Like it Not, Ready or Not-It Will Probably Come

This past Sunday the pastor at my church used the like it or not phrase as part of his sermon message. He shared that like many of us, as a child his mother frequently forced him to eat things that he didn't like. His dislike of certain vegetables is not unlike mine as a girl. I didn't like peas (still will not eat unless they are mixed up in something) and a few other's that I have since if doctored a bit I will eat now.

Like anything in life if we see something coming or it lands on us unexpectedly most of us truly are usually unprepared for what might happen. Fighting tooth and nail on some such situations still is part of my DNA and the older I get the more difficult it sometimes becomes to pull myself out in hopes that calm is just around the corner.

Mother Nature has packed several punches this season, equipment breakdowns have kicked our butts big time, routine situations in the first six months of the year await outcomes that you never truly know until the very last minute if they will be in your favor or not. Deadlines loom that sometimes we are not ready for not only in business and pleasure. I have said for many years, from November until June with the holidays and the beginning of the year funk, a small window of opportunity of pleasure times is so short its unfair. Some situations are just completely out of your hands.

Ready or not here it comes. Every time I hear this I think of when I was little and we would play hid and seek.  A wonderful game played either in good weather or bad, in the house or outside. Yes, those of us who are "OLD" played outdoor games and were not tied to the TV or video games like kids of today. Some of my favorite places playing it indoors was the laundry basket, under my bed, or way back in the closet underneath just about everything (this is when being really small is at your advantage). Of course giggling always put me out of the game or being sniffed out by our pet dogs, those minutes of fun were and still are terrific memories.

Some things in life you learn to appreciate, tolerate and yes even like. Vegetables or other such basic things are much easier than life struggles. The pastors' point in the use of this was obviously the biblical sense. The past several months I admit I have looked to the higher power to guide me, give me strength. No hiding, just seeking a sign or word was enough for me to bring myself into the light of a better day and count the days until the sunshine will put a much better "liking" too life situations.

I am ready and it will be coming soon.

February-Out Like A Lion, March In Like a Lamb

Whatever the saying is I think I may have changed it up a bit. Believe me it was necessary considering  how disastrous February was for me and for others around me. If it wasn't the two feet plus of snow we received, being stuck indoors for a week, truck being down for two weeks with repairs AGAIN, and two many other things to even want to bring up again, basically I have felt all month that I have been skating on very thin ice.

Praying, trying to repeat to yourself over and over again things will get better, rubbing the worry stone (I really need to pick one of those up the next time I see one), you begin to run out of ways to try and keep your blood pressure down.

Everyone these days has at least one problem or issue. If you say you don't you are probably in complete denial or one of those happy go lucky people (gee, I wish I could trade in my Type A personality for the alternative).

Some people refer to Facebook rants or shares, I often write in haste and then hit the delete button just as quickly, TMI sometimes you just need to push yourself away from the keyboard.

One situation this month put everything into perspective a little on how maybe we are moving to fast and need to take a step back and go back to the good old days.

I drew straws to deliver Meals on Wheels one week this month and everyday my last delivery was to a sweet little 90 year old lady in a trailer park. She lives alone, in a little old trailer and is always very nice and appreciative of her meal and newspaper everyday. I know she lives in a park that has been bought by a business that will be clearing the area for their expanding business. My curiosity got the better of me on the last day because I know soon she will be moving away. I asked her if she had made plans yet to move to another site. She stated no she hadn't as of yet but that she still had some time in which too move (11 months). She said that she had faith in God that she would find a place. Unfortunately, she had found out after coming back from being in the hospital after breaking a hip that the park had been sold and that she would have to move. She said she hated to leave the trailer that her and her late husband had bought the trailer brand new in 1982 and that they both had lived there together until he passed away several years ago. Because of the trailers age she probably would not be able to have it moved, so at 90 she will literally have to uproot herself somewhere else.

So as we move into March, I take a deep breath close my eyes and look forward to the sun melting the snow still outside my window,  and click my feet together like Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz and say it will get better, it will get better. 18 days until Spring. The countdown begins.