Learning to Be 10 Again!

Trying to consciously move into the second half of life my traveling companion and I have taken on the philosophy of "What would a 10 year old do?" followed by "Lets do that! We found ourselves on the freeway, driving by Indianapolis. I began a ten year old protest..."I think we should take the scooter off the back of the motorhome and drive downtown." My friend was apprehensive as this is her maiden voyage with her new RV and downtown seemed a bit scary to her. We have totally different view points about living. We're both making the shift into the second half of life but I've been at it a bit longer. I have a lasso around her waist, not pulling her unwillingly, but just as a guide so that she can find me.

Well, we did stop and drove through the city, with the wind blowing in our hair, sun and smiles on our faces... we were rejuvenated.

Imagine, being rejuvenated by playing!

We then spent 2 nights at a KOA camp in Indiana, where we stayed in bed (more like a teen :-) but it worked, we read and wrote. Then cleaned and did laundry, (definitely not like a ten year old, however necessary :-P ) then we swam and laid around and read and ate.

Later, after everything, we were very tired so I took a nap :-[ ( more like an old person or... baby) then had a beer, chips and salsa (certainly not like a ten year old, well, at least the beer part!)

Our first "fun" food of the trip, as we've been trying to not eat like a ten year old but like fat ladies who need to loose weight!) Wait, wait, let's reframe that last sentence, We've been trying to eat like we're people who care about how their bodies are working!

Next we saw a sign for a hayride, then totally forgot about it until the old 1920 tractor came to our door to pick us up! We came back and took a hike through the woods, and then watched an outdoor movie complete with lightning bugs! (A blast from our past, as we both spent time in the Midwest as children!) We walked back to the motorhome to try to learn Itunes on the computer. (Very unlike a ten year old, as they we born knowing it!)

Trying to learn to stop and smell the roses makes me tired! So we went to bed which was made. OK well so we haven't totally mastered being ten again...hey, but it's a journey! Happy Playing!

Waiting...God's Plan, gently unfolds!

As you may remember yesterday, I went back to the motor home with my tail between my legs when my plans for getting home didn't match God's plan!

We ended up the next day at the Crazy Horse Monument in, well, where ever the Crazy Horse Monument is, you know, next to Mt Rushmore! We are looking around, and my friend came to me and said, "You've got to meet this lady. She's moving into the second half of life and I told her about your being a motivational speaker...she wants to meet you!"

We found our way back to her and I introduced myself and we talked a little and then I said, "These are the 2 questions I ask myself. I find out what the longing of the soul and the true desire of my heart is when I answer them, because my perceptions no longer get in the way. 1). What would you do if you weren't afraid...what are you afraid of? 2). What would you do if it wasn't about money? "

My friend had already told her the story of her moving out of her house and purchasing her motor home and her desire to travel. Then I told her the story of my renting my house out (so that I was free for 6 months to go where life lead me and selling my car so I could take 2 classes that were interesting to me, one in San Francisco and one in Hawaii.
None of this came without my famous "panty twist" and and my usual arguing with God. I then told her of my "pushing" to get a flight home and when I finally stopped, I realized, it's not right and so now I'm just waiting and watching to see what unfolds.

She asked me, "Did you get a ticket home yet?" "No, I haven't." You'll never believe what she said next, "I am an ex flight attendant for an airline and I have one companion pass left to use. I have offered it to my children and no one has wanted it so far. I'll check once again and if they don't want it, you can have it!"

It's not all firmed up yet, and it doesn't matter if this works the way it looks like it might or not, the point is, I've seen it over and over, when I'm open and stop pushing....God's plan gently unfolds!

Pushing through closed doors...once again

I've been doing personal work long enough to know when a door is closed...leave it that way! But it was only several days into this 3 weeks trip with my friend in her motor home across the U.S., and I began to fret about my returning to the West Coast....just exactly how was this going to happen?

And so I began to become obsessed every time we had an internet connection to search for some sort of a "deal" to get me back. This particular night, we were camped in a Walmart:) parking lot and I realized that it was only 2 weeks until I was to leave her and so I had to book a plane ticket home TONIGHT! (God began laughing!)

As I begin gathering my computer and flashlight, I announce that I am going to walk to the Starbucks on the corner, so I can get an internet connection. I knew my computer battery was low and so I put my cord in in the bag, as well...

I walked to Starbuck's and of course it's closed (little town). So I proceed to stand in the parking lot trying to get a connection. I began feeling a little unsafe and well, frankly, stupid...I decided to hike to the McDonald's up the street. I arrived. sat down to connect, and it cost $2.95 for 2 hours. I went to the counter and asked how late were they going to be open. Great, another hour! I should certainly be able to find a flight home in an hour! I entered my credit card number for my 2 hours and guess what, yep, my battery died! No worries, I had even found a plug...but as I searched my computer bag, there was no cord.

You've got to flippin' be kidding me!

Totally deflated, with tears beginning to well up in my eyes, I began the long walk back to the motor home when suddenly a sense of peace came over me as I realized, "You are pushing, Pati girl! Let it go!"

As I opened the door I said to my friend, "I think I'm supposed to go with you to your reunion, everything I tried was blocked tonight." She began laughing and was happy to hear I was going to the reunion, as that was the original plan, I had just taken it upon myself to do it my way! (By the way, it is a Dreyer Family Reunion and I was going to be Pati Dreyer...the inventor of the Dreyer ice cream!

Believe me, this was not the last time, I tried to push my way home.....but read tomorrow and see what unfolded as I waited! Sleep with the angels!

We Plan and God Laughs!

Have you ever found yourself with a date for something, which is different than you had thought in your head or find yourself arriving at a place that was entirely wrong?

Today while traveling with my friend in her new motor home from California to New Jersey, we arrived outside Columbia, Missouri where a childhood friend of hers lived...or so we thought! After setting up camp, she called her friend to find out that we were in the wrong state!

I burst out laughing as I know all things are in Divine Order, she however failed to see the humor in the situation quite so readily, "reprimanding" herself for such a careless mistake.

We were camped in a beautiful campsite, which happened to be right next to the county fair, where we enjoyed delicious food and entertainment. We were able to swim and enjoyed a much needed rest. How could this be wrong?

I was reminded years previously when I was going to fly with my daughter to Florida where she was trying out to become a basketball referee for college women. When we arrived at the airport we found out that we were an entire day late for the flight! As bizarre as it seemed, once again, when looking at it from another perspective, it was completely in Divine Order. I turned my ticket in so she could still go (the tickets were now more expensive) and I realized that had I accompanied her, I would have done things for her that she learned to do herself because of this mistake! (Mistake? Yeah, right!)

The next time you find yourself having a panty twist over something that didn't go the way you had thought it should, or the way you had planned, maybe you can remember these little stories and just say "Thank You," and relax into knowing that everything is in Divine Order.

"We Plan....and God Laughs!" We may as well laugh too!

God's 11th Hour Information.

I'm certain that it's only in the letting go that we learn God's Plan.

• the letting go of our familiar view points
• the letting go of how we think things should be
• the letting go of things, possessions
  

I'm certain that it's the only way to make new space for things to come.

Let me give you a little example from the life of Cherished Daughter.

Cherished Daughter worked 2 jobs, worked to the bone. (to the determent of her well being) And yet, it was difficult to let go of one. The struggle led finally to give her 2 week notice at job one.

Guilt and doubt hovered like summer heat... was she letting employer one down? Would one tiny part time paycheck be enough? (think for just a second, employers always have someone waiting in the wings, and by keeping a job that we're called to leave, it prevents someone else from moving on up)

True to my theory, as soon as Cherished Daughter let go of job one, the very next day as a matter of fact, job two offered her full time. A day position, with the same working hours as Cherished Son in Law!

CD's faith , trust and willingness to let go of the familiar provided vision and opportunity.

You go girl!

What an Honor

Did you grow up in a home with good communication?

Not me...

Later, I found out that as an adult child of an alcoholic; I learned early not to talk, not to trust, not to feel.

Talking. I had no experience disagreeing with another person and being able to talk about it, no experience of afterward still feeling loved. In fact, I used to think that if someone didn’t like my opinion or viewpoint, they must not like me. My reaction was to simply write them off my friends list. Where I grew up, children were to be seen and not heard! In my family the premise was; If you don't talk about it it will go away. In a sort of perverse reality the family would talk to every person available except the person being talked about.

My very first experience of honest conflict resolution was many years ago when I was employed by the church. A parishioner had befriended me until the new pastor arrived, then I felt dropped like a hot potato. In a spiritual counseling session, my broken hot potato self revealed how I was feeling about the situation. My counselor asked, “So, what would happen if you talked directly to Friend about your feelings?” “Oh no," I dismissed, "It’s not that big of deal, I’ll just forget it…I’ll just forget about him!”

Well, I needed to face this. I had the guts to call Friend and invite him to lunch. Friend agreed and after we ordered he asked, “So, what’s up?” My instant standard reply, “Nothing.” ( I have to tell you 'nothing' was my standard broken hot potato self answer. I mean, even when I would go to the doctor and was asked “How are you doing?”and 'Nothing ', seemed suitable!)

“Come on, Patty, you asked me to lunch, so what do you want to talk about?” Wow, what do I want to talk about? This was truly a first for me. “Well,” I began timidly as it was my first attempt at “being real.” “I felt like you and I were friends before and now with the new pastor, I feel like I’m not your friend any more. We used to spend time together and now it seems like you don’t have any time for me.”

Much to my surprise, he calmly answered me. “Wow, if that’s true than you must really feel used.” “Well, yeah, I sort of do.” “Well then, you must really be hurting.” “Well, yeah, I sort of am.” “Well, I’m really sorry!” he added. (Not so broken hot potato says... what?)

Later that day I came home to Friend's email which read, “If you could see my friend Pati Hope thru my eyes, you’d love her as much as I do!” I love you, Love me.

It’s not necessary that we see eye to eye on every issue in life, in fact that's what makes the world interesting and balanced. That day I first talked a problem out loud with another, with someone I felt safe with, was an evolution for me.

A person we count on as a friend does not take it personally, we’re able to say exactly what we feel and know that we will be loved.

A beautiful, sacred, sharing of our soul. What an honor.