Life Savors

I was visiting with a friend who is also experiencing Alzheimers with her husband, a man who is even younger than my Doug. We knowingly laughed and cried through some shared stories, bonding as only those can who are meeting some of the same continually-changing circumstances that go with this awful disease. I admire her tremendously – still having to work full time while managing things at home with grace. During our conversation she said two things that really resonated with me. The first – “I never knew I could be so lovingly patient” and second – “I feel like I’m constantly recalculating.”

I aspire to the first, and the second REALLY resonated! Recalculating indeed!

Remember the older stand-alone navigation devices we had before they were integrated into phones and car electronics? I had a Garmin Global Positioning System (GPS) that helped me out of many not-quite-sure-where-I-am-where-I’m -going-how-to-get-there situations. A key element of that device was the nasal-toned female voice saying “reCALculating” each time I made a wrong turn or missed an exit, then setting me back on the best path to reach my desired destination. It’s a scary feeling when you are in unfamiliar territory and unsure of your best course of action. That’s how life with my beloved husband feels almost every day. Perception for a person with Alzheimers – their reality- may be quite different from what is actually, factually occuring, and no amount of logic or correction is going to change that. There is no map for this tough terrain!

This is where my internal GPS comes in… the Guiding Presence of Spirit!

This spiritual navigation system helps me course-correct when a day isn’t going as planned, or an approach, a word, the usual connection isn’t having the desired effect. Doug’s brain just doesn’t often have the capacity to process incoming information in a logical, sensical way; it’s up to me to figure out how to present necessay directions to him to keep things on track in a safe, purposeful, forward-producing manner..recalculating!

Just breathe. Center. Affirm omnipresence.

Assess how significant is his understanding of the situation – most often it doesn’t matter if we reach a mutual understanding of the situation at hand. I can smile, say “OK, sweetheart, that sounds good,” and he is content. Doesn’t matter if it makes sense – it satisfies his need to be acknowledged at the moment. My outwardly calm demeanor is essential, and I can feel Spirit whispering “peace” into my heart which doesn’t feel at all calm in this foreign Land of Non-sense. Sometimes, the situation is more urgent, like when he is looking for a power tool to “fix” something or his keys to drive somewhere – usually to Ace Hardware! Doug isn’t driving anymore, and really doesn’t need to be using power tools, so…recalculating!

Denying his need to be useful and do something helpful, purposeful just escalates his urgency; diversion is invaluable. On the way to get the tool or the keys, we stop in the kitchen for a favorite snack or to give a treat to Maya, our dog, and the errand he was on is forgotten. Course- correction completed with no damage done. I feel Spirit guiding me in a good direction to avert potential harm in a loving way.

I could fill a page with examples of the need to change direction, to take a different turn, find a new exit. Each day brings new and different situations that require a new road to successfully reaching Doug; I constantly recalculate to achieve optimal outcomes, find the best approaches, and it feels like just as I discover something that is effective, the map changes. I’ve realized that even without a debilitating brain declining disease in the picture, life circumstances often necessitate the need for course-correction. We have to recalculate self-care, priorities, time-managment, relationships, work situations, the list is endless.

Thank God my GPS has an infinite Source of Power. And I continue to recalculate! Blessings!

I lost it ! Blew my cool, had a meltdown, threw a hissy fit, hit the roof, blew a fuse, flew off the handle. alternately sobbing and ranting… scared the heck out of Doug and me both…get the picture? The details leading to my blowup aren’t important because there are always going to be triggers no matter your life circumstances. Suffice to say it was over a really minor issue, the proverbial straw on the camel’s back. But my subsequent process of reflection and thought redirection to defuse and re-center are vital to physical, emotional and spiritual well-being, and the basis of my blog today.

I’ve always considered myself to be very resilient. Stuff happens, you take it in, consider options, make the best decision you can and go on, knowing that more stuff will happen and you’ll still be fine. That steadfastness comes from experiencing lots of challenges through the years and meeting them with courage and firmness of purpose through the tears, persisting in the face of obstacles, being open to learning the hard life lessons and applying them for self-improvement and life-enhancement. That’s worked pretty well for me through divorce, single parenting, professional provocations, health issues, navigating all the usual chapters in one’s life novel. Even in the most trying experiences, I had a knowing – that spiritual awareness – that all would be well eventually, even when things seemed darkest. I was resilient!

Recently, though, I’ve felt much less able to persevere – traversing an emotional tightrope over a huge dark abyss with danger at both ends of the rope is the best analogy I can think of. I often feel so prickly, that one misstep , one moment of distraction or inattention at the wrong time – “just one more thing” -will result in an emotional tumble down to a place of “I just can’t do this anymore!” Unsure of how far I might descend and scared that there there is no safety net beneath me, I’m constantly on this edge of resilience. It is foreign to me and frightening. It’s not at all suicidal or anywhere akin to thoughts of self harm in nature, just a dull, constant ache of needing to escape back to familiar territory of “I know how to do this.” This mindframe, the “stinkin thinkin” is what led to my major meltdown this week, and the subsequent challenge I faced, the deep need to get back to BALANCE!

Balance has always been one of my favorite words. I’ve told my kids since they were little that a good life is “all about balance” and of course I have an acronym for it.

Being in Alignment with Life’s Abundant Numinous Creative Energy ( Life Force – God!)

I desperately wanted to be back in the land of light and serenity, back into balance quickly, like just flipping a light switch and presto! Clarity and Peace… just like that, but it isn’t that easy! It took the time and energy of deep self-reflection, asking for forgiveness from Doug and getting right with him, then self-forgiveness and speaking gently to my soul, treating the self-inflicted wounds to my psyche, my heart – all at the cost of a good night’s sleep! I do some of my best self-reflection and deep spiritual listening at night. I played Karen Drucker’s sweet song “Gentle with Myself” several times to soften the places where the anger felt impenetrable. Tough 24 hours!

Revelations came, a soft light of understanding and deep sweet peace slowly dawned, emerging first as quiet feelings, then as words and lessons for my mind to consider so I could begin to reframe my raging thoughts. I kept hearing the word “privilege” whispered repeatedly in my head. I realized what a privilege it is to experience this part of my life with my beloved Doug – all of it – the repetition and word loss, nonsense sentences, the lack of short term memory, the constancy of care and minute to minute changes in orientation, the not knowing, and…the love, the caring, the laughter, the tears. Then came the realization of the sadness. The recognition of that deep sadness was a huge breakthrough moment of clarity, allowing me to change the way I was thinking and reacting. Fr. Richard Rohr, in his book “The Tears of Things” writes, “After a lifetime of counseling and retreat work – not to mention my own spiritual direction – I have become convinced that most anger comes, first of all, from a place of deep sadness.”

I realized I have been grieving – grieving the loss of the Doug that was, our life that was, our intended future plans – all the unknowns, the change. I’m grieving the loss of any semblance of a “usual day” that we used to enjoy. It is just plain sad to wonder each day if your husband is going to know who you are, how much you love him…remember that he loves you!

I knew this was the truth of my anger – deep sadness. But identifying it, naming it, enabled me to change my thoughts, to redirect them. Now, knowing and feeling this experience as privilege. allowed balance. Things are different and unexpected, and even unwanted, but we still have a love-filled and abundant life. My peace and gratitude came flowing back. I have clarity and an understanding acceptance that walking a tightrope might still be part of my journey, but there are joys on both sides of that trip across this canyon called dementia. I have a  balancing pole to help me maintain stability on that trek, and the tightrope has become more of a wider bridge to walk, with abundant blessings at one end and deep gratitude on the other. It’s harder to tip over, and allows for easier corrections of balance without the rage and loss of sleep. The canyon below is no longer a deep dark abyss; it is now beautifully lit with sweet reminders of each day when patience and loving helpfulness make things better. I have a safety net in place – spiritual practices, incredibly loving and helpful family and friends, an accessible team of knowledgeable health care providers, a beneficial array of resources at my fingertips, a supportive spiritual community.

My resilience is no longer on a thin edge where I constantly feel on the brink of despair and anger. I’m back on firm ground, a wide swath of fertile abundance as my base. Being able to authentically name sadness as a cause for my unexpected outburst of rage brought me back to a place of alignment – my balance restored. I know this doesn’t mean the sadness is gone or that I won’t feel angry and lost sometimes given the circumstances. But I also know even as my grief may continue to manifest in different ways though this journey, I will be able to manage, to thrive again with my renewed resilience!! I am so grateful.

Each week, as a spiritual practice, I write a new affirmation based on a focus word to direct my thoughts and actions in an intentional way to experience and effect good. I do it at the top of an 8 x 11 paper that also has a longer affirmative prayer which I update often, and big blank calendar spaces for each day to fill in things I plan to do, reminders, special events, appointments, etc. This is my MAP (Morning Affirmative Prayer). This week, my focus words are Wisdom and Discernment and my affirmation begins with this question: What is mine to do, not do, say, not say, and when is the best time to do, not do, say, not say?!?! I affirm the need to take time to STOP ( for Sacred Time Of Prayer) wait, I listen to the small quiet inner voice… Discern with Wisdom.

I’ve learned a lot in the last few years of living with my beloved Doug as we both experience his journey with dementia. I’ve taken caregiver classes through the James L. West Center for Dementia Care in Ft Worth (highly recommended!), talked to friends who are living with the same concerns and challenges and cried with those whose loved ones have transitioned with the diagnosis of Alzheimers. I’ve joined an online support group for caregivers, I read a lot, try to stay up on research, all of which is helpful. Yet nothing prepares me like just living each day with all the grace I can muster, being grateful for those moments when things seem “normal” and enjoyable, and learning the hard way what works and what is NOT AT ALL HELPFUL!

I’ve eliminated the question “remember? ” from my vocabulary – NOT AT ALL HELPFUL!

If Doug could remember names, events, processes, words, including what I just said one minute ago, he would! I have to remind myself that this is what amyloid placques do …those unwelcome abnormal clumps of protein that build up around the neurons, wreaking havoc – they damage the neurons and disrupt brain function. Doug wants so badly to remember things; he is usually aware that he has forgotten something with good nature and a sense of humor. God bless him. But his frustration is there, SO… what does help is my reassurance to him that I am here, that I love him, that I am not going anywhere, which seems to be a bit of a recurrent theme in his expressions of fear.

Also helpful is identifying and avoiding triggers that set him on a descending path – taking overnight trips away from home, having an alcohoic drink (NEVER AGAIN!!) , changing his routine, not eating regularly, me being gone for more than a few hours at a time, especially in the evening, dark seeming to be a trigger on its own. We learned about each of these the hard way, by him experiencing two frightening psychotic episodes, which, fortunately did not last for more than a few hours, but felt devastating. He doesn’t remember them, which is such a blessing. I would like to forget them.

I cry a lot with my own sense of inadequacy at not being able to fix this health problem, especially when my impatience has broken through in situations where he is trying to do something, it isn’t working and I know I can just do it quickly and without any problem. How dare I butt in, take over and emphasize his already heightened sense of inadequacy? I feel ashamed at my impatience, and am uncertain as to when to offer to help. But just taking over impatiently is NOT HELPFUL TO EITHER ONE OF US!

So… I STOP.

Taking time pray, to affirm the goodness in my life, to just breathe intentionally, in and out with the phrase “thank you, God” brings me back to center, reminding me of the LOVE present in the room, in the space between us, in my heart. I take a moment to savor that goodness, to smile, to give my beloved a quick kiss and squeeze his hand. This is what works.

So, my question to myself at the beginning of this page – what is mine to do, not do, say, not say, and when? It becomes pretty clear, even simple (but not necessarily always easy!). When I’m unsure, feel scared, impatient, inadequate, I STOP, breathe, open my heart, quiet my soul, listen to Spirit, and very often, PAUSE my mouth! This is HELPFUL! Discernment and Wisdom in action.

What is “Supremely” helpful? STOP in the name of LOVE!!

In my lovely little Unity church, we, like many other New Thought communities, have a White Stone ceremony at the beginning of each year. We are invited to prayerfully choose a word that comes to us through meditation, listening to our spiritual guidance in the quiet. My word this year is JOY – definitely God speaking to my heart in quiet whispers during this ceremony. Much more on that choice and what it means later, but first, a little more background.

White Stone ceremony comes after several weeks of different release activities and messages during Advent, culminating in a Burning Bowl ceremony on New Year’s Eve, when we literally toss into the fire a paper inscribed with those thoughts and habits that no longer serve us, letting go to make spiritual space for the new, for positive intentions and higher purpose.

The symbolism in each of these activities is deeply and personally meaningful to me, especially as they are done during Advent – metaphysically a time of preparation to receive Christ Consciousness at a new, higher level, birthing into the Light core concepts of Faith, Hope, Peace, Joy and Love. So beautiful!!

I share this as a way of a new beginning of sorts for me, resuming blogging after quite a hiatus, this time from a very personal place of caregiving for my husband Doug, who has mild dementia, early Alzheimers. This has aready been quite a journey for both of us over the last several years, and continues to be, which brings me back to my white stone word – JOY.

Many of you know I have a real penchant for acronyms… I love them; I “think” in acronyms, and have taken quite a liking to what I’ve termed “sacred-nyms” – using acronyms to describe spiritual concepts/words in a way that makes me smile and my friends roll their eyes and groan!

So JOY has become my word and my intention for this year… my 2026 purpose to embrace JOY – my Journey in Oneing and Yielding!

Oneing may not be a familiar word/concept to you, unless you are a fan of Julian of Norwich – a Middle Age mystic, theologian, author. and anchoress – and Father Richard Rohr – a Franciscan priest, founder of the Center for Action and Contemplation, and author of many books on spirituality, including a biannual journal called “Oneing ” that has several editions.

Oneing is an old term, but for me the meaning is timeless – it describes the knowledge that nothing exists apart from God, that we and all of creation are one with Spirit. In Revelations of Divine Love, Lady Julian writes “the soul is preciously knitted to God in its making by a knot so subtle and mighty that it is oned into God.” This image brings to mind those inextricable threaded clusters that one someimes finds melded together in the laundry – a knot that absolutely will not come apart, no matter what. She also describes our connections to each other, “In the sight of God all humans are oned, and one person is all people and all people are in one person.” This is what I yearn for, what I know for sure is Truth, but don’t always remember!

This quote from Fr. Rohr speaks to oneing; it touches my heart and challenges me to be authentic in my faith. “A mature Christian sees Christ in everything and everyone else. That is a definition that will never fail you, always demand more of you, and give you no reasons to fight, exclude, or reject anyone.” This message is so timely for our current community, state, national and world events, when in the name of Christianity, so much ill will, exclusion,”othering”, hate, and rancor exist.

From a deeply emotional and personal perspective, the daily challenges of loving a person with Alzheimers makes oneing so important to my mental and spiritual health – remembering that even when Doug’s memory fails to recognize me (fortunately only a few times so far- so devasating!), our souls are knotted together, entwined as one with each other and God. It helps!

Yielding for me this year as another part of my JOY is spiritual surrender – releasing the need to control everything (as if I could anyway!) but especially letting go of preconceived outcomes and trusting Divine Order. I can feel moments of inner peace and JOY when I let go, but I still have a “I need to be in control” mentality, especially when it comes to this horrible disease that is slowly robbing my Doug of his brain function, memory and cognition with its wicked amyloid placques. I want so badly to change what is going on in Doug’s brain, and I struggle to find balance between what faith tells me is possible (with God, all things, right?) and accepting and surrendering to what is with grace, compassion, love, finding joy in our time together with gratitude, knowing God’s presence in all of it. I haven’t reached that balance yet, and hope that my Journey in Oneing and Yielding will help me get closer to achieving that sacred, harmonious equilibrium this year.

We are so fortunate in many ways – access to good health care, the love and support of our wonderful families and helpful friends, hugs from devoted kindred souls at church and in our Spirit Group , our minister and prayer chaplains always there to bring LIght and Love to the situation, and sometimes a stranger like today in a waiting room who gently touched my arm and said “Alzheimers is hard – I’m so sorry,” a simple gesture so authentic and sweet it immediately brought tears to my eyes and I had to catch my breath to keep from breaking down into a flood of usually restrained public emotion.

So much GOOD is there!

So, readers, fellow truth seekers, fellow lovers of acronyms, my JOY begins. I hope you’ll follow me in my 2026 journey and share your thoughts.

Have you counted the number of apps you have on your phone lately? All those little colorful icons, just a click away from convenience, entertainment, friends and family updates, news and information (and lots of “rabbit holes” to chase around in!)

It seems that our daily communications are reliant on using these apps so much of the time. As I continue to grow spiritually, I’ve found another APP that is even more helpful, more pertinent to all aspects of my life – Affirmative Prayer Power!

Affirmative prayer is defined in scripture, Matthew 21:22; “If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.” 

Jesus further teaches us in  Mark 11:24 “Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.”

In our Unity church we paraprase often – If you ask believing, you are already receiving!

Growing up in the the Catholic faith tradition, I learned and used four basic elements of Christian prayer: adoration/blessing, contrition/repentance; thanksgiving/gratitude; and supplication, petition/intercession – all ways of communication with God, to be sure, and earnest prayer in any form can be life-strengthening, yet I’ve found the spiritual tool of affirmative prayer to be the most helpful to me. It brings an element of oneness with God that is very authentic and empowering, exceedingly personal. I’ve experienced it as feeling like Jesus is actually sitting in the room with me, talking, laughing, comforting my tears, holding my hand, and affirming the goodness of God in my life.

Talk about powerful…WOW!

In the Unity faith tradition, affirmative prayer is praying from our awareness of our Oneness with God, not praying to God outside of ourselves. This requires a big shift in consciousness for those of us who previously pictured God as the “big white guy with a beard up in heaven who capriciously handed out favors…. or not.” That shift in consciousness toward the Divine Within, feeling and centering on Spirit in the deep quiet of my own soul (see Luke 17:21) brought some startling revelations about my long-held beliefs, some of which are no longer serving my spiritual growth. I do firmly believe that God is everywhere, all the time, in all things. That instruction came to me at a young age, and I don’t think I could fully embrace what that actually means as a basis of my faith until the past few years. If there really is that “Divine Saturation” as I call it (Omni -presence is the usual term), then I, and everyone else in the world is blessed with it all time in all circumstances, no exceptions. That’s a hard one to accept and remember, because there are people and things I do not like! The difference then becomes our whether or not our thoughts, words and actions are based on that faith, our acceptance of our Oneness with God. I know mine are not always, for sure, but I’m trying.

And that’s where affirmative prayer starts, because if God, omnipresent, omnipotent and omniscient, resides in me as a part of me, then there is nothing that is impossible! (Mark 9:23)

In affirmative prayer, the first step is relaxation (breathing deeply, focusing on your heart and breath, and being willing to hear Spirit within).

Then begin to recognize and embrace your oneness with God… God as life, ever-present goodness, love, wisdom, truth, joy, peace, wholeness, power, strength… so much good! This is usually where I ask Jesus to join me, to be with me.

Then meditate, concentrate on that kingdom within – all those attributes of God are also within you. Accepting this as truth was hard for me, and even seemed a little sacrilegious at first. I used words like “God within me is love, truth, wisdom…etc” and began to see that as a beautiful gift, to see and love the good that I am because of the God within. That realization is such a powerful experience – that we are expressions of God as ourselves, spiritual beings having a human experience.

Next is affirming your truth. For example if you are experiencing an illness, you claim the truth of God’s wholeness is within you, that God takes up all the space, not any disease. When you affirm the truth of any situation – and the truth is of course absolute in God, be it love, wisdom, abundance, etc. – it leaves no space for the conditions you are experiencing. I’m not saying hurts, poverty, illness, despair, sadness, etc. aren’t real experiences, I’m just saying they are not the Truth of God Within you, because God is always Good, and cannot be any other way. In claiming our truth, we allow our thinking and our actions to follow divine guidance back to balance again.

Whew! Then, just be thankful! Gratitude is a huge part of a good spiritual practice. Thank God for the beauty that is you, that your true nature is divine, that Spirit is working within you as you, being so thankful for knowing that truth!

And then the release, the ending, the claiming “Amen” which is a Hebrew word that means “so it is” or “so shall it be.” I also claim “and so it is” at the end of my prayers, to cement it in well! Amen is a powerful word and needs to be said only to Truth and Truth only. Be mindful not to say amen to something negative – not what you what to “put in stone.”

Just a quick comparison of how I might have prayed before.

Dear God, please please please get me this job. I need the money so badly. I promise to be a better person if you will please just do this for me. (beseeching, bargaining)

And now…I am divinely guided to just the right circumstance in my work. I have all that I need and more, and I am thankful. (affirmative)

When I first started learning about affirming prayer, it seemed like it was “fake”… after all, my current condition was not what I was describing. But as I learned more about affirmations, I realized it was the same as an architect who is drawing up the plans for a house. The plans are not the actual house, but what it is to be after the work is done. And there is always work to be done – this is not some woo woo magic. It is affirming the truths that Jesus has given us. The faith doesn’t just happen. We have to open our hearts to believe. It is simple… but definitely not easy, and takes commitment and practice.

There is so much more than can be said about this APP, but this is long enough.

Recap – Affirmative prayer comes from an acceptance and belief (faith) in our oneness with God. It has several different elements to it (not rote or memory prayer, though).

Breathe

Know you are one with God

Affirm your truth words

Thank God

And so it is! Amen

And if you’d like to hear a beautiful song about prayer,

I’ve been reluctant to write about this – the myriad of feelings, strong emotions, anger, sadness, concern, wanting to be balanced, informed, accurate, and also be faithful to my values have all influenced that decision. I’m ready to share, albeit with a note that as things change, I may voice yet a different opinion. I’m staying open to different perspectives, learning all the while that even when I disagree with someone, I need to respect their voice and work within my own heart to understand and love. The following thoughts are prayerful reflections of self introspection. Side note – each year I give myself a framework for spiritual growth. 2019 was “to be a force for kindness,” and 2020 is “to be the presence of truth.” Little did I know back in Jan. what a challenge that would turn out to be.

One – what is mine to do? This is a question often asked by a wonderful woman who is sharing her wisdom as one of my mentors in the Prayer Chaplain ministry in my church, Unity of Arlington. The pandemic has interrupted our in-person studies, yet I still see her posts on our Facebook Live services, and hear her voice in our Prayer Chaplain calls, resonating so deeply – “What is mine to do?

I describe myself as a “very quiet activist.” Most of the time I choose to express my viewpoints on more controversial issues within a pretty small circle of friends and family ( some of whom do not agree with me on things, but love me so much that we can disagree and still love!) With everyone else, I choose to “put a prayerful pause” on my mouth when difficult issues come up… self-protection? lack of courage? concern for other’s feelings? probably all three and more, but it is never because I don’t have strong opinions about things, as those in whom I do confide will attest. 😊

I don’t like shouting, I don’t like people taking advantage of unrest and rightful protest to hurt others, to steal, to harm others in any way. I do not believe those actions are holy or helpful, no matter how justified the anger. I do respect those who are claiming their needs and rights in peaceful protest, those who are taking up for others, those who are on the front line of necessary change – brave, remarkable souls they are. I have good friends who are in law enforcement, and I can’t imagine any of them behaving in the horrible ways I’ve seen on video, police cameras, etc. Yet obviously, some people who should be helping in service to others are doing anything but. The pictures are heart-rending from all viewpoints, and I do not pretent at all to know the best way to proceed.

The role I normally assume is to put the situation to prayer, affirming God’s hand in the unfolding circumstances, invoking Spirit’s wisdom, guidance, and Divine direction, affirming each person’s good, sending out love and peace energy into the situation, and that is usually enough for this quiet activist – but not now. Speaking out is “mine to do.” Sharing my thoughts in a wider circle is “mine to do.” Being uncomfortable, braver is “mine to do,” and encouraging others to do the same is “mine to do.” Thank you, NaOra!

Two– be an informed consumer of news. (The following two paragraphs are excerpted from the site below, which I highly encourage you to read in full, and make up your own mind about its value. https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/life/a32745051/what-black-lives-matter-means/

[At its face, “All Lives Matter” sounds like a we’re-all-in-this-together statement. Some may be using the phrase to suggest that all races should join hands and stand together against racism, which is a sentiment that comes from a good place. But the problem is, the phrase actually takes the focus away from those who need it.

Saying “All Lives Matter” redirects the attention from Black lives, who are the ones in peril. Instead, it’s important to understand what drives the BLM movement and how to support it — by using the phrase and standing behind what it means. It can be an uncomfortable experience for many of us, especially if you’re someone that hasn’t taken the time to grapple with your own role in the systemic oppression that exists in our society. But it’s also an essential education, no matter where you are in your journey.]

So, I’m one of those who has always said “All lives matter,” not really getting the whole picture, pretty smug in my attitude of “loving everyone and everything,” complete with hearts, rainbows and smiley faces. The above article from Good Housekeeping was just the balanced perspective I needed to hear, and helped me in ways that hearing people yell back and forth at each other does not.

There is a lot of misinformation out there, some actually made-up lies with purposeful, hurtful intent, and some just misguided – but it is still misinformation, and it gets passed on way too easily in this day of instant sharing without constraint. My challenge to you is to do some thoughtful, prayerful, reasoned investigation of sources before you pass on information. So don’t just take my word for whether this article is good or not, helpful or not, true or not… check it out yourself. Get your news from different, reliable sources, and know that ratings, extremist viewpoints, and personal or political agendas do not always lend themselves to completely accurate reporting. Reader beware!

Three – get over (or past) your “I already know all this” attitude. There is a lot going on, a lot to learn, and one of the best ways to do that is to listen, read, talk – no matter how uncomfortable it seems. Nothing but good can come from civil discourse, (without shouting, please!), realizing that you cannot possible know another person’s story without going to them personally, asking, and then listening. You are not in charge of what “they should or should not” feel, although many of us are very quick to make that judgment based on our own experiences, even feeling superior to those who think or feel differently than we do. This is not helpful, it is not true, and remembering that EVERY SINGLE ONE OF US IS A CHILD OF GOD, BROTHERS AND SISTERS IN SPIRIT is a great equalizer.

No matter your political stance, your religious beliefs, your personal experiences and what you been told by others, you are the one in charge of whether you will be part of the problem or part of the solution.

God gives us all the answers we need – listen, learn, love, and we’ll all be the better for it.

What is yours to do?

Doug and I are getting out just a little more now in this age of COVID-19; we had family over for the first time for a little backyard cookout, are going to Dallas to see his Dad on Father’s Day, and we’ll be attending granddaughter Abby’s baseball games this summer.

In each situation, we are cautious – checking in with everyone to see how they’re feeling physically, making sure they are all ok with our visits mentally, and we still use masks in public, wash wash wash hands, and physically distance ourselves as much as possible.

I know we have to find the balance (my favorite word) in every choice we make as we start emerging from our homes to do things and be with others… how important is it? We won’t be eating out yet – we are both great cooks and enjoy our meals together at home. We go to the grocery store, and occasionally other places for errands, a few health visits, etc.

As I was doing some of my daily reading today (love that I’ve had more time to read), a thought came to me about taking precautions – not only for ourselves, but out of love for others, which I believe we are called to do by faith. You might find it a bit irreverent… well, so be it! Here is my “commandment” for 2020…

Thou shalt not COVID thy neighbor’s life… I’m pretty sure it was divinely inspired! 😉

Wear your masks, use physical distancing, wash your hands… you know the drill. Just do it.

I’ve always been an “easy crier” – you name it… commercials, sunsets, sweet notes from family and friends, watching the flag be hoisted, meaningful songs, sad movies, joyful laughter… and I’m tearful…momentarily.

But this is different. I cry everyday now, unbidden streaks suddenly on my cheeks at all times of day. The news makes me cry. I’ve limited myself to watching one national news and one local news edition on TV per day. The sadness feels overwhelming sometimes, even with limited exposure, because the thoughts are there…thoughts of even more hungry, hurting people in the world, already a huge concern…thoughts of my colleagues in healthcare achingly exhausted, still caring for others, holding hands of those who are dying because family can’t be there.

My friend’s daughter has passed away, a lovely young woman who battled mightily for several weeks on a ventilator, then… the wonderful but brief hope as she was able to breathe on her own for a while, and then the realization that the devastation to her organs from Covid19 was insurmountable.

A single text from my friend…”She’s gone” with a heartbroken emoji. What to do with the tears, the grief? The feelings of devastation and unfairness?

I don’t really know yet, so I just cry.

I’m sure it will be better with time – it always has been before when horrible things have happened. My head knows there is light coming, laughter is on the horizon, there are things to savor and cherish and to be thankful and joyful for. My heart just isn’t quite there yet, especially for my friend. So right now, I’ll just cry when it comes, affirm goodness and love when I can, let the time pass and the tears fall.

It’s easy to “descend” from higher consciousness right now. COVID19 is taking a toll mentally, emotionally, physically… any maybe spiritually? I just received word from a dear, long time friend, a nurse I used to work with in Denton, that her daughter was in the hospital, on a ventilator, suffering from kidney failure and not expected to make it. My friend and her husband are not allowed to visit, and updates are hard to come by. She texted me that it is agonizing, and that she can’t imagine what the health care providers caring for her daughter must be going through.

I am devastated by the news. I feel helpless. I am angry, I am scared. Her daughter is around the ages of my kids – mid thirties to mid fourties. YOUNG! So, what to do with all these feelings?

I want to make it better, to make this all go away… common to all of us, no doubt, but not helpful. Definitely time to TOGGLE.

The inspiration for this comes by reading (more than one time) excerpts from Emmet Fox’s The Golden Key. (link at the bottom of this blog)

In the Golden Key, Fox wrote: “If you are thinking about your difficulty, you are not thinking about God.  Your object is to drive the thought of difficulty out of your consciousness for a few moments at least, substituting for it the thought of God.  At first it may be difficult to get your thoughts away from material things.  But by constantly  repeating a statement of absolute truth, such as, “God is guiding me now,” however mechanical it may seem, you will soon find …your mind is clearing.”   He emphasized, ” Do not try to think in advance what the solution to your difficulty will be.  Leave the questions and ways and means to God.” 

TOGGLE is to Think On God, Gratitude, and Loving Expressions. A toggle switch is used to turn things on and off. It is time to turn off the fear, the anger, the sadness. This in no way negates the validity of those feelings; it is important to acknowledge our humanness – it is, in fact, I think, necessary in order to maintain our compassion. Staying there, however, in the land of scared/angry/sad is not where I choose for my mind, my heart, my soul to live. I’m switching on the “God thoughts”, the gratitude, the love. It’s not always easy, for sure. I’ve fallen off my “higher consciousness” more times than I’d like to admit, and still I know it is essential to turn to God in times of distress, to be enlightened by scripture, by prayer, and by gratitude for the many blessings in my life. I have my “God words” at hand to use when I need them (often) Creator, Love, Source, Love, Wisdom, Love, Truth, Love, Abundance, Love, Peace, Love, Joy, Love (can you guess my favorite?) and many more. The Goodness of God persists and triumphs, and I am so grateful.

Just writing this out helps me turn my energies toward prayer for my friend and her family, to breathe peace into the situation, to be grateful for the many friends who are adding their prayers to mine. Thank you to all of this, thank you God.

And I start climbing up to my “higher self” once again.

https://www.unity.org/sites/unity.org/files/files/Free-Materials/2018/Exerpt-GoldenKey-booklet.pdf

Every December for the past three years I’ve begun work on a special gift for our grandchildren… a calendar for each one that gives the special gift of time and memories each month.

The first year was called Grand Times, the next year was Grand Memories, this year was Grand Experiences. I haven’t come up with the title for 2020 yet, but I know it will be Grand!

So for each of the four grandchildren, I choose a themed calendar about something they’re into – sports, animals, art, etc. Then, on each month’s page, I plan time with them to do something fun together. Sometimes it is simple – going to get ice cream or a visit to the park. We also do service projects for a couple of months’ activities – picking up trash at a safe location, using gloves and hand cleaning gel (lessons on littering and safety), taking pet food to the humane society shelters (lesson on compassion), caroling around the neighborhood (lesson on joy), choosing some basic hygiene supplies at the store and then taking them to a shelter that provides for needy families (lesson on love).

There is always something special on their respective birthday months – lunch out together and a special shopping trip with Grammy and GrandDoug. In the summer we’ve done Cousin Camp, getting all four of them together for a long weekend at our house, complete with a camp song, cookouts, water play, hikes, nature walks, and “moon walks,” going out after dark, watching the moon rise over the water at Lake Arlington, feeding the ducks.

Once or twice a year, we’ll do something more elaborate – visiting the Dallas Arboretum, the Japanese and Butterfly Gardens, seeing a special exhibit at a museum, or going to the beautiful Christmas displays around the metroplex.

We’ve had cooking lessons, sewing lessons, gardening lessons – time to share family stories and skills. Their parents (my sweet kids and their wonderful spouses) have loved this Christmas gift, and Doug and I have so enjoyed this special time with our grands. They seem to truly look forward to each month’s experiences; I know the memories we are making together are priceless.