Friday, September 11, 2009

The glorious end to Summer

Summer is coming to an end and I hate to see it go. It means more than a change in the weather this time around. It means how far have I gotten in my job search, have I persuaded my mom to move to a better home environment, have I got all the things done around the house/yard that I intended to, and just what is important, anyway?!

This year our youngest (Sarah) graduated from HS and is now working PT at a preschool and loves it. Our oldest, Daniel, is going back to school for another round of studying film/video. He has great talents for writing, and needs to get a job.

I have been unemployed for over 9 months and trying to find the "Zen" in all of this. Trying to enjoy the time I have, while using the time I have to it's best potential. This makes for quite a bit of wasted time. But wasted is relative, right?

I need to get healthier. I have been enduring lots of aches and pains, and probably drinking too much wine as a reaction to that. I have achey joints, a chronic ache in my back , and occasional sore knees. But, over time, I have found that yoga really helps to ease those ailments. I am also a big fan of walking a couple miles per day.

Well, the other night we watched the director's cut of the Woodstock Movie, and even tho' I was only 11 in 1969, it took me back, and reminded me of how good it is to acknowledge the sychronicity of life when it happens. We spend so much time multi-tasking and "not" taking vacation, that we miss out completely on what is really happening around us. As Neil Young so eloquently said, "To give a love, you've gotta live a love; to live a love, you've gotta be part of." To be part of you've gotta be present and in the moment. That is what this time has allowed me to barely grasp after so long. After so many years of working, raising kids, worrying, and scrambling around trying to keep up. I need to be in that moment. The rest is nothing important.

2 comments:

John Howes said...

Good thoughts. Ah, aches and pains... My doctor says that at my age waking up with aches just means I'm still alive. In other words, get used to it! I don't really find this acceptable, but I haven't figured any way around it yet. As our mothers will no doubt tell us, getting old is not for wimps!

Janis said...

John, thanks for your comment. Pat and I were just talking today about aches and pains and inflammation, and ways to deal with it. I try to do yoga several times a week, and that really helps with the joint and back pain. I know that dropping 10-15 pounds would really help.

I know my mom inspires me every day. She is 88, still moves around ALOT, looks great, and is keeping herself healthier with a better diet. If I can help her to be healthy, and remember to keep up with my own health regiment the best I can each week (which is sometimes marginal) I guess I shouldn't complain. Our moms are indeed an inspiration to us.