Permission to Post

 From Gratitude #2 yesterday

"Have you ever been a to a marathon? I’ve been to one. I ran it. And I had people show up to cheer me on and encourage me. 

 

I’m the runner in yellow. Look at my face and my obvious emotions. My friends were going crazy to encourage me onward. I responded and was filled with positive energy and renewed strength. I see them, I receive their encouragement, I give a happy wave, and continue onward with a huge smile on my face, stronger, believing in myself, encouraged.

 

Your people don’t have to run an actual marathon. Maybe your friends marathon involves changing diapers or washing dishes or pushing papers or calculating payroll or just getting out of bed each day… marathon work can come in many forms."

 

Brooke

 

Show up for your people. Cheer your people on. It matters.

“Therefore encourage one another and build each other up as you are already doing.” 1 Thessalonians‬ ‭5‬:‭11

Friends and Paint

 #1 - I met my "new" friend two years ago.  I went on a camping weekend with the outdoors club where I met my former partner saying, "I do not want to meet anybody."  (Knowing this was quite unlikely, as the majority of the group is women close to retirement age.)  A woman sat down next to me during a meal and we started talking.  I soon learned she was a recent empty nester, and it sounded like living alone, I assumed divorced.  However soon I learned that she was a widow.  I was in the depths of heartache at the time and I melted into a deep conversation with her.  

We have been friends since, and in many ways she has been a life saver. She has been someone that says, "Yes," to the type of things my former partner would, and I don't really have other friends that might. Yesterday, for example, I received an email for a couple winter retreats. Once of them is in Wisconsin in an area that is well known for cross country skiing.  My friend asked about cross country skiing together this winter, so I emailed her and she said yes. 

Not only that but I emailed the organizer to ask if we could come a day early so we'd have more time to cross country ski.  The answer was yes and there won't be an extra charge!! What?!

 #2 - My friend sent me the post our mutual friend posted on Facebook.  I'm asking her permission to repost it here...

 #3 - Sometimes when I sit down to dinner, I want to talk to someone.  So I called someone I met at the retreat center this summer.  She is back in Chicago now, and I haven't spoken to her since I left.  I'm so glad I called her today because I found out she is coming to town for a wedding next month and now she is going to stay with me.

#4 - My office/spare bedroom is a neutral color because I didn't think anything else would really work with the bedspread, curtains and a piece of furniture I had in there.  But I have also had the desire to have something "happier".  I had to depart from the pallet that I chose for all the paint in my place, because there wasn't anything else on that pallet that was light/happy that I wanted to use.  So I hope I will like what I chose since I already painted this room once and do not want to do a third time.

Anyway, I bought paint today and started prepping the walls.

#5 - I've been trying to do weekly courageous things, like I did at the retreat center this summer.  I didn't have one for this week yet, but I'm going to count the painting.  The color I have now works fine.  It is a neutral clay color.  The new color may or may not work.  I'm happy to switch out the curtains if needed, however the bedspread and the bookcase I want to keep. So I'll say this change requires a bit of courage.

A long one Today!

#1 - I did my 2nd pilates reformer class today - I signed up for 4 free - I can see how it is good for me and if it didn't cost extra I'd probably continue doing it.

 #2 - I do home visits with families.  I'm supposed to be there supporting the parent (of a pre-school age kid).  Sometimes the parents sit back and I have to walk a line of, "Is there something really important going on or do I need to ask them to put away their phone?" or "Are they just putting in a quick load of laundry or are they off doing a bunch of other things?"

 Ideally the parent is leading and I am sitting back.  Today I brought a new book and one mom, who has really been taking the lead, completely took over. She kept her 3 year old engaged in the book a good 20 minutes, long past when they actually finished reading it.  I was so grateful to be there doing what I am supposed to, encouraging and letting her lead.

 #3 - Similarly another family (both of these families it is my 2nd year working with), where the mom was often leaving the room last year, isn't yet taking the lead, however she has remained present and interactive in all the visits thus far.  Win!

#4 - I am about to go and do something intimidating. A woman whom I've taken occasional writing classes with for years, emailed, "Hi Tammy! Not sure you'd be into this, but I'm going! Hope all well."  It was a Spanish Cultural Conversations class thru community ed. I was interested.

It was at a time that worked.

It was at a nearby location.

However the description said it is for people that speak Spanish with fluency and know the subjunctive. 

I don't even remember what the subjunctive is.

I emailed that to this woman and she said she is the same but still signed up.

Well, I've heard in the past about job applications (I don't recall the specifics) but that a majority of men would apply for a job they had 50% of the qualifications for while women needed 80%.  (I'm making up those numbers, but it is the idea.)  And I thought, "I am NOT qualified for this AND maybe I should try anyway.  For God's sake it is community ed."

I still wouldn't even consider it except for the invitation and support that someone I know is doing the same.  I am heading there soon.  We'll see...

 

#5 - Finally I wrote about my first, potentially, problematic interaction with a neighbor in my building in a post almost 2 years ago

Friday, October 14, 2022

The Last Neighbors

I haven't seen that neighbor in a while, I'm guessing he moved out though his roommate is still here. But regardless, my initial fears about his anger turned into a positive connection.

 

About a year ago a different, what I'd call angry - because I've heard him scream some pretty awful things at his kids - neighbor moved in behind me.  I try to be friendly to him and his kids.  However, when I informed him that his vehicles were about to get towed recently (the parking lot was supposed to be empty for some work).  I almost thought, "Maybe I should have let him."

However, today when I got home there was something attached to my door.  It was a $30 gift card for gas. 

I actually prevented 2 neighbors from getting towed that day (both would have had 2 vehicles towed), and it is the one that I would call unkind who returned in an act of generosity.  I got a fortune recently that said, "Kindness is the ability to love people more than they really deserve."

Or maybe it's the other way around, when we treat people with the kindness they deserve, they are more likely to act worthy of it.

Voting, Recruiting, Timing, Tolle

 #1 - My cousin asked me about updating her registration to vote, which prompted me to email another cousin about the same situation.

#2 - My cousin learned there may be lead in her plates.  She is concerned but added it's only in the pattern at the edges so, "It's not as bad as a whole plate of lead,"which made me laugh.

#3 - There was a tabling event to recruit families for the non-profit I work for - 5 miles away - which motivated me to take a bike ride on a beautiful day.  I passed by some mountain bike racing which I had never seen before. (I just saw the finish line).

#4 - I sat down on the patio with my dinner and I heard the phone ring.  The person on the line apologized for calling me so upset.

"Perfect timing," I responded, "I have nothing else I need to do."

#5 - There is nothing special about this Eckhart Tolle clip, except that I haven't listened to him for a few months...and I'm grateful to listen to his presence again.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sqx7BqG92Io

Sometimes You Need an Excuse

 #1 - "Is that racist?"  I saw something the other day that appeared to be prejudiced to me.  And the nervousness I felt in confronting it (not even confronting just inquiring), helped me feel how difficult this is.  

#2 - I did though and I realized, "YEAH I did something courageous this week!"  All summer at the retreat center each Sunday in the "Sacred Space" service we would be asked to think of something courageous we could do that week. I took this practice very seriously, and when I got home I was happy to have an idea to continue this practice.  This week I didn't have any ideas, yet it still happened today!

#3 - I met someone today with quadruplets.  I've heard of such things, but just thinking how to get that many (pre-school) kids safely from where you live to a car or anywhere, was a reality check I'd never experienced.

#4 - Sometimes we meet people that we may think we'd like to connect with again, but we need an excuse.  I'm using the book club I'm starting with friends to do this.  There is a sweet woman much younger than I that worked at the same retreat center over the summer and whose home is nearby.  She gave me her # to stay in contact, I doubt anything would have happened, but I used it to invite her to my book club and she said she will come.

Yesterday I did the same to the woman who was my Realtor and today she wants to join too!

#5 - Similarly there is a woman I work with who I thought last year, "I should ask her if she'd like to go for a walk."  She seems like someone I'd enjoy talking to, she lives nearby, and she's a native Spanish speaker (I'd like to practice)..  Last week at our staff meeting I also learned she likes to go for walks and was also working somewhere in Washington state over the summer.  So today I asked her.  We don't have a time yet, but she is willing.  If it is next week it could be my next courageous thing (not the walk but trying to have a conversation in Spanish).

In Case You Were Wondering

#1 -  In Case You Were Wondering...because I was wondering, if home would lack in comparison to the majesty of my summer...

Tonight my niece had a cross country ski race at a Three Rivers Park called Gale Woods Farm.  I noticed when I looked it up on the map that there is a new Three Rivers Park just a bit north of there.  So after the race I drove up there to check it out.  

It's small, most of it is under rehabilitation so only a section of it has a trail open to the public.  However that also means it is undeveloped.  I was the only person there and as I watched the sun setting on the trees across the pond

 I looked at the sky

 I looked at the prairie, 

I started to cry.

#2 - Also my niece, as usual, is such a strong runner it is a joy to watch.  I was actually able to keep up with her briefly near the end as she'd just gone up a hill.  (Previously I've tried to keep up with her at the end of a race, so I can see her and not been able to.) 

#3 - Also my laptop wasn't working when I tried it Wed night which was stressin. I told my job I do from home, that I planned to come back next week but needed to find a laptop first.

They called and said they would send me one. #4 - Since the pressure was off, I tried my old laptop again and it works, for now.  

#5 - I am more and more adamant that a big part of enjoying life is protecting spaces - spaces in landscape, spaces in time, spaces.   I'm not sure what that looks like on a bigger scale, but it feels like a substantial part of my purpose/mission. People (myself included) are often uncomfortable with it initially, but beneath space is a reservoir of fortune.

One Last Hike

That "saddle" is our destination

My boot which has been duct taped the last 4 weeks (and which I have used sparingly) made it!

The view from the other side of the saddle.

 

Coming back down.