For my birthday this year, my friend Judy from next door gave me a gift certificate for us to go on a Segway Tour in downtown Raleigh. Due to busy schedules, we procrastinated about scheduling it until the very last minute before the coupon expired -- meaning we had no options if the weather was bad. On the day we scheduled, I woke up and it was raining, but I heard my mother saying: “You’re not made out of sugar -- you won’t melt!” I had a million things I needed to do in the office, but there was no backing out at this point. How glad I am!
Enjoy Your Life
The Power of Rejuvenation
The Joy of Rejuvenation: It Could Work For You Too
Last week I had a hectic travel schedule with just one day home to prepare for leaving again the next day to spend a week visiting my Mom in the nursing home in Nebraska. On my way back from New Jersey, my husband called and said, “There’s a movie you really need to see. You’ll like it. It’s called Hugo.” At first the idea seemed incredulous because of time restraints. On my only day in town, I had scheduled four meetings, and needed to pack to leave the next day. Then I remembered all the information I’ve been reading and writing lately regarding the power of “rejuvenation.”
The Many Blessings of Music
When I was growing up on the farm in Nebraska, my piano was my best friend. My mother said she could tell what kind of day I had had at school by what I was playing when she came home from work! Sitting on that piano bench, I poured out my emotions from elation to devastation. Years later, when I went through my divorce, and felt so devastated I couldn't pray, I would sit at the piano and play hymns to God.
Happiness vs Joy...Is There a Difference?
Recently I spent a week with my mother who is in a nursing home under Hospice care in a small town in Nebraska. It is a challenging situation watching someone you love dearly whose mind is, as we say in NE, "sharp as a tack," but whose body is simply worn out. I wasn't feeling anything but happy. Then on Sunday, I attended church with my brother. The sermon, entitled "Joy versus Happiness", was one of the most wonderful Christmas gifts I have ever received. In a nutshell, Pastor Lyle Schoen put it this way: "Happiness is an emotion you seek; joy is a divine gift you are given because of your relationship with Jesus Christ." I'm not sure why, at the age of almost 65, I haven't understood this before!
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Holiday Traditions: Blessing or Curse?
As I spent the weekend putting up Christmas decorations, I was reminded of the power of traditions -- especially during the holiday season. When I think of my own Christmas traditions, I immediately remember the paper elves from Norway that sat on the table in my grandmother's living room in Kansas City-- and later on my mother's table on our Nebraska farm. Next week when I go to visit Mom, I'm planning to getting them out again to take them to the nursing home where she now lives. I know it will make her smile!
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