The PATH to me

THE PATH TO ME

Stumbling blocks can stop us or

create detours in unknown paths.

Change can bring the gift of discovery

or despair depending on our reaction.

I choose to go forward, overcoming

all that is placed in my earthly path.

Opportunities open new roads or can

lead to disappointment and depression.

Keeping the goal in mind helps focus

on the destination despite obstacles

that appear suddenly, unexpectedly.

It’s part of the struggle to become ME.

Determination

Time to start OVER with my exercise plan

I did so well in the PAST with water aerobics

in the summer and walking DAILY then...

my knee started to ACHE, so I stopped.

Sometimes it's EASIER to quit than start again.

It takes determination to OVERCOME lack of

energy, but I DID IT! Attended my second

seated Arthritis class and ENJOYED moving.

I'm even going to ADD a stretch class next week

on Tuesdays and Thursdays to EASE back into

the outdoor POOL. With my exercise class on MWF

that will be almost DAILY exertion on my part.

Hurrah, PROGRESS is coming. My body can

feel it and HOPEFULLY my gained weight will

disappear AGAIN. Life is a process of recycling

that takes continual determination and EFFORT!

Article #239 Be an EXAMPLE

     Being a bad example can be good. Sharing with your children and grandchildren mistakes and choices you made in life, how you responded, and what it taught you can be worthwhile advice. I remember listening to my mom tell about her dating experiences in high school when I was a teen and not dating. Much of what we learn in life can come vicariously from watching or learning from others’ experiences; not having to go through the same situations. Seeing the results of their choices. then committing to live differently. It’s important to write your life story to preserve the lessons you learned the hard way. Some of your descendents will read and learn from your experiences. (My grandma Johnson's life story was an anchor to me as she struggled as a widowed single parent.)

            Somehow I never got into the drug scene as a teen, but did watch others in my family deal with those issues. Drunkenness held no fascination for me as I watched it lead others to questionable choices. I was raised in a conservative culture that protected me in many ways. For a while in Junior College, I was involved with the world of theatre. While exciting and creative, it also had its drawbacks as I observed the lives of many frustrated performers trying to find fulfillment in unorthodox ways. Watching their questionable behavior, I learned without following their path that there must be a better way. I remember being shocked how the real world lived after my graduation from high school as a naïve teenager.

            Positive examples of others as we interacted led me to make decisions that determined who I would marry, what college I would attend, etc. The quiet examples of my grandparents long lasting marriage (see photo on right of my Vernon grandparents on their wedding day) and the unchanging old-fashioned values that my mom raised me with were an anchor to my life and a guide through the challenges that always come.

            Our example to others speaks louder than we think. How important is the advice we could write and leave for our unknown posterity. My youngest grandchildren don’t know my mother, their great grandmother, because she died before they were born. But the history of her life that she wrote is an example that can be passed on to them. If I could leave anything for my descendents if would be that I believe in a higher power and hope for a better world. My faith in ultimate truth and purpose in living has sustained me throughout my life. NEXT TIME: Overcoming Hopelessness