PLEASE RECYCLE

I’m an avid fan of recycling. Taking cans, bottles, boxes, and bags to the recycling center and getting a small amount of cash for doing a great amount of good often feels great! I also know that I am doing my part to shrink the amount of waste that fills the landfills out there these days! In my city there are three types of bins we put out on the street. One is Green, and it is for the organic materials that can become compost of some sort. One is Blue, and everyone puts all their recyclable materials into it. The last one is Black, and is where people put the garbage that cannot be recycled or compost.

The other day, as I was cleaning out a glass jar to be placed in my recycle bin, a thought hit me…

So many times we toss garbage out of our mouths, things that cannot be taken back, recycled, or reused. People are treating each other like the trash they spew. Gossip, tale telling, back biting, and creating reputations for themselves, and others that make them appear very ugly and used outside. All of that mess generally comes from an inside source: something that has gone bad in there! Hurt feelings, broken heart, and damaged mind from too many verbal beatings they may have incurred themselves in the past. Either way, if you’ve ever read the book “Hurt People Hurt People” this concept would be more easily understood at a glance.

What do we do with those people? Do we open that black bin on the street and toss them in? Write them off as trash and worthless? This is where the process of recycling is so amazing! Are we any better than they? Of course we cannot change other people, and we may have to remove them from our lives if that is what it takes to maintain our own wellbeing, but we can look at ourselves, and that is what I intend to do right now…

What was I doing as this thought crossed my mind? I was rinsing out a used jar with hot water. Snap! Rinse that vessel out! Get it ready for a change! Toss out the yuck, and put yourself through a cleansing process. If we don’t work on ourselves, something is going to work on us. If there is one thing I have learned in this life it is that when we acknowledge that work needs to be done, and we do it, things are not quite as hard on us as it would be if we just let it go. (Let it go…let it goo) *chuckles*

After cleaning that vessel out, let the Master do the hard work. Melt, reshape, reform, recycle! Recycling may not be easy…in fact it takes work, and sometimes can be painful. But the end result can be such a thing of beauty! What may have started out as a regular milk jar may come back as a beautiful ornate glass piece that creates “ooh’s” and “Ahh’s” from people all around! Something that started out as a general space taker may come back as a functional piece of work that is useful in so many ways! The possibilities are ENDLESS! So when you feel ugly, nasty, used, hurt, abused, and just all around like trash DO NOT throw yourself out just yet!!

Go Green! Take that step to make it better! Rinse that mind! Pour the nasty out of that heart! Run outside into the woods and scream. Go to the riverside, or the Oceanside, lakeside, any shoreline, and just look at the vast amount of space out there…and remember you are bigger than your problems. You are greater than the pain that has driven the hole inside, making you feel like the garbage you are NOT.

There are SOOOOO many examples I could use, people who have lost loved ones, homes, and so on, who have taken all that pain, all the mess that has boiled inside, or that they kept inside for months and years, released it and let a change begin! Some have started movements for awareness of whatever stole their loved one. Some have started campaigns to help families who lost homes in disasters, and some just do what they can to help those in need…

What is your pain? What is your need? What have you buried inside, kept cooped up in the vessel you are? Empty it out, rinse, and place in the hands of the one who can make it new. And let yourself be made new!

I’m in the process of my own recycle. Man let me tell you, it has been an experience! And who knows when the product will be complete? But every moment has been well worth the sweat, tears, pain, joy, emotional moments (or weeks), growth, and maturity I am gleaning from the experience! If I had to do it over again (insert recycle pun here)…I would. And I’m sure I will.

Stressed? De-stress!

To say that the last few weeks of my life have been a little…eventful…would be a serious understatement. The unfortunateness of the timeframe in question is that the events which have occurred have been more negative than positive. The phrase “When it rains, it pours” bears great meaning to myself and my family presently. The amount of stress that I have allowed myself to retain inside has been excessive, to say the least. For this I am not proud. However, being the person that I am I began to look for something teachable in these moments of stress and frustration (and sadness as well).

As a mother *Super-Mom* I have an amazing tune out feature installed within me. I can continue a conversation in the face of wails and cries, and the frequent noises of children -mine or someone else’s- without missing a beat. I can carry on conversations with more than one child (or person) at a time, and most of the time manage to keep the conversations properly connected topic to person as well. With the help of my mobile brain -planner/notebook- I can keep schedules and appointments, lists, dates, plans, menus, and events organized. Facebook is my source of conversation and entertainment, Candy Crush my temporary retreat and sleep aid, and Pinterest my virtual collection of amazing ideas that I will, one day, accomplish in their entirety! (Sarcasm?)

But this mother is also human. There are days when I feel a little (?) overwhelmed. Sometimes it is just a day, sometimes it lasts a whole week…and no matter how long it lasts, at that time it “feels” like forever! In those moments, and days, I often lose my ability to multi task. I have little to no focus, and my frustration mounts higher and higher. Yeah, I will admit I have turned circles in my living room asking myself how in the world I am going to get through a situation, over and over and over again, coming up with no solution. I have let stress get to me. I have allowed myself to get upset to the point that I would shut myself in my room to avoid any human interaction at all. I have even tried blaming other people and situations for my angst.

Now that I have shared all my little blips that occur when I’m out of sorts, I shall elaborate on those little things I preach to myself often and endeavor to accomplish after I transform from the green goblin of stress back into my normal, human self (insert mental image…).

First, I take a seriously deep breath and let it out nice and slow. A deep, cleansing breath does wonders for the body; physically and psychologically. Sometimes it helps to make a noise when doing this…it accomplishes more than a let down from the hype. It also releases a chuckle now and then, especially if the boys witness me in my stress/de-stress modes. One thing I can say about my children…they are NOT the cause of my stress. However, they definitely help reduce it at times like these.  “Hey mom. Are you gonna breathe real big and make funny noises again? Do you need to go to your room and yell? Did you buy that punching bag you said you wanted yet? Can we hit it too?” Yeah, you know you just grinned a little yourself, reading the words of innocent kids witnessing the near explosion of Mount Mother-Rage.

Next, I take a step back and look at it all from a distance. I love taking a walk when I feel stressed. Another good reason to have a membership at a gym. When walking around my neighborhood isn’t so appealing, or convenient, the treadmill and/or elliptical at the gym suit just fine. Walking away from stress, even for a short amount of time, does wonders for one’s ability to handle tough situations! Upon return we can look at the situation with fresh eyes and a new perspective. Perspective! There’s another story all its own! But truly, once that perspective changes, the situation becomes a little easier to bear, and often times a solution comes to mind and lifts the spirit up out of the funk. Prayer and meditation are great activities during this part of the de-stressing.

So far we have taken a deep breath, let out some noise, and walked away for a few minutes to get a grip. What next?  Oh yes…

Never forget the things that bring great joy!

 Even in my stress my children know how to make me smile. They have their antics and their funny things, and at times even their ways of handling a situation they don’t care for gets entertaining. My husband brings me great joy! He’s a nut sometimes (have to be to live with me and survive), but he’s my hero! He holds me up even when I’m beating me down. He always has, and always will. My family brings me joy. My friends bring me joy. While I may be over 2000 miles from most of them, I know I can reach someone and have a crazy hilarious conversation that has us both laughing till we ache inside and out.

As I said before, the little things can be the biggest blessings, giving the greatest joys. 

When you are stressed, hurt, sad, angry, or just down and out, find that crazy noise deep down, take a massive breath and let that sucker out! Stomp and have a tantrum! I’ve done that! You should see my children in THOSE moments! Haha! Then… walk away. Move away from the yuck and get that new perspective. Think on those happy things, remember something funny. Tell a horrible, bland joke to a close friend and hee haw at it until you snort!

Since we can’t avoid those things that give us stress (at least not all of them) forever, finally, go back and face that sucker head on! I like to joke about the SuperMom status (no…I’m not joking. I. am. SuperMom!), but in truth there’s something about standing up and taking a situation head on, getting your victory, success, and putting it behind you never to worry about again, that gives you that super feeling. And that will help you get past the next one. Oh yeah…did I mention there’s going to be more? Yep. But that’s ok! You just made it through this one with me. You have achieved some extra super powers of your own. Another day, another joy, another trial…a stronger person. I got this! So do you! *inhale…*

My First "Tips and Tidbits" posting. The Little Things

Tidbits:

Summer is coming to an end. What did your family do this year? Picnics? Vacation? Maybe just a road trip to see family and friends? Well…my family has had quite the year altogether, and we have noticed that “stop and smell the roses” is just a small part of how we should really treat a day in the life on this earth.

Our year started out interesting to say the least, and this spring and summer we decided not to let things get in the way of family time! Making the most of every moment, because we never know when the last may be (as we have learned is sad ways this year already), we have begun to focus on the little things that make us happy. Such is the bliss of having children. When we (the parents) made our wish lists of the things we would like to do and the places we want to go, we consulted the children for their input as well. Of course, as adults, our list consisted of things like “Go to the beach. See the Grand Canyon. Travel the world!” When we asked the children, their lists were quite different. “I want to go to Illinois. I want to go to MawMaw’s house and ride the go-cart. I want to play with Lassie and Dixon (the little dogs at my family’s home). Can we go to Chuck E Cheese too?” In that moment, the lists took a new form.

So many times we make plans for the bigger things in life, when it is often the little things that give us the biggest joys.

So, what have we done this year? Instead of going to Disney Land we have gone to Adventure Park; a local place with go-carts, mini golf, and arcade games to play till you drop! Instead of Six Flags we have gone to Chuck-E-Cheese. Trips to Los Angeles were replaced with trips to the Sequoia Trees a little over an hour away from our home. We’ve gone camping in a tent, fishing, hiking, sightseeing in the local area, and just general driving around, enjoying ourselves as a family, finding fun things to do close by.

                 Did we do something big this year? Oh yes! We drove across the country, from our home in California to my parent’s home in Illinois. Road tripping is something we enjoy doing, most of the time…LOL

When we left California, the temperatures were upwards into the 100’s and above. One day, and many miles, into the trip we reached Veil Colorado, where the temperatures were around 38 degrees, and there was snow everywhere! It was amazing! In Nebraska, where my husband’s family is located, the boys enjoyed operating an excavator, and rode in an 18 wheeler truck with Sean’s father. They had a blast! They had some fun watching Sean and his dad help take down a grain bin that was standing empty in the back of a field near a creek as well.

In St Louis, MO. We got to enjoy the Arch, the Zoo, Science Center, and a trip to see my 103 year old great grandfather on his birthday! On this particular leg of the journey my children were able to get their first taste of some delicious frozen yogurt with us and a dear friend of mine I had not seen in nearly 5 years as well. 

When we planned out this trip, my mother and I had all kinds of things on our agenda. 

Thankfully, we included the hopes and dreams of the children, and ended up enjoying a successful, fun, adventurous vacation trip. And yes, the boys got to ride that go-cart at MawMaw’s house. They got their personal tours of the fire and police stations, and meet awesome people. They were witnesses to new baby chickens hatching, went fishing in PawPaw’s pond, and drove the golf cart around the property as well. There was never a dull moment, and the sound of happy people filled the air.

Back in California, we are still making plans…lots and lots of them! Some big, and most small. We won’t be in this state long, and we want to make sure we enjoy every moment we have left.

Tips:

Although summer is nearing its end, and most children have already gone back to school, there are still trips to be had, and things to do. Long car rides can be difficult for some families, dealing with boredom and restlessness. While on the road, if the kids enjoy maps, give them an atlas and have them follow where you are going. One fun thing is the live map applications that are one smartphones and tablets these days. My sons enjoyed the live map, showing the little blue dot that was our vehicle moving along the roads. Paper games, electronic games, songs and activity games, and frequent, short stops that become a little fun activity as well are great boredom busters for long rides.

Road Bingo; I spy; rhyme games; scavenger hunt; electronic games; movies (if the vehicle has a DVD player and TV); Songs and trivia; and many other options are out there for the road trip. Including the kids in making or buying snacks helps too, no matter how young they are. My 3 year old enjoyed picking everyone’s drinks to share on our cross country adventure.

Before the trip, searching for ideas on Google and Pinterest is a great idea! They are a plethora of free printables, games, ideas, crafts, and other boredom busters, as well as great sights to see along the way that are low cost or even free! Utilizing these resources is something I do daily, and I practically glue myself to my research when we have an adventure coming upon us!! 

Just remember, it’s the small things that bring great joy. No matter what you do, if you ENJOY yourself, have a blast, and make the best of each moment, it will be well worth every effort.

                                                   Happy summer’s end to you all!

*Becca*