Life on the road

They came from near and far,
By Motorhome, caravan & car,
There was the Crazy Lady, Maggie 
And Funny Girl, Clare a psychic to boot,
Ethel with her four legged companion Milo
And Bill and Tracey to name a few
Each had a story to tell, a joke to share or a yarn they'd heard along the track.
This is life on the road, making new freinds, meeting people from all walks of life,
Sharing a beer and nibbles,
Five o'clock is happy hour:
Just look around, pull up a chair and join the fun, everyone's welcome and laughs are aplenty.
Introduce yourself, say we're your from and next thing you'll know you've got friends from all around.
As night wears on one by one we say our goodnights and head for bed....another day on the road awaits.
new adventures to be had, new friends to meet.

Friends for a reason

I am sure most of you have probable read this saying at one time or another, but I would encourage you to read it again and really think about it.

People always come into your life for a reason,
a season, or a lifetime.

When you figure out which it is,
you know exactly what to do.
 
When someone is in your life for a REASON,
it is usually to meet a need
you have expressed outwardly or inwardly.

They have come to assist you through a difficulty,
or to provide you with guidance and support...
to aid you physically, emotionally, or even spiritually.

They may seem like a godsend, and they are.
They are there for the reason you need them to be.
Then, without any wrong doing on your part
or at an inconvenient time,
This person will say or do something
to bring the relationship to an end.
 

Sometimes they die.
  
Sometimes they walk away.

Sometimes they act up or out and force you to take a stand.

What we must realize is that our need has been met,
our desire fulfilled; their work is done.

The prayer you sent up has been answered and it is now time to move on.

When people come into your life for a SEASON,
it is because your turn has come to share, grow, or learn.

They may bring you an experience of peace
or make you laugh.
They may teach you something you have never done.
They usually give you an unbelievable amount of joy.
Believe it!
It is real!

But, only for a SEASON.

And like Spring turns to Summer and Summer to Fall,
the season eventually ends.

LIFETIME relationships teach you a lifetime of lessons;
Those things you must build upon
in order to have a solid emotional foundation.

Your job is to accept the lesson,
love the person/people anyway,
and put what you have learned
to use in all other relationships
and areas of your life.

I find it very hard to let people, animals or even things go and when they do it can be easy to slip into depression, but by remembering these words I am able to peacefully let go knowing that it is for the best. Yes it still hurts sometimes, but it just means they meant a lot to us. We can still let them go and move on.



Thank you for being a part of my life...

What not to say to someone who's grieving

Have you ever had someone close to you lose someone they loved and not known what to do or what to say to them?
I have, a friend who has lost both a son and a husband. I found it so hard to know what to say to her and so I asked her and she told me some things that you SHOULDN'T say, so I thought I would share them with you.
"It's God's will, he knows best"
"You have other children....you should live for them"
"You should keep busy"
"There are other people worse off than you"
"Don't dwell on it"
"They are in a better place"
"They're not suffering anymore"
"I know how you feel" (unless you to have been through exactly what they are going through. ie both lost a partner to cancer.)
"At least you had them for x number of years"

But remember it is better to be there and say the wrong thing occasionally than to stay away.
They need you to be there. You may need to see them or call them every couple of days for many months.

Let people talk, reassure them that everything they say is ok and that they are in a safe environment. Allow them the emotions that come up whatever they are. They don't want to hear about other peoples experiences. They want to be allowed to be in their grief, to feel what they are feeling and know it is okay. They will often repeat the same story over and over again, they need to speak their story until they feel they have really been heard and till they hear themselves telling it. Then they will naturally move to the next stage when they are ready. You can't speed the process along. Even though you may want them to be back to their old self and living life again that won't happen until they are ready. they will never be their old selves, they will be a person who has suffered grief and will be changed by it but they will eventually start to move on with their lives, but they will never be "over" it so don't expect them to be.

You can say you are sorry, that you remember the person, if you do.
Let them talk and let them cry.
Be their friend, let them still be a part of your life, let them know whats going on in your life, even though they may feel sad that life is still going on for everyone else they still want to be included and be told about your life. But don't complain about things that they can no longer do, like buying presents or organizing birthday parties etc.  If you are going to events they would normally be invited to, still invite them. if they don't feel up to it, they will say no. Don't make decisions for them.

I hope this will help you through a difficult time and will help you to help those around you.

How do you keep getting back up when life keeps knocking you down?

Sometimes life seems really hard. It can be natural disasters, personal crisis, death of a loved one or friend or even death of a pet. Usually it is something in your life that means a lot to you that is suddenly taken from you. How do we deal with this?

Often we are able to deal with one thing or even two, but what happens when it is one thing after another and it feels as if life itself has turned on you?

This is how I am feeling at the moment, a frinds family murdered in the US, a beautiful little dog run over before our eyes, the sudden unepected death of a cousin and then our plans to travel turned upside down. Even little things like deciding to repaint the deck and we get a week of rain.

Sometimes I find I can deal with the big things, but it's all the little ones tacked on that undo me.

Firstly I know from experience we need to reach out to others at times like this, be it friends or a crisis support line, it's important to know that others understand the pain you are suffering. They can't change it, but they can be there.

Secondly, be kind to yourself, allow yourself pleanty of sleep (if you can) or rest if you can't, try to plan somethings during the day to keep you busy, it helps take your mind off things, even if just for a few minutes at a time. If you feel like crying, allow yourself to cry, it is all part of the healing process.

Thirdly, try not to focus on just the things that are going wrong, ask friends to remind you of some of the good things in your life, you probably won't be able to think of any for yourself. The pain is too overwhelming.

I get very angry at God when things like this happen, but I still need him as ultimetly he is the only one who can help me through this. It is alright to let him know you are mad at him, but also remember to ask him to help you get through it.

Finally the only other solace I have found is to get out in nature. For me I go down to the beach and sit and watch the movement of the ocean and it makes me realise that I am only a tiny speck in this universe and somehow, even if I don't know how, I will get through this.

Be kind to yourself, eat chocolate, cry, sleep and ultimately keep putting one foot in front of the other and lean on your friends and family, allow others to help where they can. I will add an image here that hopefully will bring a momentary smile to your face.

Do you like my manicure?

Love to each and everyone of you.