Valentine's Day Love

It is upon us;
The day women (and some men) everywhere set themselves up for disappointment.
Expectations of lavish gifts, expensive dinners, and unconditional love.
I never grew up thinking much of this holiday.
Yes, I enjoyed elementary school Valentine’s Day card exchanges and of course the candy, but should you feel loved, appreciated, valued, and spoiled every day?
There is one exception.  My grandma––who passed away three years ago––would always go out of her way to send my sister and me a Valentine’s Day care package from Colorado.
The box would arrive a few days before February 14th and we’d eagerly wait to tear in to the box where we would find stuffed animals, school supplies, and candy.  As we got older the boxes turned into cards with cash inside!
When I returned home from work last night, there was a  package from my sister waiting for me in the mailbox.
Keeping tradition, I opened the package this morning and burst into tears.
My sister found a Valentine’s Day card that my grandma must have missed place at some point during my childhood.  The card was clearly meant for me––it had a picture of a young man dancing––(my gram went out of her way to support my passion for dance) and it said, “For You Grandson.”
Even from heaven my grandma is sending me love.
I realized today how much I miss her and though I think about her every day, it was nice to receive some Valentine’s love from someone so special in my life.
That’s when I realized my single friends aren't crazy––they’re just longing to find someone who cares about them enough to shower them with extra love on a day that we all agree was made up to sell products.
Besides, who doesn’t love overpriced chocolate and flowers once in awhile?

Happiness

My grandma always used to say, “If you have to cross the street to find happiness, you’ve gone too far.”
I’d respond with a groan and remind her that I’d heard that before––she’d smile and say, just remember it.
Now that she is gone, I think about her and that saying all of the time.
I miss her laughter, the smell of her soft skin, her unconditional love, wisdom, support and guidance.
Thankfully, I hear her voice speaking in my head often; usually reminding me that happiness is within.
As I continue to work on evolving into a more enlightened person, I seek knowledge from others who have discovered their inner light.
While reading a chapter in, A New Earth, I was reminded of my grams favorite saying, and it suddenly made sense in a whole new way.
Searching for happiness is not the answer, exploring why I might be unhappy with a circumstance is more productive, and allows me to move past the obstacle there by making room for a positive reaction.
Happiness is not something you are, it is something you work toward everyday––in releasing the doubt and accepting light.

Christmas Is Coming

When I was young, my grandma would sing Christmas carols with me;
It was an exciting way to welcome in the holiday––full of joy, love, Faith, and family.
While I’m grateful for the blessings and life that I live now,
I get nostalgic for those simple memories.
Today I’m treating myself to a trip to the Grove (an outdoor mall) where I will thrust myself upon the holiday madness, search for gift bargains I can’t live without, and hopefully hear a carol or two around the piano at Nordstrom;
Christmas is coming, and I need a boost of jolly!

RecoNEcT Working! Week 10

This week I'm sending a thank you to a woman who has literally been a Godsend in my life.

My grandma lives 2,000 miles away and suffers from Parkinson's Disease.  Because of the nature of Parkinson's, one minute my grandma shows no signs of being sick, and within seconds she can become completely unable to walk, or function without assistance.

Of course this has been a difficult path for her and our family-

Especially because I live so far away.

I'm only able to help by checking in with her daily via the phone.

Fortunately, my grandma has a group of life long friends that act as her; hands when she can't write, her legs when she can't walk and her company when she gets lonely.

I'm reaching out to one of her oldest friends, who has dedicated her time, energy, love and support to helping my grandma when family is not available.

To put it simply, she is an angel.  We are blessed to have her in our lives.

Side Note: Grandma's Parkinson's

I call grandma several times a day to remind her to take her medication-
She has Parkinson's disease and the pill she takes five times a day helps her to function and talk with more ease and regularity.
The only problem is if someone doesn't reminder her, she may forget to take it.
That's where I come in...
Aside from the fact that I've been talking to my grandma almost everyday since I left home at eighteen to follow my dreams, calling her to take her pill is an opportunity to visit with her and make sure she's well.
Lately however, she's been forgetting her phone in various places; restaurants, friends' houses, the car...
(Most likely because of her illness or ironically enough a side effect of her medicine.)
Regardless, it is frightening for me!
My mind begins to wonder.
When I finally get ahold of her, she feels bad.
That, of course is not my goal.
So today when I called and finally reached her- she started laughing.
Without my prompt she said, "you're going to have to start reminding me to check for my phone so that you can call me to take my pill!"
We both laughed out loud at the hilarious thought.
That's what I love and admire most about my grandma- her spirit has never ceases to shine, no matter what life throws her. Her faith is strong.
I hope to be as wealthy as her one day!