Tag: love

dare to be different

Stripped

2chicksandapen

Have you ever thought about stripping your life down to the basics? Wiping away the comforts of this or that and replacing those with wonder and curiosity? I didn’t really think about this per se but I made a plan and took action and the reality is I was stripped. 

I wasn’t stripped naked as in bare skinned. I was less full of the extra fluff in life. Down to the bare minimum allowing myself to immerse in new surroundings. I spent some time in nature. I enjoyed deer up close and to show how close I snapped a pic of their doo doo. Yes I’m that weird. I listened to sounds. Sometimes just the quiet of the day or the night. The peaceful air when stripped lets you reflect a little differently. No TV blaring. No dogs barking. No kids demanding attention. I even met some nice new people but I also met some folks that were not as nice. The latter being a great view of people weighed down in life. 

Peeling back the onion on people. How an environment can cause somebody to be bitter or how life can just make a person salty for this reason or that reason. At the end of the day I choose my reaction to those that may be in their salty stage of life! I can choose to greet them with the mirrored version of themselves or I can sprinkle a little pixie dust on their day in hopes they may see light vs darkness in the rest of their day.

I had no idea how wild the feelings would be. A fresh slate to paint awaits. My four walls became an amazing canvas to paint my life sparkles on. No real boundaries. It like going off to college for the first time to experience life yet I have all the life experiences to apply to my new found canvas. Interesting and odd at the same time. Stripped is the new state I encourage for all those in the almost golden era. A new kind of naked. Some may fear the boldness associated with stripping but I embrace it in a full Monty kind of fashion.

A shift. A little distance. An awakening. A reset of the mind, the body and the soul. A feeling of thankfulness floats in the air. A rumble in the tummy indicates the hunger to see all that’s new and near. The jolt of energy that sparks the day knowing today is a new day full of what’s surprises lurking around the corner for me.

This rambling is about a life shift. A transition of living for my kids and what’s best for them to the collective space for me to start living those golden years before I am too old to embrace the wonder of today. I’m choosing to make those memories now to fill my memory bank for the days that I am forced to live viewing what’s in the rearview. That day may come, but until then I’m chasing what’s ahead vs dwelling on what’s behind.

Don’t let today pass you by. Try the new foods. Make the new friends. Join that club that stretches your comfort zone. Undo your comfort zone. Get naked in life! Be extraordinary. We have one life in front of us. We can make it an adventure or we can make it a carousel that just spins round and round.

Off to see what’s on today’s horizon.

perspective

Good Bye 2023

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What a year. So many cool things came up on my radar. Many fun adventures. A few trials. A few set backs. Many lessons learned. All in all it was a good year.

I learned to play pickleball in 2023. A new sport for me. A new social group. I very much enjoyed picking up this new hobby. I even enjoyed getting beat by old people my first season in a league. Maybe a little humbling too.

For 2024 I’m spending time with the 1sE app a friend recommended. Basically documenting a second a day for the year. A picture or video or combo. Can’t wait to see what makes the reel. Seems like a fun way to rewind 2024 a year from now. 

I got a chance to travel a good bit in 2023. Spent time on the road with different travel mates adding to the adventures.  Travel by plane. Travel by car. Travel by RV. The variety kept things spicy. Some planned in advance. Some spur of the moment. Each memorable. The travel bug that hit in 2023 will continue in 2024. I’m feeling the need to explore on my horizon. New places. New experiences. Checking out the hidden gems along the way to each destination. Being present in my life journey while I’m able to enjoy it.

Fitness has been in the forefront in 2023 and will continue in 2024, adding a running goal for my special focus and long term goal. In 2023 I chipped away at 1 million meters by row, bike or ski erg and now I need a new focus. I was recently asked about the why of my long term goal. Since I have a short attention span it’s important for me to have a long term goal to chip away at. I might have to break it up into bite-sized pieces or add variety to get it done, but it helps me overall to have that focus in the background. Somehow I’m able to mirror my life and fitness balance in similar ways. Chipping away seems to work for me.

Friendship has been valued in 2023. Through the high and lows of life it’s good to have a solid group of trusted friends to help you sort through the chaos. Friends are by choice. Some stay awhile and others fade. I’ve seen friends fall ill, needing support while I remain healthy. I hope to continue to fuel myself so that I may continue to be a good friend to others in times of need. i don’t expect much in return but it’s nice to know I do have good friends in my corner. I plan to spend 2024 nurturing relationships that are meaningful.

Reflecting on the year was bitter sweet for me. I focused on thankfulness and let others know how valued they were. I wrote sweet notes. I gave away funny keepsakes. I made a point to impact others as the year closed out. It felt good all around. I even played Cupid in 2023 and the couple is still going strong. Such a fun and unexpected part of 2023.

Feeling free as I roll into 2024. Free of baggage weighing me down. Free to explore and enjoy life and its beauty. One day at a time. I guess I may choose to write a little along the way too. Just a glimpse of my reflection from me to you.  Wishing you all the best in 2024 and beyond. 

challenges, family

A Letter to My Daughter

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She is strong.

She is smart.

She is persistent.

She is determined.

She is generally reserved with her feelings, but on this day, she called filled with frustration. Her new schedule brought unexpected challenges. Things that were once easy were impossibly hard. Huge classes, hard to get around. Too much to take care of, not enough time and energy. All this after the patience and persistence and hard work finally got her to the place she had wanted to be for so long. It had been different at her previous school the year before. She hadn’t expected to be happy there. But now, finally settling in at the school of her dreams, instead of happily ever after, she was met with one annoying plot twist after another.

What’s a mom to do? When you can’t be there? When you can’t just make her dinner or sit with her on the couch? Mostly, I just listened. I let her share how hard things were right now. With classes, with meeting people, with time management. With little things like eating well and parking and taking care of her dog. I gave any advice I could. Mainly, just keep going. Get up and try your best every day. It will get better.

She was calmer when we hung up. But I was shaken. I was sad. I couldn’t sleep well as I was thinking about her.

When I stopped pretending to sleep in the morning, after my workout and getting to work early, I sat outside and wrote her a letter. Page after page poured out. More mom advice and reminding her who she is. That girl I wrote about at the top of this piece. And how she is never alone.

Think of your future self, I told her. What will make your future self proud? In 5 years, will you be happy you kept going and gave it your best or that you gave up when it was hard?

I think about my future self all the time. When I don’t feel like meal prepping for the week, I know my future self will appreciate healthy food so I push through my laziness. Same with setting out my clothes for the next day, going to the gym, and a million other little decisions I make. I do it to make my future self happy, proud, or even just to make her life a little easier. A little planning, a little forethought, and life just goes better.

In a couple of days, things seemed to be a little better. We all have those rough patches. Maybe it’s a day, a week, or even longer. Pick up the phone and share it. Let people listen and help give you a little perspective and wisdom. The people who love you don’t want you to suffer, and definitely not suffer alone. Finally, things have a way of getting better with time. Believe it.

Teddie Bear Adventures

Puppy Love

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It’s so close I can smell the puppy breath in the air. A new doodle is getting ready to join my pack. A doodle trio. 2 golden doodles and 1 labradoodle. I couldn’t be more excited.

Three different shades. Three different personalities. Three different sizes. All evenly separated in ages. I call it planned parenthood. Now it’s time to choose a name. This list is tricky and growing.

Honey

Rue

Daisy

Olive

Hope

Dolly

Sassy

Which name will I choose? Which name do you think fits this diva? How excited will the pack be to add another pal? Change is on the horizon. Oh how I’m going to enjoying some puppy snuggles. I have realized that I only have two hands and doodles love attention. How will I snuggle or pet all three at once? Will I ever have any time without a pet bestie by my side?

Pinch me! It’s a few more weeks until this beauty is officially mine to spoil. Blankets are on order. Collar is ready for that tiny stage but then of course I’ll need something more unique to her once she grows some. The anticipation. The smiles. The feels. All of it.

Dogs truly are great companions. Besties. Loyal to the core. Lovable. All of these traits keep me smiling on days that could be overwhelming. What do you think about pets? A fan or not? Do you see the therapeutic value? Do you think one dog is enough?

I actually researched and 1.6 is the average number of dogs per household. However doodles don’t like to be alone thus a pal or pals is a good idea if you can afford the care. The vet bills, grooming and treats can add up but it’s definitely a splurge I don’t mind given the warmth and joy I receive in return. My pups provide unconditional love. I think most do, especially if they sit by your feet when you spend time in the restroom. That might be a little to deep for some but it’s definitely a truth bomb.

Look at these baby blue eyes.

balance

2023’s OLW

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New year, new word. New focus to carry me forward.

As usual, I played around with all kinds of possibilities before settling on….(drum roll please…)

WELLNESS.

Why wellness? Let’s just say I am turning 50 this year and I am feeling it. My weight, my body, my mindset, my spirit, sometimes each one feels like it is in turmoil. Like I am battling. And sometimes losing.

I know I’ve put in a lot of work over the past 5 or so years. I read, I exercise, I try to keep my focus clear. Over the past 5 years I have learned many things, but one is especially present: my wellness is never going to be more important to anyone other than me. And I shouldn’t expect it to be. I am the only one who truly knows how I am feeling. I am the only one who truly knows what makes me feel happy, fulfilled, at peace. I am the only one who can chart my course and embrace my goals. I am the only one who can say how I am, who I am, and what I want. I am in charge of my wellness.

After I wrote the word on the page, I proceeded to think of many things that contribute to my wellness. I picked words that start with the letters in WELLNESS, like an acrostic poem. It was kind of a fun mental exercise to see how many relevant words I could think of. There are feelings and values, nouns, verbs, and adjectives. There are activities and attitudes.

So, this is the word I am carrying with me this year. When faced with a decision, does this contribute to my wellness? If not, it should be a no. I am charting my path.

More to come as the year unfolds. Be well!