Photo by Dennis Buchner on Unsplash

When I was a teen, I got spring fever every year. As the snow melted, and the sun warmed, I had an urge to just run – somewhere, anywhere that was new, that was not ”here”.

I think that traditionally, we tend to think of newness, the fresh growing green grass, the flowers bursting through the soil, as a beginning.

But, really, any season can mean a new start. Not even a season, but the dawning of a new day.

In fall, as the leaves change color, the sun rises later and sets earlier, as the temperatures cool,  we may look towards the long and cold winter ahead – depending on where you live of course!

But that time can be a fresh start too. While there isn’t any new growth in nature, there is change. Changes to all of our surroundings.

And change should be what moves us forward, into the future, the next day, the next month, the next season.

Squirrels gather acorns for winter, and we can too!

Save up your happiest memories of spring and suummer, and make more good memories today and everyday!

Every season, like every person, has something to offer.

Be open to what can be.

Photo by Prahalad Sanjeev Varma on Unsplash

Image by Pexels from Pixabay

As I grow older – do we ever say, ”I am old” or is that a place we are always moving toward?

My sister, at age 86, took exception when I described her as ”elderly”!

There is a poem that I like, https://www.poetrynook.com/poem/song-246

Song

by Florence Smith

HOW PLEASANT it is that always
There’s somebody older than you—
Someone to pet and caress you,
Someone to scold you, too!

Someone to call you a baby,
To laugh at you when you’re wise;
Someone to care when you’re sorry,
To kiss the tears from your eyes;

When life has begun to be weary,
And youth to melt like the dew,
To know, like the little children
Somebody’s older than you.

The path cannot be so lonely,
For someone has trod it before;
The golden gates are the nearer,
That someone stands at the door.

I can think of nothing sadder
Than to feel, when days are few,
There’s nobody left to lean on,
Nobody older than you!

The younger ones may be tender
To the feeble steps and slow;
But they can’t talk the old times over—
Alas, how should they know!

‘Tis a romance to them—a wonder
You were ever a child at play;
But the dear ones waiting in heaven
Know it is all as you say.

I know that the great All-Father
Loves us, and the little ones too;
Keep only childlike-hearted—
Heaven is older than you!

Confused as to where this post is heading? Ha ha. So am I!

I suppose what I really want to say is that as we grow older, I think that most of us tend to become a little more accepting of others – of our differences and the things that we used to vehemently disagree about don’t matter so much.

I like to believe that as we move towards aging and the loss of our faculties -because for many of us it does happen, and stop trying to pretend it isn’t so – we also become less likely to judge others and to find fault.

I chose the photos of lily pads for a reason. As a child, of four or five, I lived in a beautiful and remote part of northern British Columbia, Canada. The farm where I lived had a pond complete with lily pads and frogs.

In those days, I had no idea that people could be cruel, uncaring, or prejudiced. I spend hours at that pond, catching tiny toads, and listening to the frogs and the birds.

The few kids and adults who came and saw that pond liked it. There was never a hint that I might learn about loneliness or hate then.

Perhaps we all have a special place, or at least a special memory of a time, or a person or a place, that made us happy.

As I grow older, I think of that place, and today, all this time past, it makes me happy.

If you feel depressed, or alone, misunderstood, try to think of that place – yes, to risk being trite – of your ”happy place” because so many of us do have them.

If you lack such a special place, take my memories of that beautiful, quiet secluded pond, and make it your own.

Listen to the sounds of the birds chirping in the trees. Hear the croaks of the frogs as they hop from one lily pad to another. Hear the gentle lapping of the nearly still water. Smell the water. There is no algae here, just the soft scent of water and the forest.

There is a fate that awaits us all, hopefully not too soon for most.

But we need our memories and our happy times to get through the years.

Serenity….the hidden pond in an otherwise hectic and often sad world.

It was fifty years ago – how can it be that long ago? Sometimes it seems like a lifetime away, and sometimes it seems like only yesterday – I met a boy. I had a crush on Paul McCartney at the time.

But when I saw B-, all thoughts of Paul faded away. B- had grey eyes, a startling color and curly dark hair. He wore grey cord pants. I fell in love, at first sight.

We – my friend and I – were on our way to British Columbia, and our stop in the city of Calgary was accidental.

Meeting him was an accident too. We had taken a wrong turn, and our trip to B.C. was postponed.

We spent the night listening to the radio, and talked and talked. He was funny and happy and I fell in love. Well, as in love as a naive sheltered girl can be.

When my friend and I left the next day, to carry on to B.C., I didn’t want to go!

But fate and necessity carried us on.

I have often wondered what happened to B-.

What was his life like? Did he become an airline pilot, as he dreamed? He was handsome enough to be an actor.

I would not want to see him now, I don’t think. I would not want him to know how my life turned out, shortly after I left. He had spoken of all the wonderful things he imagined for me!

I want to remember him as he was back then. Young and truly beautiful. I know that it is unusual to speak of a man or boy as ”beautiful” but oh my! he was!

I don’t want to think that he is old, like me. I don’t want to believe that he is bald, with a paunch and lost dreams.

I want to remember him – to remember us – as young and idealistic, with our lives before us.

We can’t ever go back, and that is probably for the best.

If you are younger than I am, please take away from this, that I wish you all the dreams and happiness and experiences that your heart can hold.

Treasure each moment, because those moments never come again.

Yesterday

Out of the past to the present

Comes a sad sweet song from afar.

Back from a world of yesterdays,

Down from a blue white star.

It comes across the ages.

Oh! Hark my soul and be still.

Back from the days of long ago,

A voice floating down from the hill.

All the world is in the throes of coronavirus right now.

We have had to withdraw from the world in many ways – from the workplace, from shopping malls, and from friends and family members.

I know that it is hard for many of you. I understand that.

As an introvert, and a widow, I cannot say that my life has changed all that much – some, but not completely.

I plan to offer some suggestions of things that you can do, to alleviate stress and boredom in the next post.

For now, though, I want to remind you of the blessings of having to be at home.

You don’t have to get dressed in the morning! You don’t need to put on make up and face another day, of presenting a front to others, in order to get through the day.

You may have children at home, and yes, they do require time and lots of energy – but don’t expect that you have to fill every minute of the day with activity. Let them be! Whether they play with toys, watch some TV or use a computer or game machine, let them be kids.

You can take the time to make a dinner. Whether you are an experienced cook, or not, you can find plenty of recipes online and create foods that the family will love. Maybe not everyday – but sometimes.

If you are part of a couple – you have time now, to really get to know each other. Share your hopes and your dreams. Watch a movie together.

And – if you feel hemmed in, claustrophobic, want to just have life again the way it used to be – think of this –

You are helping to save lives. You are helping our health care workers. Do your part.

Finally, it could be WORSE.

The photos at the top of this page are from the area west of Innisfail, Alberta, Canada.

Those buildings are on land where my mother, born in 1914, grew up.

The significance of this is that when she was four years old, there was a pandemic. It became known as the Spanish flu.

”… Lasting from January 1918 to December 1920, it infected 500 million people – about a quarter of the world’s population at the time….The death toll is estimated to have been anywhere from 17 million… to 50 million, and possibly as high as 100 million, making it one of the deadliest pandemics in human history”… https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spanish_flu

Just think of this: when she was four years old, with an older sister and two younger sisters, she and her Finnish mother and Danish father were cut off from everything while living on this farm.

There was no internet. No telephone. No television. Not even a radio. No electricity. No running water.

The nearest neighbour was perhaps a mile away.

They survived.

We will too.

Looks like someone could be drowning. Maybe not. Might just be swimming. Hard to say. Don’t really know.

Thing is, there might be a lifeguard somewhere, just out of this scene. He/she might be, even now, swimming towards this person, to rescue them. Maybe. Maybe not.

Today, each of us has an opportunity to be a lifeguard. Oh, not in the usual way. I don’t mean that we can all go to a beach somewhere and save lives.

Instead, we can *stay home*. Either, in some countries, right this minute, because we aren’t allowed to go anywhere else, or because we are encouraged to stay at home.

Away from crowds, away from other people – six feet – 2 meters – apart.

You don’t want to be the water that drowns someone, now do you?

Of course you don’t.

For that reason, you and everybody else, is going to listen to the leaders, to the news on television and do what is best for the neighbourhood, for the country – for others in this world. You will do it for the front line workers. Medical staff, truckers bringing our necessary supplies, postal workers delivering our mail and packages, food service and delivery people.

For the elderly, for those at risk due to health issues, for the vulnerable among us.

All of them.

Because we live in a society that tells us we matter. Not just each of us as individuals, but as part of a community, part of the earth.

Let’s each do our part to keep everyone safe.