I’m always grateful when February arrives. It is a short month and I know spring will be here soon. Even if we get a big snowfall, I know it won’t last long. February always give me hope for Spring!
It has been a good day today. I made a better choice of what I ate for breakfast this morning. I was able to make a good choice for lunch too. My days go better when I eat on plan. Still not sure what makes me go off plan but am grateful for the days when I can stick to eating the foods that fuel my body in the best way for me.
I am reading the book “Welcoming the Unwelcome” by Pema Chodron. It has been sitting on my end table by my chair for a couple of months. For some reason I picked it up last night and started reading it. Pema is a favorite author of mine. She has taught me many things that have made it easier for me to navigate life. Kathy and I went to see her when she was at a retreat in outstate New York years ago.
This book is all about living in the “between” . Just what I needed! She tells us that major life events happen, some you can control and some you can’t. When these events happen you get thrown into the “between” stage where there is no certainty about much of anything. That is when you have to get real and do life. Sitting with uncertainty is a huge part of life. Getting comfortable with being uncomfortable is a challenge for me. However, when one can step into accepting the uncertainty and allowing it to be however it shows up for you, life becomes easier.
For us co-dependent types and those that like control and even perfection in life, this “between” stage is a huge challenge. She reminded me that this part of life can be one of the riches part of life, as it is where we really get to practice real life. It is easy to be at ease when things are moving along the way we expect them to. But being able to get comfortable when things are anything but easy, is when real personal growth can occur. One can continue using their habitual things that bring them comfort and sit in denial about the uncertainly around you, or one can face the uncertainty and allow it to teach you something. Being in a phase of life where there is nothing familiar and nothing to hold on to can be disorienting and even painful. Recognizing it for what it is and accepting the grace that comes with it can help a person find their footing. Thanks Pema! I needed that reminder today.
Nicole called today. She and Geoff and getting ready to head to Iceland for a week. Craig and I went about 8 years ago and loved it.
While I was talking to Nicole, I told her about the trip I was looking at booking through Gate 1. She got on her computer to look up the trip and noticed that there was a sale going on for that trip. I switched to my desktop computer and took a look. The sale didn’t show up on my iPad. Nicole talked me through the booking process and I am booked and ready to go in September for a 20 day trip to England, Scotland and Ireland. I saved over $1,300 by booking it today. So grateful Nicole is an experienced traveler and knows Gate 1 and how to get a discounted trip.
218 days until I leave for London! I’m excited already. Ireland and England have been on my bucket list for a long time. It will give me something to look forward to after my 70th birthday in August.
I’m grateful I didn’t book yesterday when I was looking at the trip. Waiting until today saved me some money. I added an extra day at the beginning and at the end of the trip so I could have an extra day in London and an extra day in Dublin. I don’t adjust quickly to time changes so the extra day at the beginning will give me a private day to help me adjust. There are a few places not on the agenda of the trip that I wanted to see in both London and Dublin so this will give me a chance to get to those places too.
Never sure how many trips I have left in me. The flight cost is a big part of the trip so decided I might as well do it up big while I am there and see everything on my dream list this time.
I needed to go to Emporia today to deposit a check but I have to go tomorrow to go to a dental appointment so decided to wait and take the check to town then. I hate making a trip to Emporia for just one thing. Staying home today sounded extra good to me for some reason.
It has been nice to have the sun shining today. It has warmed up to 36 so far today. Tomorrow we are to be in the mid 40’s and even warmer later in the week. I think I am getting a case of spring fever and can’t wait for it to warm up enough that I can get outside and start doing some garden cleanup.
Something shifted in me as I read Pema’s book last night and today. The “between” stage feels more comfortable and doable today. It helps me when I can name what I am feeling. That seems to help it pass quicker. Pema reminded me of how to cope with this time and that what I am feeling is expected and normal. Somehow knowing that helps.
Grateful for Pema and all the lessons she has taught me over the years, grateful for Nicole’s help in booking my trip and the money she saved me, grateful for the sunshine on the prairie today.