Neighbors in Perspective

I have wonderful neighbors.  I’m not just saying that, I have the best neighbors.  They are kind, caring, and help to look out for each other, and us.  And, we in return get to help and look out for them.  I hopped on facebook this morning, just part of my normal morning routine, to check in on some virtual neighbors.  Two happily celebrated anniversaries, one birthday, and a heartfelt prayer request later, I want to celebrate the happy news of those who have shared their pictures and joys and pray for peace and comfort for those grieving. 

Neighbors are so much more than the people living in the house to the either side of us, or an electronic “friends” list.  They are people who when we reach out and get to know a bit, become a neighborhood.   A neighborhood that works to remain solidly in support of each other becomes a community.  Cities made of communities are going to function better.  They are more peaceful, cohesive, and are able to do more for each other and neighboring communities.

How do we get there?  We start taking care to keep our neighbors in our perspective.  It doesn’t have to be anything terribly complex.  Simply keep it in mind enough to think through possible needs.  If there is a heavy snow, catch them with a happy surprise by snow blowing the driveway just because.  If there is an illness, grab a meal and drop it off.  Extra produce from the garden that cannot be eaten, drop off a bag of the fresh goodies just because.  Meet at the fence, laugh and talk over those daily neighborhood things – the children jumping on the trampoline, the dog in the yard, the gardens, and the weather. 

Nothing too difficult.  Nothing that requires a committee or a huge plan.  Just keep the perspective wide enough to include the neighbors.  It can make your perspective grow tremendously.  

Birthday Countdown

   My thirty-second birthday is just days away.  While that in and of itself is hard to believe, it is even harder to believe that I will be having knee surgery the day after.  But, with thirty one birthdays that have come and gone, with another one just round the bend, I have been thinking about my past birthdays.  We moved a lot when I was a kid.  No, I wasn’t a military brat, but a corporate one instead.  We moved with my dad’s job, taking us from places in Ohio to Kentucky to Florida to Ohio to Iowa.  I laugh now as I think of how many of the places I was completely unaware of their existence, let alone the people in them.  Now, I think of birthdays that were celebrated along the way.  I would imagine that some of the birthday celebrations would look a little quiet to those on the outside.  But, moving so much, the family bond has strengthened and those quiet family dinners, complete with cake and song, are precious to me. 

   Now, with this new birthday approaching, I have been bouncing back and forth between trying to decide what treat to take to work (chocolate or savory), and how to prepare for surgery.  The reaction most people have when they hear about one following the other, is a look like what are you thinking about combined with an unspoken, “really?”.  Yes – really! 

   So, with all of that this is my thought about that.  A new year is about to begin.  And, I can’t know what will come.  However, I am trying to look at it as an auspicious beginning to this year, as the beginning of knee health.  It’s a bit nerve wracking because we don’t really know what is wrong the knee.  Nothing on x-ray or MRI, just a persistent pain, that has kept me stuck and missing out on doing activities.  All of that leads me to my hope that this will be a year that is soon full of long walks, hikes, and being able to walk more than a block. 

   I still don’t know what I will take to work Thursday – gooey dessert or vegetables…  

Birthday Celebrations - Capturing Moments

   For some when they are stressed, they want exercise or a drink or shopping… I want chocolate, good chocolate.  And I want good chocolate when I’m hurting or tired or happy – or just in general… Yeah, what can I say, I like chocolate.  Birthdays are an excellent time to bring out the chocolate.  So, with a chocolate cake, and a blend of chocolate and vanilla ice cream, we celebrated my mom’s birthday.  Birthdays are wonderful things, even knowing that some pretend to be a younger age or a certain age and holding that.  But, they are a celebration of what was and a moment to consider what can or will be.  I have my own birthday coming up later this month.  And as those numbers add up, I want to celebrate each one. 

   I had a chance this last week to celebrate a birthday of a darling girl who turned eight.  Missing a lot of family birthday parties over my life due to living away, these times are extra special to me.  There were sounds of laughter, teasing of cousins, car sounds from little boys, and giggles from the little girls.  Three sisters moved through the room, with a special bond, even as others they loved were there celebrating with them.   I imagine that these three women have celebrated many birthdays together, complete with various forms of gifts, games, and foods.  Family moments are really so precious, even with families being messy things and made up of imperfect people.  But, in this time there was a celebration of this little girl and the joy of her life. 

   What a precious thing it is to stop and celebrate.  Life gets so busy that we can forget to celebrate the momentous passing times, and it can help to have these little stops sort of pre-built into our schedules.  Because the momentous times are often only lasting a moment and then it is gone and has moved on.  Grab the candles, the cupcakes, balloons, and your best singing voice; find the moment and celebrate it!

Catching Up - Part I

  I have started writing a blog over the last few weeks and found myself stuck, not because I have ran out of things to say (but because I have been doing a lot of writing at work and my brain seems to want to be in neutral at home).  So, let me recap….

   There was Memorial Day – wonderful sleeping in day!  I love a sale as much as the next person, but that day is really not about sales for me.  I have had many people in my family that have served in the military.  And, it is a day that I remember not only those who served or are serving, but also those who are left behind and serve at home.  The mothers, wives, and children who waited at home for the letters from far off battle field held it all together until the family was joined again. 

   It was graduation weekend too – with parties and ceremonies and a combination of memories remembered and new ones made.  There are a few kids saying bye-bye to high school and hello to the new adventure of college.  Of course, it brought back memories of my own high school graduation.  We held our ceremony outside, and the memories of that day and the celebration came rolling back.

   A birthday girl turned 8 years old!  And I had such fun helping to celebrate that with her.  She is growing up so beautifully, inside and out.  I have spent the majority of my growing up away from family, so I have missed many birthday parties.  It is so much fun to participate in these family parties with special friends. 

There was more, but it will have to wait for another day – my mind is tired and my eyes say it is time to ditch the contacts and go to sleep.  

Grow Up

A fan of Disney movies, Peter Pan is right up there, especially the one with Robin Williams. They are flying all around, a then a great food fight. Or the song, Young at Heart, crooned by Frank Sinatra, those words are wonderful as well.

I just celebrated my birthday. Birthdays really don’t bother me. The only one that really has is 25, because it was a quarter of a century mark – which led to a few minutes of thinking. But, all in all – they really don’t bother me. I did receive the inevitable question several times though, “What are you going to be when you grow up?” I have to grow up?
No, not the Peter Pan type of staying away from growing up, where the actions and thoughts are childish, I don’t really want that. I think it’s more about being Young at Heart. Let me take the lessons learned, continue to dream, and still hold joy in my life – young at heart! Now that really doesn’t answer the question though. Let’s see, I want to be a friend, a woman, a Christ follower, a daughter, a cousin. I want to be accomplished in my profession, I want to be an author, an artist, a philosopher. I want to be someone who has the nerve to explore and the wisdom to know how to do that. I want to be a help, a leader, and a source of inspiration. I want to be creative, analytical, and independently dependent. I want to teach and to learn. I can’t grow up right away – I have a long list of things to do along the way!