So, I went to bed around 5:00 am, then woke up around 8:30. Three and a half hours sleep is not my usual quota after having been up for 23 hours, but, hey! it is better than none at all.
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I stumbled downstairs to find grandson had risen sometime in the hours I had zonked out, fixed himself some waffles (he likes a little waffle with his maple syrup, if you catch my drift), then fallen back to sleep in front of the television. Guess he had been watching one of the movies daughter rented last night.
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Cats were standing at the kitchen door leading to the back room, their paws and noses pressed against the glass, meowing for breakfast and some attention, which I gave them. I propped open the outside screen door so they could wander out on their own.
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Beautiful morning; cool (60 F), sunny, full of birdsong and waking neighborhood noises. The breeze during the night seems to have dried the rain off the grass and other plants, so I guess grandson and I will tackle that jungle I refer to as the backyard this afternoon.
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All seems right with the world this morning, always a good sign upon rising. That, plus the fact that I was given another day to live - my favorite good sign! Now, if I just had some fresh strawberries and cream...ah, life is good. This morning, my brain needs the jolt of caffeine that coffee gives me. I will indulge in a cup or maybe two, before switching to tea later in the day. So, on with the rest of my life, one morning, one day at a time.
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It was my intention to blog about what I want to be when I grow up. As I frequently do, I googled the phrase "when I grow up," hoping to find an appropriate image for that title. What I found, straight out of the gate, was Allison, and her blog about surviving hard times. (I'm a firm believer in the notion, 'the-hand-of-God'...or fate, or synchronicity...whatever other name it might go by when, unbidden, you find what you need, though it might not be what you wanted.)
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I needed, evidently more deeply than I realized, reassurance that things will work out for the best, no matter what. What better acknowledgement and support of that notion than the posters His Majesty's government posted during WWII, to encourage his people during one of the darker periods of English history.
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My life is not how I want it to be right now, and it might not be so for a bit longer than I hope, but I will take my cue from the Brits who triumphed over the darkness that fell upon them in the 1930s and 1940s, and during the recovery - and "keep calm and carry on."
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(c) 2009 Martha McLemore
14 comments:
love the heartening reminders...my therapist had me put little index cards all over my office with the following caption: delayed gratification is the hallmark of emotional maturity. It worked as both a corrective and an irony... and oddly enough, it seemed to work!
hope the day unfolds with lovely unexpected treasures
Harlequin:
I can't buy one of Allison's posters right now, but I am going to post notes all around the house with that motto, to help all of us keep calm, so that we may carry on.
I am grateful for what I have, though it might sound like I don't appreciate my blessings.
As for the unfolding of lovely unexpected treasures...they have begun.
Happy Mother's Day, sweet Harlequin.
:)
My life path crossed with another who strongly believed in the power of "white light". If a friend was in trouble, she formed a mental image of them surrounded by white light, convinced the light buoyed them up. I'm sending white light, Martha!
Found those same posters at Powell's Books in Portland, OR. Really wanted one to put up, but they were much overpriced. I may just fudge one for ourselves. Very large friendly letters, so reassuring.
IndyBev:
What convinced me to become a Quaker was the moment in Meeting, over 39 years ago, when I was surrounded by just that sort of light. I thought that must be what the Friends meant when they sit in silent worship, awaiting the Light Within.
What synchronicity that you would send this message today, a reminder of my faith, and of your friendship.
Thank you.
:)
Zhoen:
How cool! Daughter and I were looking this afternoon for crown-shaped pins to wear, physical reminders of the motto that we could touch, should we become overwhelmed during the day - a touchstone, so to speak.
But I don't think we will be overwhelmed so much now. We are looking at our situation(s) as a challenge to be met with the courage of our ancestors (until we gain some ourselves), and with creativity and a positive attitude.
Yeah...this, too, shall pass.
:)
Being fatalistic about your life, I think, is the key to happiness.
Those who aren't tend to be those who find it hard to accept the status quo of their life; always hankering after what they can't have.
They are the people driven by ambition.
Our lives are the sum of what we have experienced so to have experienced something different, something that we had hankered after, would have turned us into something else; no doubt hankering after a different thing too.
My ambition is to experience more of life and to learn from it; that's all.
As long as that experience is turned to something positive then life will remain good.
A tool I use when anxious about something is this; on this date next year will I remember what this is that is causing so much angst? Probably not. What worried me exactly a year ago? I rarely remember.
Our brains are built to move on and handle adversity; it is our thought processes that sometimes stop us doing that.
Go with the flow I say.
There's an ironic twist to those posters. We all thought that following VE and VJ days in 1945 we were due a bit of uncalmness. But food rationing continued several years afterwards, augmented by bread rationing (something which never happened in the war) and then, in 1947, the worst winter in living memory. Despite this I feel a certain patriotic pride (not one of my over-frequent experiences) about the way the posters are worded: concise, unsentimental and inarguable. Alas, these words no longer describe the way the government presently communicates with its spear carriers.
AWB:
Going with the flow is easier, less fear-producing when one is going it alone. It is the addition of responsibility toward others who cannot go with the flow so easily (my autistic grandson, for instance) that makes my worries worse than if I were alone.
I am ambitious to keep a roof over our heads and food on the table. Other ambitions will have to wait on the sidelines for a bit.
But, I think my flow is returning, now that I am reconnecting, and I do, sincerely, appreciate your comments.
Love the photo of your granddaughter in sunglasses, by the way. Such a sweetie!
:)
Dear BB:
I had read, several years ago, about the rationing in Great Gritain long after the war. That was in such surprising contrast to how things were in America, but, then, we weren't bombed out like London and other parts of England and the rest of Europe were.
The matter-of-factness of the poster language was what I responded to; as you have said, it was inarguable. Felt like ice water to the face, made me snap out of my spiritual malaise...just what I need to get me back on track.
(Wish there was an emoticon for a smooch - I'd send you one. A smile will have to do.)
:)
It is tough to be faced with these worries when we can see no solution. I often think, "God, just show me what to do and I'll be okay..." I have been trying to do just as the posters instruct, stay calm and carry on.
Deedee:
Faith can help us through hard times. It sounds like yours is strong.
Nice to see you here.
:)
Keep calm and carry on. That's a sentiment that I must take with me.
Lisa:
It seems to help. Maybe I was just very ready for an attitude adjustment and finding Allison's blog was pure coincidence. Maybe it was my mother's spirit kicking me in the butt and telling me "Chin up!" Don't know, but it was the boost I needed to get out of the dumps.
My daughter has taken it to heart, too. Usually, a big disappointment - like losing her best job ever - would have sent her into an emotional tailspin, but she is weathering this remarkably well.
Too bad most of those who were adults during the Great Depression are gone now. We could learn from them, too.
Best wishes, Lisa, as you go through your trying times. You are a wonderfully strong woman who will inspire the rest of us, of that I am certain!
:)
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