is coming fast.
We live in a fast-paced world, a world that is spinning, often out of control. People are constantly making a move, leaving home, their jobs, their city, their relationship, their country. Some are checking out, going off the ‘grid’, in a world that is in a constant state of flux. Technology, science, design, farming, music, it’s all progressing, moving ahead. We can no longer ignore what is going on globally, because we are so connected to the news of the day. Wired for witnessing, we cannot help but see and hear all the change that surrounds us. Even if we choose to unplug from the machine, so many others are tuned in, you cannot catch your breath before hearing the next and then the next piece of information, it’s unavoidable.
In many ways, it’s a good thing – disasters happen and before you can charge your phone, the aid relief ‘asks’ are coming and people are responding, faster than ever. We are all part of the human experience, we feel ‘their’ pain as ‘our’ pain and we want to be part of the solution. We are a mobile planet, moving fast and furious and before you know it, there is a remake, a new version of everything; your phone, your cereal, your computer, your favourite classic movie, the app you love, airport security, the time management system you use – new, improved, faster, and necessary. Families break away, people die, whole forests are destroyed, whole cities are brought to the ground, in minutes. It can all be a bit overwhelming.
One of the most important skills we can teach our children is to ‘ADAPT’, to learn the ability to go with the flow, a flow that is forever moving and constantly changing shape, to swim with the tide, not against it. It’s important to not become ‘attached’ to one way of thinking or doing, to what we know or believe, to what seems concrete and immovable today, to what seems certain. As soon as you think you have it figured out, it is different or gone; time does not stand still.
We can teach them to become less accustomed to the status quo and more accustomed to being flexible, to being open, to what comes next, to what we cannot control. We can look at change as a ‘possibility’ an opportunity, something to be at least curious about if not embraced. We can get ‘unstuck’ from how we ‘think it should be’ and open up to what it could be, what it might be? We can lean into change just a little and rather than see it as a positive or a negative, see it simply as change. We can stop trying to figure it out, to analyze it, judge it or overcome it. Rather than be rigid, we can be more fluid, able to change direction, to walk a slightly altered path, to see with more than our eyes, to trust our own compass when we don’t yet have the map.
If we learn to accept and even embrace change, perhaps we can fear less, step more lightly into the next place, take the next turn with less trepidation, feel more confident, less hesitant, worry less and welcome more. In his last days, my father in law told me “resistance is what makes things hard; acceptance paves a path to grace”. So why not try to ease in, get comfortable with the changes and pave the way, wade in and ride the wave, rather than swim upstream. We can wander along with it rather than be run over by it. It can be a gentle rolling hill instead of a mountain that needs scaling. Soften the edges around what feels hard about change and if you can’t open the door, at least crack open the window, at the very least, open the curtains.
The bottom line is whether you are ready or not, willing or not, able or not, prepared or not, change is coming. We so often fear what we don’t know or understand. Ask more questions, get more informed – understanding breeds wisdom. If what you don’t know or understand scares you, find out more. If you don’t like what you see, change the lens through which you view it. And in the end, once you have gathered what you know, if you are convinced that this change is not for you, if ultimately you cannot accept or adapt to the change coming your way, then make your own change, or as Gandhi said “be the change you wish to see in the world.” Rise up, turn the tide, champion your own revolution, transform what is coming, move it in another direction. Nothing remains static; our lives are alive, large and looming. Change or be changed. Discover what works for you and yours, and find a way to teach your children the truth – that nothing is certain except this PRESENT moment; everything else can and will change.
Photo credit: Andrew Chambers Photography (andrew.chambers@live.ca)
We are all MOTHERS
May 10th, 2015All women are mothers; not all give birth, not all are able, not all want to. Some have not seen their own child in years, some have lost them, some are searching, and some have said goodbye. Some have healed, some have moved on, some have left this lifetime, some live in hope, all are mothers.
Being a woman, means you are a mother. We are connected to the planet, to the air and the ocean, to the land and the living, like no other. We are born with hearts that are open, with a hardwired sense of nurture, whether it is giving birth or giving love, providing a hand or providing a home. We read stories, we share time and space, and we participate in the ‘mothering’ of all. We call out to them when we see danger, we share food when they are hungry, dress their wounds and heal their hearts. We include them in our lives, in our space, in our memories. We cannot pass a child, without smiling at those who are happy, without aching for those who are sad; we wish them well when they are ailing, and feel their pain as though our own.
We are all raising children. We may not share their name, their home, or their story, but we are all a part of the planet’s young. We have cleared a path so they can walk, we have shone a light so they can see, we have held them close, if only in our thoughts. It makes no difference to us, how or why they are, whether they are ours through blood or through belonging, through circumstance, or happenstance. We are all connected to Mother earth and to our Earth mothers. Our presence on the planet is a gift and I for one am grateful, to a global village of women for making a difference in the lives of all children; for those who have raised them and those who have raised them up.
OPEN Door Policy
April 30th, 2015In the 80’s in corporate Toronto, the company I worked for introduced a strategy that would allow the management team to engage more with our staff; we were encouraged to adopt ‘an open door’ policy. It was believed that by opening the doors to our offices, we were indeed opening up the lines of communication, encouraging people to come in through those doors, to participate in conversation, share ideas, and to feel more connected. For me, this was an easy one… I had staff that reported to me, but no office and no door, and I worked in a cubicle that was open to all, so anyone and everyone could wander in and I welcomed their visit.
Life has not changed much for me, at least, in terms of the door. I left the corporate world behind a very long time ago, and my home is now my office, but my ‘open door’ policy has never changed. In fact, my door has at times, not only been open, it’s been off its hinges. I do however, recognize, that there are times when we must keep our door, not only closed, but locked. We rely on our space to be a ‘safe place to land’ and that safety comes with the ability to shut others out and to find a way to stay within our own walls and our own psyche, so that we can survive, regroup, relax, turn off, or even heal. But for all those other times, when we are feeling strong and safe, and we have the room to let others in, I would encourage you to open the door, and to open it wide.
We have been receiving invited guests, neighbours, travelers, students, loved ones, and even a few strangers into our home and our hearts, for as long as I can remember. Over the years, we have opened our arms and welcomed many to our table, to lay down their head, and to celebrate with us. And while our visitors have relayed the benefits to us, I would argue that our harvest has been so much greater.
By opening our doors along with our hearts and our minds, we have enjoyed so many wonderful conversations and shared stories and been able to learn and grow from our connections to ‘community’. These times have helped us widen our perspective and experience new viewpoints and we have learned so much and so ‘different’ by leaning into what others have to say. Holding time and space with others has heightened our sense of belonging, our trust in what it is to be human and our understanding that we are all in this together, no one is ever really alone, and we are not so very different. It has increased our awareness of the lives that others lead, of the goodness there is in gathering, and we have been part of the most personal and private of times, loaning shoulders and hammocks as needed.
While I have enjoyed everything about keeping our door open, what has been the best part for me is the love that has floated through our space, has landed in our laps, and has stayed long past the visit. So while I understand and appreciate what it is to have time alone, to have private space, and to enjoy your solitude, I would encourage you to invite others in, and to remain ‘open’ to the possibility and to know that we are absolutely connected to each and every person, inside and outside of these walls.
Photography credit: Andrew Chambers Photography (andrew.chambers@live.ca)
Cause for CELEBRATION
April 12th, 2015Let us face it; most of us are living an ordinary life. We are born, we die, and in between, we live… a fairly ordinary life.
We grow up; go to school, work, and rest. We have relationships, pay bills, travel, share meals, make money, handle hardships, play, travel, endure tragedy, learn, and grow old. Our journeys and circumstances are all somewhat different; some see more joy, more blessings, more happiness while others find more tragedy, fight harder battles, endure more heartache. In a few short years, less than one hundred, it’s all over and we are gone from this lifetime.
One of the antidotes to living an ordinary life is in creating extraordinary moments, in ‘celebration’. I believe it is essential, should happen often and be shared with many. I am not talking about being joyful, or being present, or enjoying time spent alone, these are also important. I am talking about sharing food, space, music, love, and memories – with others. And I don’t just mean the big stuff, we are all good at celebrating the big stuff; birth, graduation, birthdays, anniversaries, a new house, holidays, a new job, new baby, and a life well lived. I am talking about all the things that happen on the other days, before and after the big stuff. Celebrating takes you out of the mundane and the everyday and turns your focus and your attention to what is good, what is joyful and often, what is fleeting and important.
In Scotland, a ‘Ceilidh’ is a traditional Gaelic social gathering that includes Scottish folk music, singing, traditional dancing, and storytelling. It is a celebration and a source of joy and to this day, folks can be found near and far, ‘having a ceilidh’ whenever there is something to celebrate – we chose this same name for our daughter, to celebrate her birth and our love. We spend much of our days doing what we must, in order to feed and care for others, to provide what is essential and often material, to our existence. We are ‘busy’ being human doings, and checking off the boxes on ‘to do’ lists, and trying valiantly to ‘get it all done’. Spend some time with those who are dying, and ask them what matters, how they would spend their time over again, and you will find out what I did; that what matters is the people; being with them, spending time together, and making memories.
So, how about adding this to your ‘to do’ list’, find something to celebrate! There are so many things to celebrate – a new haircut, garden’s first harvest, the tide coming in, the sun rising, Spring, learning a new skill, a great recipe, a new song on the guitar, seeing an old friend, completing the renovation, helping someone out, meeting a new neighbour, finishing a course, catching a fish, building a fence , mastering a dance move, running a personal best, finally finishing the laundry, finding a new flavor of ice cream, cleaning out the garage, renewing your passport, completing your taxes, watching a child’s first steps, being cancer free, finding peace.
Start planning your next celebration…..if not now, WHEN?
Photography credit: Andrew Chambers Photography (andrew.chambers@live.ca)
