The week from Hades is over...

Why is it that when one thing stresses you out, six more things pile on too? Are stresses magnetic and attract one another or what? I ask this as I reflect on the past week. I was on call for my job. The beginning of the week was irritating. My final day on Sunday was busy and therefore draining. During this week, almost everyone I know was irritating me, annoying me, and generally p***ing me off. If this wasn't the case, then they were turning to me about or talking to me about problems or stressful stuff occuring with them. Because of everything else going on, I was low-energy. I wasn't able to give the support and listening to the level I normally do. It sucked. I didn't have what I wanted to give because there were too many things taking my time, energy, and attention. Don't you just hate that?
The good news is that the week is over. Everything is getting back on track. I hope there's not another week like the last looming anywhere in my near future! Whining is now complete :)

The unknown path...

Lately, I've found myself exploring a new path in my journey of life. Many different things have come my way lately. My husband brought me flowers for no reason. People have been giving me compliments related to things I do that I consider to just be a part of me. I've heard words of appreciation. There's just a lot of different things--too many to list.
Ordinarily, when I find a shift in my path, I am cautious and questioning. Not this time. I find myself just enjoying this particular path. I feel alive and content. Some days I'm perky--others just quiet (but the good kind of quiet). I know that somewhere on this path there is a lesson to be learned--there always is. This time, I'm letting it come to me. I'm not actively searching it out so I can move on to the next life lesson. The process of this one is comforting and soothing.

No California

I got the word today. Unfortunately, I will not be representing my county's initiative in California in June. It was an honor to be in the running for the scholarship. The idividual who was awarded the scholarship is just as invested in the initiative as I am. Congrats Lisa!

Perspectives

Today was staff meeting and case management day. Ordinarily, just the thought of these meetings alone, never mind actually sitting through them makes me cringe. That's where perspectives comes in. The mindset with which you enter into things creates a huge impact in how those things go. It's really a matter of self-fulfilling prophecies. If you expect the worst, you will see only negatives. If you enter into something with a positive attitude, you usually leave having found something positive in your encounter.
Thankfully, even when there's a negative association with an event, something positive can turn it around. That's what happened to me today. Once a month, one of my agency's board members attends our staff meeting. The board member who came today brought along a positive energy. Every time she comes, she serves as an inspiration to me in some way or another. Today, she mentioned a catalog. In this catalog, there was an ad for a self care box. An example given from this box was a challenge to think of five things that make you smile. Sometimes one might approach this challenge with the thought of "Only five things? That's easy!" Other days coming up with even one might be difficult.
For today, I issue the following challenge: Think of five things that make you smile and then share them with someone you care about! Here are my five things. They are in no particular order.

1. Seeing the crocuses push up through the ground, bringing thoughts of Spring with them.
2. Spending time with old friends and remembering "the good old days".
3. Hearing my niece's tiny little voice on my answering machine.
4. All of the little things my husband does each day in his efforts to take care of me.
5. Sunshine--even when the temperature is low.
   

Being Royal...

You may have noticed that on this page I am "Princess Crystal". It's not that I'm full of myself. It's just a thing I sometimes do to make my day more fun. My given name, Crystal Anne, means "fine royalty". Add to that, I am my daddy's princess. It really isn't that I'm spoiled. Most of my life, for reasons beyond my control, I've often felt like it was my dad and I against the world. I'm there for him and he more than returns the favor. When he can, he pampers me. He's always believed I deserved my heart's desire and has encouraged me to go after it. College is a huge example. Both of my parents have always been very supportive. That brings me to my mom. When you look at everything my mom has been through with all of her health issues, it is amazing that she is still with us. Only a queen could persevere like that. Since her strokes, she can, at times, be very forceful in stating what she wants. To take the frustration out of dealing with this, I've turned it into a joke and say "The Queen commandeths..." If my mother is the Queen, then I am, indeed, the Princess. When life hands you lemons, you make lemonade!! In this realm, every time I turn my cell phone on, and when life is getting me down, I become the Princess. There you have it. Everyone should have a place in life to be royal.

Visits from the pixies of pain...

Why do they have to show up? I've had a migraine since Friday evening. It is the kind of migraine that makes you see stars. I've been fighting it all weekend. Everytime I think I'm out of the worst of it, those pain pixies sprinkle some more of their dust. I am exhausted. I only hope that tomorrow comes and the pain pixies move on.

I'm so excited...

Not to sound like a song, but I am so excited I'm silly with it. I received a message earlier that I may be granted a scholarship to attend an international conference this summer. I had an awesome experience at last year's conference. It was held here in PA. Just imagine, another awesome conference with the fact that it being in California as icing on the cake. Hopefully it will all work out. If not, I'll at least have the experience of being this overjoyed.

Rainbows and lollipops

Why is it, that as children, everywhere we looked we saw rainbows and secret treasure? Lollipops brightened our day and made the world right. We looked at weeds and saw beautiful flowers. As adults, we don't see these things and sometimes question their existence. We minimize, overlook, and say that these things are for kids. If that's the case, I want to be a kid--forever!

I want to see magic in the world...everywhere I look. I want to laugh and play and dance. I want to blow the dandilion seed heads and laugh as they float--not think about how am I going to keep those pesky weeds out of my garden and lawn. I want to lay in the grass, look at the clouds in the sky and use my imagination to see what shapes I find--and not worry about getting dirty or how I'm going to wash the grass stains out of my clothes. I want to blow bubbles and make wishes on them before they pop--not think about how slippery the soap makes the patio. I want to fingerpaint and not wonder how I'm going to get all of the paint out from under my fingernails.

Each of us has a child inside. Some of us have buried him or her very deep. I challenge you to find that child. Bring her out into the sunlight to play. Search the in-betweens to find a fairy who will give you some fairydust. Sprinkle it on. Think a happy thought and fly to Neverland just for awhile. There is magic in the world. See it. Feel it. Live it. There are rainbows after every storm--if you look for them. Lollipops always help you feel better. And yes Virginia, there is a Santa Clause. Life is better with a little magic

Old Friends

Isn't it funny how life twists and turns. Our path intertwines with the path of each person we meet, no matter how briefly we connect. Today, an old friend tracked me down through the net. This is a person I haven't had contact with for almost 12 years. In the midst of dealing with all of the junk that comes with daily life--like broken cars--this email appears and becomes a beacon of light. A reminder of happier days. It made me smile. I was reminded of the person I was back then--vibrant and full of life. I miss her--and then I realized that she's still part of who I am today--a playful side of my personality that often gets buried in life. I'm glad I had the opportunity to feel that part of me today. Thanks Alex! I owe you one.