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Inspiration
This week I give you this video from TEDtalks.
For all of the misfits out there: those who are odd-shaped pegs expected to conform to a round hole. You may not have had the same experiences as Lydia, but we have certainly had the same feelings and emotions.
When I was a little girl, one of my favorite plants that bloomed under our kitchen window was Bleeding Hearts. Those sweet little pink blossoms would bloom every spring and it was a welcome sight. Their heart shape would sway in the breeze and I would watch as they floated back and forth. They didn’t bloom for Valentine’s Day; it was later in the spring.
This time of year, we see heart shapes everywhere: stores, clothing, candy, artwork, emojis (and I am sure you can name several other places!)… Of course, the heart shape represents love and affection, but other things can represent love and affection, too. Maybe a phone call '“just because,” a flower or balloon, a hug, folding laundry, doing the dishes, going out for tea or coffee, or just saying, “I love you.”
This week doing something special for the one you love is likely, but why not pin that card you get on February 14th on the refrigerator and make the 14th of every month a time to celebrate your love?
Hearts: they’re not just for Valentine’s Day.
On January 1, 2020, Steven and I took down our Christmas tree. The ornaments have all been packed away and placed in the attic quietly waiting for the year to pass again. The green needles from the evergreen have been swept up and the furniture has been put back into place. Taking down the tree has always been a bittersweet time for me, but I find symbolism in it. The Christmas tree was brought into the house in anticipation of Christmas Day. The house was filled with extra chairs, additional food, family, and we all had a joyous time together. After Christmas everyone left, and it was time to prepare for the New Year.
Taking down the tree on January 1st is like making space for the New Year to come in. Taking out the tree stand, putting all of the decorations away, taking out the extensions on the dinner table, packing up the Christmas dishes and linens — it all creates room for the New Year. The decorations I put out each December bring back memories that I cherish but putting them away again allows new experiences to be welcomed into our home.
As I look at my 2020 calendar I see that I have a lot in store for the year. I am excited, expectant, anxious and, if I’m honest, in some moments I am terrified (breathe, Lona, just breathe!). It is all going to be good! I have a feeling you might feel the same way as you consider your 2020 calendar.
May you have a wonderful, joyous, happy, and productive year with many a new story to tell and share.
And remember: breathe, just breathe.
Welcome to 2020!
My dad used to have a phrase – actually he had a lot of phrases – but one in particular that came to mind today was, “What’s good for the goose is good for the gander.” My mother altered the phrase to fit her perspective: “What’s good for the goose is not necessarily good for the gander.” Depending on the situation, I can agree with both of those statements.
Yesterday I went ‘gandering’ (pun intended) through a thrift store and found a couple of items that I could use. Then I scanned through the book section of the thrift store and spotted a 1948 copy of Grandfather Tales by Richard Chase. I was so excited I scooped up that book and paid the $2.00 cost. Richard Chase did research in Appalachia and wrote down the old folktales and legends that were told to him by the people of the mountains, quite a gold mine for this storyteller and puppeteer.
One might say of the person who donated the book, “they didn’t know what they had,” but I rather think, “What is no longer good for the goose gets passed along to the gander.”
Steven and I were in a fairly harsh car accident the last day of August of this year. I was injured and have had to take some time to recover. The bruises have faded, the pain has greatly lessened, PT is underway, we purchased another van and I am back on the road performing.
We all have setbacks in our lives and it can be hard. So many times when challenging things happen in my life I refer back to poems. My father loved poetry and recited it often. I like include a poem here and there in my performances, and I’ve even written some of my own that I include.
Just in case you’re a facing some challenges too, here is one of the poems my father loved to help you keep a-goin!!
Remember, in the challenge there is a new story to share.
“Ef you strike a thorn or rose, Keep a-goin’!
Ef it hails or ef it snows, Keep a-goin’!
‘Taint no use to sit an’ whine,
When the fish ain’t on yer line,
Bait yer hook an’ keep a-tryin’ – Keep a-goin’!
When the weather kills yer crop, Keep a-goin’!
Though ‘tis work to reach the top – Keep a-goin’!
S’pose you’re out of every dime,
Bein’ so ain’t any crime;
Tell the world you’re feelin’ prime – Keep a-goin’!
When it looks like all is up, Keep a-goin’!
Drain the sweetness from the cup – Keep a-goin’!
See the wild birds on the wing,
Hear the bells that sweetly ring,
When you feel like surgin’ sing – Keep a-goin’!”
