Tea anyone?
It is almost seven am and I am about to do my indoor cycle for forty minutes and then my at home weight training.
Today I will also paint and read for an hour as well. These are things I promised myself I would do every day because I want to develop my mind and my talents and make good use of the day even though it is tempting to distract myself with mindless pursuits like looking at social media or watching tv.
As I prepared to do the cycle workout, I was putting away dishes in the dishwasher and I decided to make some tea. My daughter Kendall drinks tea and not coffee, and has fostered some tea drinking in me, her mom.
As I went to the pantry to get tea, I thought about how much I love the packaging for Lipton tea, 100 count.
It might seem a small thing but the gold foil packaging on the individual three interior boxes is so shiny it makes me feel like it is still Christmas and I am opening up a Christmas present or like I am in the Willy Wonka movie and opening up the golden ticket in the bar of chocolate! I do not believe in gambling, I believe in hard work, and in living within your means, but even so I still loved that movie about having integrity. I am grateful that there are many small things in this world that I see every day, that make me feel grateful …things like the packaging on the tea.
For example, I love the two little demitasse tea cups pictured above, I found for a good price at a vintage antique store somewhere between Tennessee and North Carolina. One has light blue flowers on it and the other has a royal blue pattern with gold trim. I will use these cups on friday when the kids come here for a sleep over and like me, they will say these are “so cuuuuute”.
I love the lion necklace one of my five artistic kids made me, and I love the little Spanish dancer made out of porcelain who has delicate perfect hands and yet is only three inches tall, standing on my kitchen counter, that I bought in Leadville Colorado, and had to save up to buy her because she was 160.00.
I love the brilliantly colored pictures of Jesus and Mary and my two little Mary statues and my little infant Jesus of Prague (that my sister Steph gave me) in my laundry room. These pictures and statues help me to remember that leading a good life, exemplified by these two, who led such good and kind lives, call each of us to do the same.
I love the hand painted and glazed plates and platters I have made of the children because they are colorful and turned out beautifully. I think I want to go back to this pottery place and try to paint another plate soon.
Of course I love the children, and I love my mom and my sisters and my kids and their families. It is funny, I have just come back from visiting all of them and feeling like I am more a part of their lives, so when I return here, I wonder if they realize I am calling them every day because I miss everyone in North Carolina and Tennessee, and that camaraderie.
I love the old children's picture books I have been collecting, books with precious art of moms and dads doing things outside with their children, and depictions of children who want to grow up to be mommies and daddies.
I love the dolls I have collected that I let the children play with so they can learn how to nurture and be gentle with babies, because children learn through role playing.
Recently I saw a disturbing Instagram post where a group of college girls were taunting a lone guy who was encouraging women to keep their babies. One girl even said that if she were pregnant, she would kill her own baby. These young girls, who think that killing someone is a right to be demanded, do not understand that most women who have abortions do not actually want it, but feel trapped or without resources.
Perhaps also, we as a society, have not been listening to the rules of life that supersede anything the courts say…thou shalt not kill is one of the ten commandments. It makes me sad for any students who have not experienced pregnancy yet have been deceived to choose death over the beauty of family, because their view will not bring them, or the world, happiness or success. Jesus says to “choose life”. I think that if these same girls had seen signs on that same campus encouraging dog owners to not put puppies in a bag and drown them in the river, they would have decisively supported THAT sign.
Is that what we have been reduced to? Thinking people are no better than animals and treating other people and even their own babies like animals?
I am grateful to understand that all people, including those who have a virus, are more valuable than being just seen as animals, or dehumanized vectors of disease who should be masked no matter what the government says. That treatment of mankind is NOT what Jesus did. In fact Jesus did the exact opposite, he did not isolate himself from people and he also healed them. Man KIND is a word in our language for a reason is it not?
Maybe that is why the “shots” are not working? Because they are not considerate or respectful of free will, humanity, and compassion. They do not see the bigger picture of mankind as basically good, as Jesus did, and instead are authoritative, insensitive to different people and their choices, and preemptive, without accepting any liabilities or providing sufficient studies or demonstrating superior abilities the effectiveness of terminating disease.
As for me and my family, I am grateful for our good health for my own good health, for which God is responsible. I do my part to care for my body by doing regular workouts, eating smaller meals, and by using fast occasionally as a form of prayer for the world.
I have realized that when I pay attention to the small things I am grateful for, I can feel joy and have hope in the midst of things that do not make sense in the government arena.
Today, I can be happy I now have a dysen vacuum, and I LOVE how much dirt it picks up. I am happy I have thrift shops nearby so I can always find things I need, as recycled items cost me less.
I am always happy watching the pioneer women on TV and love how it has given me a myriad of new recipes that everyone loves and enjoys…and I love having a mute button so I can mute any “ads” trying to promote reliance on drugs or big pharma to solve problems. I love old movies with happy endings, music on the radio that sounds joyful and the smell of bacon cooking in the morning.
I love all the drawings and notes and pictures on my fridge that remind me of all my family. And I love the light shining through the window in my kitchen every day that brightens my room and uplifts my perspective.
But what I have realized I love most of all is my randomly chosen bible verse every day because I know that through it God is speaking to me, helping me through tough times and giving me wisdom and understanding. I am a “can do” kind of person, basically am someone who likes to start a project and finish it in one day. I love how these bible verses are helping me to be patient and “wait on the Lord”. I am happy to “wait on the Lord” and while I am waiting, there are LOADS of things to be happy about. Thank you BABY JESUS (as my son Erik says when he calls me. Love ya Erik! I agree!!).