Senior Metamorphosis Moments

Trust

As a child we believe, we trust.

As an adult we doubt, we distrust.

As a child we do the impossible, because a child doesn’t know it’s impossible.

As an adult we do not even try because we know it cannot be done.

As a child we have the power to wonder.

As an adult we have lost some of that power, much of that wonder.

You and I live in this world, this world full of doubts and distrust.

A world where sometimes it is hard to keep that faith, keep that trust like a child.

I confront that struggle probably every day, so might you.

How do we become that child again, the one who believes, the one who does not doubt, the one who has the power of wonder? For me, it is simple.

When it is just me and God, I will be glad to be that child.

I will have the faith and trust of a child.

I will believe with faith as small as a mustard seed.

I won’t need much, not a lot, just a little.

Change, Grow, Evolve

©bcreed

My Inner Voice, Your Inner Voice

Words come out of my mouth and sometimes people listen to me; sometimes they do not. This is okay with me, for the fact is, that sometimes what I am saying is not worth listening to.

What about the words that do not come out of my mouth? What about the words that come out of my mind, sometimes out of my soul? These are words only I can hear. Sometimes I listen to these inner words; sometimes I do not.

One thing that seems important to me is how valuable it can be for all of us to listen to our own inner voice. It is what some call a gut feeling; to some it would be intuition. That inner voice often knows what is right for us. Sometimes when speaking with like-minded friends I would talk about the power of the inner voice. Like a personal GPS system our inner voice will point us in the right direction if we just listen to it. Listen to it and not let our fears get in the way.

I am a very spiritual person and truly believe in a power that resides in each and every human being. That power takes different forms for different people. I know the form it takes for me, but I also respect others have the right to choose how it is manifested in each of them. The form is not as important as developing the ability to tap into this power and use it to direct our lives. It is our inner voice that reminds us of this power.

The most profound example of my own personal inner voice speaking to me came when I was in my forties. My inner voice was pointing me in the direction of making the decision to quit my job and go to college. Attending college was something I had always wanted to do and something I was not able to do when I was younger. It was very difficult to walk away from a very successful career in sales and marketing, with all its financial security and perks to become a full-time student. My fears held me back for a while. It took a whole year of me trying not to listen to my inner voice regarding this before I took action, to finally quit my job and enroll at the university. As usual, I can now look back on that decision with full conviction that it was the right decision for me. I know the journey down that road was important to my personal and professional growth. My inner voice was right!!

What is your inner voice saying to you? Where is your inner compass pointing you? Often our inner voice is the one that believes in us. Believes in us maybe more than we believe in ourself.

Find a quiet place. Tune out the world and its chaos for a few minutes. Find a place where all you can hear is your inner voice and . . . Listen. Listen. Listen.

Change, Grow, Evolve

©bcreed

Puzzle Pieces of Our Lives

Let me just admit it – I like puzzles. Jigsaw puzzles. Word puzzles. Even life puzzles.

In my storage space in the garage there has to be over 100 jigsaw puzzles. And that is just the current inventory. Many puzzles have been donated to others over the years. Our dining room table always has a puzzle on it. In fact, I cannot remember a time when it was not covered with puzzle pieces. One of my favorite types of jigsaw puzzles are the collages. This is where there are individual scenes or items connected together in a frame like outline. As one jigsaw puzzle is completed another one is started. Finding where pieces go and fitting them together is a challenge I enjoy.

I think we can look at life like doing a jigsaw puzzle. This may be the most challenging puzzle of all. Sometimes I enjoy the challenges of my life, sometimes not so much. I feel that our lives consist of thousands of puzzle pieces, just waiting for us to put the pieces together and complete one section after another of the picture of our lives.

I always start a puzzle off by finding all the edge pieces and creating a frame. The same could be said for our life puzzle. This life frame is developed early on, during our childhood years. A psychiatrist once told me that a person’s character is formed very early on, before the age of five. That seems unfair to me in a way. If this is true, then the very foundation of a person’s life is being developed long before that person is even aware of themselves. Be that as it may, our early influencers, such as family, teachers, and others in the world have helped to form those edge pieces of our life puzzle.

Once the outer frame is completed other parts of a jigsaw puzzle can start to come together. So it is with our lives as well. We can piece together small sections of our life puzzle one at a time and place those pieces in our frame to view different timeframes, different experiences of our life. What part of your life puzzle are you working on right now?

Certainly the last two years have been a difficult time in most, if not all, of our lives. For some, there may have been illness and loved ones lost due to the pandemic. For others there may have been financial struggles or maybe just the loneliness that came with the lockdowns and CDC guidelines on how to stay healthy. The last two years are a reminder that life is unpredictable. A reminder that we should embrace every opportunity we get to live life to the fullest.

Now that the new year is here we have a chance to complete another part of our life puzzle. Maybe we could connect with others we have not seen for a while. Or maybe do some traveling we have been putting off. Or maybe have a chance to heal severed relationships with people we love but with whom there has been mistakes made and pain felt. Whatever part of your life puzzle you want to work on is your choice. Make your life the best it can be this year!

Change, Grow, Evolve

©bcreed

Weight Loss, Weight Gain, Weight Loss

It is that time of year when there is a focus on making positive changes in our lives, sometimes known as New Year Resolutions. One popular focus is on losing weight to improve health. Television commercials flood the airways with ads asking us to sign up for their weight loss program. Here are some of my thoughts regarding the issues related to weight loss, weight gain, weight loss.

I have been overweight for as long as I can remember, certainly as far back as age five. Our family did not eat healthy meals together; in fact, we did not eat meals together at all. My father was out of the picture early on and my mother worked as a waitress (known as a food server today) so she was not home at meal times. I remember eating fast food and unhealthy snacks mostly. Thus, poor eating habits developed early and remain until this day. I still prefer junk food and sugary treats to vegetables.

Over the years, decades really, I have tried many weight loss programs and diets. This is probably true for many people who struggle with weight issues. Some of my attempts were successful, others were not. And then of course, there is gaining the weight back after the losses. It is like a teeter totter – what goes down eventually goes back up. Maintaining a balance, maintaining the weight loss, seems to elude many of us. In my mind this is the most disheartening. To lose only to gain again. To go down, only to go back up. Is there a weight loss program, that actually works? Below is some food for thought on this topic (pun intended).

All weight loss programs work. No weight loss program works.

Many people will not agree with one or both of these statements. There are people who can attest to the fact that they have participated in a program that did not work. Other people, or even the same people, probably have also participated in a program that did work. So what do these two contradictory statements mean?

Any given weight loss program could work, or could not work. This is because YOU and I are the ones that do the work, no matter what program we choose. The other side of this, and the somewhat difficult fact to face, is that if the weight loss program does not work, it is because YOU and I do not do the work. While this may be a difficult fact for us to face, it is also the most important fact to face. The power to lose weight and be healthy is not about the program we choose, but all about the work we choose to do in a program.

If you will agree to my above theory, then we can accept that YOU and I are the key to all the successes and all the failures connected to a weight loss program, or any program of change we attempt. Do not take this as a negative and give up. This is the good news folks!!

We are the main part of succeeding in any weight loss program, or in any endeavor we pursue. Sure, there are extraneous factors that will influence the path of success. Think of it as if we are a car going down a road. Sure, there could be bumps in the road, could be hills to drive up, could be icy roads to maneuver. But in all circumstances it is the car (in this case you and I), that is the driving force (pun intended).

Let’s believe in ourselves and be the driving force behind our own success in 2022!

Change, Grow, Evolve

©bcreed

What’s with the Waddle ?

For years I have been disturbed by my wrinkly neck, what I called my waddle. Therefore, as is the norm for me I decided to write about this issue. But, before I expressed my personal feelings on the subject the educator in me decided to do some research. I thought getting a specific definition about my waddle would be a good place to start. Boy, was I surprised by what I learned!!

I went to the Internet dictionary and found these definitions.

Miriam-Webster dictionary has some things to say about a waddle:

to walk with short steps swinging the forepart of the body from side to side
to move clumsily in a manner suggesting a waddle
an awkward clumsy swaying gait

Examples of waddle in a sentence: He waddled down the hallway. A fat goose waddled across the yard.

Although I feel like my saggy neck often looks like it is moving clumsily and swinging from side to side, none of these definitions seem to fit for the waddle that I am experiencing.

It seems I have had it wrong all these years. I thought the term was waddle. Come to find out I was researching the wrong spelling. I found out the correct term is wattle. Back to the research. What does the Internet say about the wattle?

Wikipedia states: In turkeys, the wattle is a flap of skin hanging under the chin connecting the throat and head. (This seems to be a better, if not depressing, definition of what I am experiencing.)
pureluxemedical.com says: Turkey neck affects the underlying muscles and elasticity of the skin on the neck, which is why it ends up looking loose, dangling and shows wrinkly folds that look very much like a turkey’s wattle.
The Seattle Times states: It’s no secret that aging takes a toll on the skin, and one common manifestation is “turkey neck,” which occurs when the skin in the chin and neck area becomes loose and saggy. Turkey neck is caused by the weakening of the neck muscles, along with the skin losing its elasticity — both of which are a normal, if unfortunate, part of the aging process.

OMG — I am related to a turkey!

©bcreed

A Different View

I remember once a long time ago looking out a window and commenting on the nice view. My partner at dinner said, “what view – the rusty old barges in the water?” I looked at what he meant and then I did see the rusty old things. Until then I had not noticed them. I had looked beyond them, out to the water, the lights, the stars. Each of us had seen a different view.

During that particular time in my life, I chose to see, or actually I just naturally saw, the beauty of the world – the water, the lights, the stars. People told me that I did not see the real world, that I saw life through rose colored glasses, that I was naïve. To others it may have seemed that way. That I chose to ignore the challenges that were right in front of me; however, that was not true. Like everyone, I had problems that came into my life, plenty of problems, and I had to face them and deal with them. But I also made an effort to focus on the good in the world and the good in people. Life seemed to work better for me when I did this.

Well, life caught up to me and I became less naïve and more of a realist. I was less able to see the lights and the stars and started to see more of the rusty old barges in the water. As time went on and I grew older (not necessarily wiser) it seemed harder to see the beauty of world around me and easier to see the sometimes ugly realities of life. Some may say it is better to see life this way. Some may say it is best not to see the world through “rose colored glasses.”

I am not sure I agree!

I used to see the rainbows

I used to see the glass half full

It was really raining

The glass was really half empty

But life was better then

My life was better then

My perceptions may have been wrong

But life, my life, was better then

Can I see life like that again?

Can I again see more of the good?

Do I want to be that naïve?

Only if I want to have that life again.

©bcreed

My Favorite Weed

For those of you that have not read my first story about weeds, here is a summary:

Weeds are not deterred by any so called “weed barrier” or any concrete or any asphalt. They are pushy. They are persistent. They are determined to endure. They are resilient and will survive any challenges, adapting to the circumstances they encounter. They are going to live as they are destined to live and they do not let obstacles stop them. Like a weed, there are people in this world who find a way to be just as strong and just as resilient!

I think that most of us (at least those of us with gray hair!) have known a person or persons who have the qualities I described in my Weed Story. You know the ones, the people who seem to be able to overcome any challenges, who endure difficulties with determination, and break through their barriers to continue with life on their terms. Here is my tribute to one such person.

Ray is the husband of one of my dearest friends whom I have known over 50 years. I guess it would be fair to say that Ray is my friend too. Ray has faced many barriers, many challenges, and many obstacles in his life. He has had many health concerns, including heart bypass surgery and more than one bout with cancer. If anyone is entitled to complain and whine about how life has done him wrong, it is Ray.

However, I have never heard him complain, never seen him when he was negative or angry at the world for what he has been through. I know there had to be times when he was down, maybe afraid, maybe angry, and at times maybe wanting to give up. Like the weeds described above Ray has pushed through his barriers. He has risen through the concrete of his illnesses, not only to survive but to also thrive. Even after his many challenges he is the same ornery, sarcastic, funny and caring person he has always been. Nothing has slowed him down. He is an active participant in his children’s, grandchildren’s, and great-grandchildren’s lives. He is the first one to offer help when he sees someone in need. He has pushed his way through the life barriers he was given and come out the other side a great example of the resiliency of the human spirit. He is living life as he always has, on his terms and with the fortitude of a weed.

I am lucky to know him and I think all his family and friends would say the same.

©bcreed

Sometimes I Want to be a Weed!

Well, finally I am putting words on the paper about my recent obsession with weeds. I do not remember weeds being as prevalent in California as they are here in Idaho. But I want to say that here weeds are everywhere, And there are so many different varieties of weeds. I see them as I walk my dogs through the neighborhoods around me.

As I am walking around I see weeds and am intrigued by their ability to grow, no matter the circumstances. I see them coming through the cracks in the sidewalk. And the asphalt of the street. I see them pushing up through the drainage ditches along the sidewalk. I see them pushing through the grass and planter areas, pushing past the “weed barrier” that landscapers have put down.

Sometimes I want to be a weed!!

Weeds are not deterred by any so called “weed barrier” or any concrete or any asphalt. They are pushy. They are persistent. They are determined to survive. They are resilient and will adapt to the circumstances they encounter. They are going to live as they are destined to live and they do not let obstacles stop them.

Sometimes I want to be a weed!

Just like a weed, I want to be able to thrive and push through the obstacles and “barriers” in my life. I want to be resilient and survive challenges, and not let any of life’s barriers prevent me from living life to the fullest. I want to be determined enough not to give up when I encounter my “life barriers.” I want to be able to grow as a person, no matter the circumstances. I feel like the weed just doesn’t take no for an answer and keeps on pushing. It pushes and pushes, never getting discouraged for it knows it will win in the end and it will make it through that concrete. I want to be like that!

Sometimes the weed sneaks up on me. I do not see its beginnings, but then I see this 3 foot tall weed in my planter area. Was it growing tall and strong under the weed barrier and then broke through in all its glory? Sometimes I want to do that. I want to grow and thrive quietly and then burst forth for others to see. I want to keep my growth a secret until I reach the point where others’ negative comments and opinions will not affect me.

In my life, and I expect in the life of most individuals, there are and will continue to be challenges. There will be “barriers” and concrete and asphalt to get in our way. Sometimes we will want to give up and stop growing; we want to stay in our safe ruts, our comfortable places.

When that happens to you, remember the weed! You can be a weed! You can break through your barriers and get above ground to feel the sun, to see what you can do in life. The weed may not be the prettiest plant in the garden, but from what I see it may be the mightiest. I pull them; they grow back. I pull them again; they grow back again. If I do not go after them at all, they overtake the yard and the planting area. They will not be discouraged and will not be stopped!

That could be you! Do not be discouraged! If someone or something tries to stop your growth, what you want to do in life, push your way through that barrier. If the weed can sprout up through concrete, think of what you can do! Be a weed!

©bcreed