Real life is often much stranger than anything the imagination could come up with. So ... when things get a bit crazy... I try to find the lesson to be learned in all of it's oddness. Many times, there is one if I am patient enough to look for it.
These past few days have held several gold nuggets of life lessons for me...
From the dear friend who became acutely ill... but fortunately suffered no residual effects... to BAJ; who has fought with kidney stones all week... to another loved one who is suffering in an equally horrible way... it has definitely been a week of ups and downs with every one's health.
I suppose the obvious lesson is to appreciate good health for the wondrous and precious thing it is... but it is also more than that. To have the strength to deal with whatever comes up... to be able to rely on friends and family for support... to realize how fragile our bodies can be if we are not attentive enough to their needs.
Today marks a day of intense dissection of what we as a family are eating... how we are taking care of ourselves (or not)... and what we plan to do to make things better for our own peace of mind and improved health (mental, physical, & spiritual). There are things we can all do to help our own selves out:
*eat organic whenever possible... eat raw if you can. Avoid sugars, artificial anything, preservatives, excess salt.
*exercise daily for at least 15-20 minutes. (and remember that too much exercise is just as bad as too little)
*get yearly physicals, eye exams, etc. Even if you don't think you need to.
*take time for yourself every day. Even 30 minutes alone to reflect, meditate, pray... whatever you choose... it really makes a difference.
*try to resolve past conflicts as much as you are able to...
*then, let it go. Not everything can be fixed.
*love one another. Truly, deeply. Remember that we are all individuals, and do not like, need, or want the same things out of life.
*Pay it forward. I know... seems to be a trite phrase that is overused nowadays. But it really does make a difference. Not only will it help someone else out... but you get so much in return.
*savor the good times... and realize that the bad ones won't last forever.
*just breathe...
For today's photo of the day: I happened to be downtown late tonight finishing up a couple of errands... and took a couple of quick shots of some of the buildings downtown. The first photo on today's blog is a typical photo of downtown at night. Being the season of Halloween however... I wanted to play around with effects that would make photos look a bit more spooky. Hence, the result in the last photo... which is my photo for the day.