Friday, July 29, 2022

Sadness is upon me

 I read it on FB but unable to find it somewhere else.  Sadly, trying to link FB to a post is like trying to tape water to the wall.  Not happening.  

I have awesome friends on FB that share a variety of perspectives.  Today's gem explained that in some languages that an emotion is described as being on you, or you have it. In English we say, "I am sad."  However, the Irish say, "The sadness is upon me."  What I appreciate about this distinction is that emotions are temporary, and I have them for a while then they leave with another emotion starts to hang out with me.  I like the concept that emotions are part of my life, but my emotions are not who I am.  



The dragonfly is upon the rose bush....as soon as it warms up it will take off and fly.  

Monday, July 25, 2022

Packed a lot in This Year

 


Last year about this time is when I last posted.  I seriously considered quitting all my blogs and just shut down my internet presence.  This year, to say the least, was over whelming.  I wanted to spend it curled up in the fetal position until the storm was over, but life isn't like that.  I wake up, I'm in pain, life goes on, and I am using every healthy and unhealthy coping skill I can think of.  Sometimes things are just like that.  The old wife's tale says bad things come in threes.  This year felt like wave after wave after wave.  I would call it a water boarding year, an illegal form of torture, not to be used on enemies.  Yet, here I am, after a brutal year, still standing.  I had happy times sprinkled in to keep me going.  I felt gratitude for many things.  However, I learned that happy times and shared jokes don't undo the emotional impact of a tough year.  I learned that no matter how hard things got, arthritis still hurts, dinner still needs to be eaten, and making huge mistakes or huge successes does not change events.  I felt keenly the last freedom we have is how we respond to our experiences.  Viktor Frankl taught this in his book Man's Search for Meaning.  I am thankful I am through this year.  I am working at treating myself with more compassion.  No matter how much I prepared, I underestimated the powerful impact of two deaths in my family within 2 days.  A week changed everything.  I am stilling trying to figure out where I am, so that I can figure out where I want to go.