When life changes — for whatever reason — there are things, people and even capabilities we are forced to release; there are life choices we no longer have to make (even when we wished we could!). Sometimes these changes are viewed with despair as change challenges us to live in a different way.

Consider your answers to the following questions: How do you respond to change? How do you respond to changes in the lives of people close to you?

Some folks don't even want to be around change ... Even if said change only effects them via a friendship or family relationship.

Change is inevitable. What you do with the opportunity of change is up to you. So my challenge for you — amid your ever-changing life and the changes in the world around you — is to consider your answers to these questions: Who will you be today? Tomorrow? Next week? Next years? And — are you willing to take ACTions which will pave the road, which will take you to who you will be?

Change is a process. Who will you be?

Tonight the Pesach (Passover) Seder — a Jewish ritual feast — will be hosted in countless homes around the world. I have been blessed to attend this insightful feast which simultaneously takes pause, teaches and celebrates The Exodus.

And this day shall become a memorial for you, and you shall observe it as a festival for the L-RD, for your generations, as an eternal decree shall you observe it. For seven days you shall eat unleavened bread, but on the first day you shall remove the leaven from your homes ... you shall guard the unleavened bread, because on this very day I will take you out of the land of Egypt; you shall observe this day for your generations as an eternal decree. - Exodus 12:14-17

And if your son asks you in the future, saying, What are the testimonies, and the statutes, and the judgments, that the L-RD our G-d commanded you? You will say to your son, We were slaves to Pharaoh in Egypt; and the L-RD brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand. The L-RD gave signs and wonders, great and harmful, against Egypt, against Pharaoh, and against all his household, before our eyes: And he brought us out of there to bring us in, to give us the land that he promised our fathers. -Deuteronomy 6:20-23

More about Pesach Seder.

Baby Boom (1987) with Diane Keaton gifted me with an aha!-moment which served as inspiration to embrace my dream of melding motherhood and career. The year of 1987 was pivotal for me regarding my career. Seeing Keaton's character make the choices she was forced to make in the midst of the realities she faced (complete with: instant motherhood, break-up with significant other, career change and moving from major city to rural America to live in an old farm house and ultimately meeting some really fine folks as she builds her own baby food company) while remaining "real" and strong — complete inspiration!

Remaining real for me is an essential element of anyone I lend my attention to. The movie itself was a tad hooky — but movies are supposed to be a reality escape! Right? Keaton's character was real: A decisive business woman complete with well-toned management skills, style, killer instincts — and the occasional emotional rollercoaster ride!

There is a moment during which she must choose to return to the high-powered corporate job (which she was forced to leave upon becoming the adoptive mother of an infant) or continue becoming the proverbial captain of her own ship! You will have to watch the movie to discover her choice ... ;-)

Oddly enough, I went on to live a parallel experience beginning in 1990. I have watched the movie countless times during my own adventure — which continues to prove inspiring!

I am in the process of simplify my writing schedule as well as the other tasks of my days. It is a process — definitely a process! And I don't do "process" well as I my management style is one of "gitter-done" — and do it now! 

It is both a blessing and a curse to work for oneself. Both realities require a delicate balance of patience and grace to garnish discipline and tenacity.

If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer. Let him step to the music he hears, however measured or far away. —Thoreau

Inspiration does exist, but it must find you working. —Picasso

I listened. I put aside my scheduled tasks and simply listened to a friend discuss her concerns regarding her adult daughter. Then, I invited her to dinner so we could share a good meal and more gifts of presence with one another. Afterward, we took a walk and bid one another farewell after a blessed evening of laughter and joy — of genuine friendship; a gentle and healing conclusion to an afternoon of tears and prayer and ... listening.

At least half my age!! As my life is transitioning into new horizons, I would say, middle twenties: strong, newly educated and the rest of life to explore and embrace! Age is merely a state of mind; so — despite the physical realities of "after cancer" for me and other miscellaneous realities — I am strong, in will and spirit; newly educated, regarding the power of joy and the gifts of maturity; and ... I have the rest of my life to dance in sun! I will explore and embrace each and every moment — letting go of what is behind and pressing on toward the goal (Philippians 3:13-15). I am ageless! \o/

My little "grrl" ... She is a Bichon Frise and my constant companion.

Nothing. The only time I truly experienced fear was facing my first chemotherapy treatment. After facing an intravenous injection of toxic fluid, which was formulated to kill cancer cells produced by the most deadly women's cancer — I fear nothing. That reality empowered me to draw my proverbial line in the sand. Absolutely nothing can pass the line now.

Fear, initially, is a harmless seed: living; contained by a hard, outer covering. It is first presented as a thought; the thought could be triggered by actual danger or an emotion.

What happens after that determines if fear will sprout, take root and produce its fruit: moments (days, weeks and longer) of debilitating, panic-inducing, frightful confusion via the flood of adrenaline and racing thoughts of worst-case scenarios blazing — screaming  — through one's mind.

Yet — at any time — fear can be plucked and uprooted. Thus, ceasing to grow (and ultimately producing more seeds which will sprout, take root and produce fruit ...)

Nip fear in the bud. Cast down imaginations which only promise to cultivate the fear-seed. When a situation presents the fear-seed, choose to utilize the adrenaline rush and hyper-focus to grow seeds of your choice; keep fear contained.

"You must do the thing which you think you cannot do." Eleanor Roosevelt
1 John 4:18

In this moment: Hope by Emily Dickinson. As I read today's newspaper during my lunch break, the image of  "Hope is the thing with feathers..." by Jerrod Smith caught my eye. The drawing depicts wings on the back of real (read: she has hips) woman; and inspired me to reread Emily Dickinson's poem, Hope: Hope is the thing with feathers / That perches in the soul, / And sings the tune--without the words, / And never stops at all ...

Living with chronic pain and the adventures of coping and making adjustments demanded by it (and the countless words of well-meaning (?) "advice" of others — like the person I met this morning ::sigh::) — includes its share of days like today: Cloudy, misty ones when the Light of Hope seems so far, far away.

The image by Jerrod Smith, which led me to the words of Dickinson, and the ponderance of the liberty I have to live my life, make my choices — and dance and cry and sigh if I want to (!) empowers me — refuels my mental engine so as to lift this mere mortal body back to today's tasks of my dream job and theoutrageous joy of the moment — this moment — which, like the bird's tune, never stops at all!

~Psalm 28:7

There are moments in my life when I slowing drift from shore in an intuitive sail amidst gentle waves rocking, rocking, rocking ... Resting on the water, looking skyward and then to the horizon line. There is motion without movement or effort; there is ease of mind and spirit. Fueled and ready — the possibilities for new discoveries are without limit!

I am there. Today. ;-)

My ability to "glitter"! As described to me as a treasured friend, who told me I was her "glitter" and that I added glitter to my world ... This announcement was made during a time in my life when I didn't feel very "glittery" and served to remind me of the something-inside-me which always finds the "good" — the benefit — of every situation. Thus, I glittered-on through that time (a mere one-year ago!) and continue to look for the often tiny sparkles and bits of light in each day.

Even when it is pitch black in the dead of the proverbial night, there are stars shining in the darkness. One simply must choose to look for them — and be content to know these brilliant masses are there — when the ability to see is compromised by the tears of the immediate.

Tenacity. I am tenacious! And, as I sit here taking a break from my gardening and yard work ... I simply decided I care enough about my self — and the unique attributes I posses — to post twice today ... I have never been very conventional anyway.

If I was (conventional) and had I listened to the counsel of the traditional medical community, I would be sitting here in a wheelchair. And I decided that if I could overcome the challenges thus far in my life — I simply would not, could not bid farewell to movement! I just keep moving; I do move slower and with more pain than I would elect — given the choice — BUT I am moving!

I am not in a wheelchair, nor do I require the walker I once used. Instead I am perched on my ergonomic chair, doing my ankle stretches and toe raises as I recharge. After I recharge during this little break, it is back to the scarlet-red begonias which await planting in the newly cleared shade garden.

Cheers!

We can't. The message consumers send when they spend record amounts of time and money lined up at fast-food restaurants and shopping the prepackaged (chemical-laden) food aisles while demanding low prices over nutrition, or food quality and fair wages: Wellness (on any level—personal or environment) is not my priority!

If we are not willing to invest the time in nutritional food preparation and consumption, we can claim all we want that we care about the planet. No one will believe us. And why would they? And why would we even expect the management and stockholders of a corporation to do what we will not with the most vital and "profit-potential" resource we have to manage and invest in?

Questions regarding taking care of God's Creation, conservation, etc. are certainly excellent points to ponder. However, to "grow a greener marketplace" we must commit to wellness for ourselves, our children and our homes (i.e. cleaning products, lawn and garden chemicals — too much stuff — the plague of conspicuous consumption, etc.).

Wanna grow a greener marketplace? Stock your kitchen with locally grown vegetables and fruits, bake whole grain breads and cookies, eat meat that is not laced with chemicals, enjoy eggs from hens who strut under the sun, and drink purified water. You will simply be amazed how much better you feel and good food can actually taste! :-)

Sound impossible? Even ridiculous? Then simply start by choosing packaged foods with less than three ingredients or certainly only ingredients you can pronounce.

Heck, give up anything with corn syrup (the key ingredient used to cut "food" production costs and the ingredient that ensures a continued increase of heart disease and Type 2 diabetes, thus ensuring increases to the already obscene profit margins for drug companies ...).

Have a great (and reduced chemical) day! Find a farmer's market this weekend and enjoy the taste of "real food" (and enjoy the idea that you are contributing to a "greener marketplace").

Believe God for Grace. And realize that anything is possible — even when the evidence states otherwise. I temporary lost my joy and creativity due to crippling pain. I was told this progressive and chronic pain would ultimately mean I would be wheelchair-bound. However, four years later, I am not.

Had that occurred, I know there would have been Grace to thrive — just as there was when I was faced with that news.

It becomes a matter of seeing each day as a gift and making the decision to live it (as opposed to killing it ...) by doing what you can do and gently letting go of what you cannot do for that moment (hour, day, week ...). And that is a process.