JOY

I got IT. It was a disheartening truth.  I tested positive for the Covid.  Emotions of dread filled my being.  Shame and sadness too.  Isolation set in as I was quarantined to one room of the house.  Dark days were filled with both physical and emotional sickness. 

Reflection finally came to me by day eleven allowing a tiny ray of hope to shine with in.  I took out my journal and began to write....

*Family and home filled with LOVE is the most important thing in my life.

*I must return to GOD and my FAITH.  Pray more.

*Outdoors with nature fills my SOUL.  I need to go there more often to refuel.

*I am a CREATIVE being.  I must do more; photography, painting, & writing.

*Continue to work on my physical health. 

*BE in the moment; the good, the bad, the ugly.  Feel it, live it, release it.

* Choose JOY everyday.  NO matter the struggle.

For everyone, this year has been a difficult one.  My HOPE is by sharing my experience with you that I might have brought some Joy to you and your daily struggles.  Peace & God Bless.

CHEERS to REVIN UP!

 

My Dad

    There is a man I know...

He is a man of action.  He sees a problem he gets to a solution.

He is a man of guidance.  He won't do it for you but he'll be there with you.

He is a man of courage.  He tries and says it is "okay" if it doesn't work out.

He is a man of grace and purpose.  He has touched so many-in so many different ways.

                                   Because of this man people are compassionate.

                                   Because of this man people dream and dream big.

                                   Because of this man people have faith.

When I close my eyes at night I see a man who wipes the eyes of a crying child and wraps her in a warm embrace.

I see a man who gently picks up a person after a fall.

I see a man who offers a bed to a tired soul.

I see a man who feeds the hungry and shelters the homeless.

I see a man who walked with us, who grew tired and sick and was called home to be with his Father in Heaven.

                                That man was our father.

                                That man was our son.

                                That man was our husband.

                                That man was our brother.

                                That man was our grandfather.

                                That man was our friend.

This man was in fact my dad.  He died 15 years ago.  He started a food cellar (pantry) St. Joseph's Food Cellar in my home town of Attleboro, Mass.  at our church.  Many times I would hear people ask my dad who were these people in the food line.  He'd always answer the same, "they are you or me."  That was how my book Footprints in the Snow was born.  Days after his passing I drove to LaSalette Shrine, sat in my car, in the parking lot, and wrote.  The words flowed onto the page.  I'm sure my dad penned this story with me.  

 During this time in our lives where life is uncertain lets help by giving compassion and hope to others.  Purchase my book.  All proceeds will go to the St. Josephs Food Cellar.

Thank you in advance.  Peace & God Bless.

To Purchase, go to  Xlibris.com

scroll down to Bookstore.  Click on Discover Authors

in the search bar type, Footprints in the Snow

                            

Would you make a deal with the Devil?

Have you ever been lucky enough to have a book kick you in the gut and give you a major life lesson.  I recently had that experience when I read, "If Cats Disappeared from the World." (by, Genki Kawamura) I will tell you right now I am a dog person.  Cats, I can take or leave them.  So I have no idea what made me purchase this book.  Well, actually it was the title.  I thought, what could be the big deal if cats did disappear?  I know my Nana disliked cats very much.  She was afraid of them.  And my dad too, he had no fondness for these creatures.  Well I got more than I bargained for.  This book was less about cats and so much more about life.   In a nutshell the main character is told he has a small amount of time left to live.  Enter the Devil.  They make a deal.  Now the main character must choose one thing he loves to disappear from the world to prolong his life.  Are you blown away yet?  I was!  It made me think of all the things I love.  What would I make disappear to prolong my life.  I could never make dogs disappear...or could I?  In the end I closed the book realizing it's not what I'd make disappear but it is how I need to live my life now.  Live my life fully and completely.  To take nothing for granted.  And give gratitude for each and everything I hold dear.  This way when the time comes for me to leave the earth, enter the Devil, I can smile at him and say I'm all set.  No deal. 

Cheers to Revin Up! 

A Lesson Learned

  I realized today as I waited to go into the grocery store, in a line, 6 feet apart, wearing a mask, in the rain, behind 10 others, that I miss my freedoms.
 
My freedom to simply walk into a store to buy items that I may need or just simply want. 
My freedom to walk on the trails of an Audubon Society in my town. 
My freedom to see my kids attend school. 
My freedom to eat at a restaurant. 
My freedom to go to work.

 Going to the store to buy toilet paper and when it's not there on the shelf I freak out.
 Going outside to walk at a park, on a trail, or at the beach.  Signs are posted, CLOSED.  Ropes stop my entrance. 
Going to school is now sitting at a desk in their bedrooms.  No socializing with friends.  No contact with teachers. 
Going to a restaurant is null & void.
Going to work. Not a chance.

Now I think about all the people in other parts of the globe that do not have the luxury of going into a store to purchase their needs when they need it. Never mind a pair of shoes just because they want to update the latest style. Or walk anywhere they choose, attend school of their choice, eat out some place, and safely go to work.

Waiting in line I thought how many times have I complained that a store is not meeting my needs.  That the beach have too many people. Hearing my kids complain they had to go to school.  Belly aching that the restaurant I like made my food too cold and on Mondays dreading the idea of getting up early and going off to work.

Those are freedoms that I took for granted each and every day!
 
Imagine.

I try to learn from everything that I experience.  The lesson for me with this stay at home order is that I am blessed to live in the greatest country on the planet with all of our freedoms.  I can not wait to go shopping, take a walk on a trail or beach, watch my kids go into school, go out for dinner, and get back to work.

God Bless America.
God Bless the World.
We need it.

This Roller Coaster Ride....Covid 19

Get me off of this thing!!!!

Scared, not scared.  Scared, not scared. 
This is me.  Changes hour to hour.  Minute by minute. 

No control.  That's my issue.  And that is what scares me.  Having NO CONTROL.
We have to put our faith in others.  In hopes that they do the right thing. 

It's a BIG world out there but this Covid-19 nightmare has made it seem very small.

I've been trying to reflect on the things I DO have control over...

• Washing my hands.  Telling my kids to wash their hands.
• Cleaning and disinfecting my home.
• Going out only to get groceries or necessities. (coming home to scrub myself like I'm a surgeon)
• Eating food that fuels my body, mind, and spirit.  Drinking more water than alcohol. (it's been tempting)
• Getting outside to walk.  Breathing in and out.  Taking in the sounds of the earth coming back to life.
• Doing yard work in March. 
• Lots of reading and writing.  (No excuses)
• Being with family. (the boys are forced to be with mom & dad.  AHHHH!)
• Sitting around the house and looking and feeling at all my blessings.

This too shall pass.  And before long life will get back to normal.  My hope is I'll remember this ride...the good, the bad, and the ugly.

Stay healthy.  Stay happy.
Revin UP to kick Covid-19 in the butt!

Hello, work in progress....AGAIN

Why does one give up on oneself? 

 I've been asking myself this question for the past few months.     
                                       I gave up on me. 
I stopped writing.  I was frozen by the thought of putting pen to paper or finger tip to key board.  
I even said to myself I'm giving up.  No more writing.
But a soft, little push came my way. It was simple yet profound.  And here I sit and type.

The answer to my question, I think, but I'm still pondering is I continue to be a work in progress.  We all are.  But if you are like me, you may be impatient.  I'm impatient for the book to get written.  You may make excuses, like me saying  "I have no time".  Or you may take the simple way out and say, "It's not meant to be.  I'm giving up."  I did just that.  Until that gentle push. 

I forgot that a work in progress takes time.  It takes dedication.  It takes commitment.  And it takes a lot of sweat and tears.

I am happy to report that this typing feels good.  I also just worked on another chapter in the book I am writing.  And that felt great too. 

I must remember that hard work will pay off.  Just keep on keeping on, again & again & again. 

Revin Up for 50 more!  I'm back and I feel ready!!  AGAIN!!

Happy New Year! 
WOW, Imagine~ the year is 2020.

What shall we do with it?

I plan on not wasting a day, a minute, a moment.

I will honor each day with gratitude.
I will laugh often.
I will exercise body and mind.
I will say "I love you."
I will be kind.
I will take nothing for granted.
I will pray.
I will read.
I will write.
I will hug.
I will embrace life.
I will give at least 80%, always.
I will not quit.
I will be happy.

CHEERS to your 2020!
REVIN UP for 50 MORE!!!