Alive, Well and in Second Place

Posted on April 19, 2011 by a moment with god — 1 Comment

Kit being awarded his 2nd place trophy in the Boston Marathon

Good Afternoon, God!

Actually, I have no idea WHAT time it is — well, OK 2:00 p.m. in Denver which is where we are for a few more minutes.

THANK YOU! Before Kit runs a marathon it becomes really clear to me that I just want him ALIVE and WELL at the end. So, to have him finish 2nd in his age group was ICING on the CAKE!

I think Boston must be the oldest marathon in the US. Maybe the world? It’s full of prestige and mystic. And, when Kit started running it never occurred to us that ONE DAY he might qualify to run in the Boston Marathon — certainly not PLACE.

Marathons really do require GRIT! Grit is one of those lovely things to HAVE in the abstract — but, sad to say, God, grit is uncomfortable in real life. And those of us who LIKE comfort probably aren’t going to acquire grit. Ah well. I didn’t REALLY want it.

I’m now here in Tucson — talking about my new iPad 2 with Mark — happily waiting for lessons from him! Meanwhile, Kit is FINALLY online. How good it is to be with FAMILY — only missing Suz — to CELEBRATE TOGETHER. I have SO MANY THINGS / PEOPLE to be THANKFUL FOR! I’m full and overflowing with gratitude, God!

Posted in family visits, gratitude, grit

Kit off to the buses — for the Boston Marathon

Posted on April 18, 2011 by a moment with god — Leave a comment

Kit -- off to the buses at 6:15 a.m.

Good Morning, God!

Aiee! My Sweetie Pie is off to run a Marathon! And not just ANY Marathon — the Boston Marathon!

I’m Very Proud of him, God, as I should be. But, this is also my “love gift” to him — that I send him off joyfully — because I know he LOVES it.

As You know, God, I am not a big risk taker. And when it is Kit, I would prefer no risk at all. But, that is not what life is about. Risk is everywhere — I just don’t like seeing it.

Yet, how would we Pray, God — without awareness? How would we Trust in You, God — without knowing the Path we walk? So, God, I AM PRAYING for Kit to have a good SAFE run! And, yes, God, all of the other runners, too.

58 of them are from Hawaii and they will be spending the time from when the buses get them up to Hopkinton until they leave in their Wave at the Hawaii House. Kit’s wave leaves at 10:40 a.m. He will be praying with one of the youngest runners — who asked him to do that. Thank You, God! I got to meet her and two friends as we walked across the Gardens — bless her too!

One more thought about “loved ones at risk” God: it makes me realize just HOW IMPORTANT Kit are to me! It is all too easy, God, to take Loved Ones for granted. Risk makes Love CLEAR to us.

Life here, is not forever, God. Please let that awareness make me value it more. Ah, God, please increase my GRATITUDE!

Posted in gratitude, LOVE, Risk, Running the Boston Marathon

In Boston — with Positive Protective Limits — and Kit

Posted on April 16, 2011 by a moment with god — 1 Comment

: South Station, Boston as seen from our cab

Good Morning, God!

And it IS Morning here in Boston! Mr. Sunshine (AKA Kit) woke me up at 9:00 a.m. EST. He is now making me a SECOND cup of coffee.

It is in the 30’s here and as Kit observed — we would NOT have made good LapLanders. He is now down for breakfast leaving me to ease into the Day. SLOWLY.

The Good News, God, is that I am NOT Marching Along Side My Wonderful Husband — but semi-moving — at my own pace. This is the equivalent of the Reformation. Or, as I told “Pope Kit” I have become a “Protestant” — referring to all of the “things” Kit gives up for Lent — things which up until THIS YEAR I would join him in. Because, afterall, God, such a wonderful husband deserved no less. Kit is STILL WONDERFUL!

But, somehow, this year, I am not UP to more External Limits in my Life. Curious, God, how I never understood that Limits come in a VAST ASSORTMENT. I need more Positive Protective Limits in my Life. Somehow, I missed knowing that there even WAS a category called Positive Protective Limits. How sad is THAT!

I guess I thought Limits were Like Tall Buildings to be Leapt in a Single Bound — like Superman or Super Woman — the comic book heros of my childhood. Hmmm. Yes, that’s right. And then there was that “faster than a speeding bullet” thing, too. Cultural Value of a sort, I suppose, God. DELIVER ME, PLEASE, God!

And, it slowly comes to me, that protecting myself means I will not be generating so many Invisible Rocks of Resentment. A “good thing” for both of us!

Posted in pondering the purpose of Lent, Positive Protective Limits, responsibility, rest, Rocks of Resentment

On Being Between — Honolulu and Boston

Posted on April 15, 2011 by a moment with god — Leave a comment

The beautiful Between: Concourse B & C at OHare

Good Whenever, God!

I am HAPPILY still IN BETWEEN Honolulu and Boston — My Body is in Boston — and it is slowly “gathering” the rest of me.

This is a NEW experience, God. Normally, I “Soldier On” following along in Kit’s wake. But, Kit marches — or runs — to a Different Drummer.

Right now, My Body isn’t marching. It is in BED where it is apparently determined to stay.

Kit, has now eaten at the California Pizza Kitchen down the road and is IN THE EXPO — in his element!

There is a lot to be said for listening to one’s own body, God. I might even say, HONORING one’s body. I shall be a much more cheerful companion after yet another nap — or maybe just a good rest.

But, this is about more than just Rest, God. This is about self-respect. It is about my Conscious Mind actually Hearing and Respecting the needs of my Body. Hmm. I am pretty sure my Body is going to be a more Cheerful Companion for me if I continue to Hear Her.

Please, God, don’t let me forget this lesson! I am so eager to please Kit that I overlook caring for myself. Oops! Let me restate that! I am so happy to please OTHERS that I forget that I have responsibilities toward myself.

I suppose my attitude is part of being a Woman and part of coming from a Dutiful Warrior Culture. Actually, I admire both cultures. I just want Your Help, God, to re-establish a Better Balance!

Posted in A God given diversity, Balancing and adjustments, hearing myself, relationships, respect, Self-Respect

Getting READY to GO!

Posted on April 14, 2011 by a moment with god — Leave a comment

My office, last night, in major disarray

Good Morning, God!

We FLY OFF FOR BOSTON TODAY!

YIKES! I must say, God, I am not the calm, cool traveler. Hmm, maybe I’m not the calm cool stay-at-home person either. Oh well.

I am excited to be going and very thankful that we don’t leave for the airport until the afternoon. Still to do is buying a new hose and setting up my automatic watering system for all my plants.

And, of course, seeing my Mom! She is saying how much she will miss me! I told her RIGHT! AND THAT IS HOW MUCH I WILL MISS YOU — SO EAT and TAKE GOOD CARE OF YOURSELF!!!! Ah, God, that is one of the HARD things about leaving. It foreshadows other leavings.

It’s funny, God, how when we are young we don’t “notice” transitions. Or rather, transitions are filled with excitement as “growing up” milestones. So, now are we “growing down?” Hmmm. Yes, No and maybe! Working in a retirement residence I see transitions that mean accommodating to physical problems and other losses. But, I can also see that in the very adaptation itself there is real growth UP.

Ah, God, this Great Gift of Life is one darn Transition after another. And I have two thoughts: the first is that Life is such a BIG GIFT that it can be “diminished” in many ways — and Life is still a Gift. My second thought is that adaptation and change are not “mistakes” but the “game plan.”

So, onward I go, God. Hoping to appreciate that often reluctant adaptation known as COPING. Putting my Life in Your Hands and in Your Loving Context really helps! Thank YOU, God!

Posted in adjusting, Adventures, Changing, Transitions

Gary Player, Golfer and Role Model

Posted on April 13, 2011 by a moment with god — Leave a comment

Gary Player, golfer and role model

Good Morning, God!

A couple of days ago Kit came into my office and said, “Here’s a blog topic!” He had been listening to Scott Simon’s interview with Gary Player and he had printed out the complete transcript for me.

Kit knows my heart for Africa and Gary Player was responsible for breaking the line by having an African American golfer play in South Africa. It can’t have been easy, God, for Gary to do that.

Back when South Africa was under Apartheid there was a lot of social pressure on whites to conform. So, it was a Big Deal for Gary Player to arrange for Lee Elder to play there. I bet there are still folks in SA that don’t like him.

Grit, God! The man has grit! He is 75 now — 76 on November 1st. Hmm. That’s our daughter’s birthday. She also has grit, God! Thank You, God, for people with GRIT and with Principles.

Back to Gary Player, God. He has a charity foundation and for years has been raising money to help underprivileged children — he grew up poor, himself. Besides being generous he is also incredible fit — doing 1,000 sit ups 4 days a week and climbing double height stairs up a mountainside. But, he points out that exercise is only 30% — eating right is 70%. He eats organic food grown on his ranch.

No wonder Kit liked the interview with Gary Player — Kit, too, has grit, is principledn, generous, really fit and eats well. Thank you, God, for men like Kit!

Oh, and Thank You, God, for the miracle of Apartheid being overturned without bloodshed!

Posted in choosing HARD, Choosing Meaning, exercising, grit

Maintenance with Uplift!

Posted on April 12, 2011 by a moment with god — Leave a comment

Two maintenance trucks working together

Good Morning, God!

My special projects are almost over and now — as I look around me — it is onward to MAINTENANCE.

I’d like it, God, if maintenance got more RESPECT. In my internal “games” I give LOTS of points for “projects” but very few for maintenance tasks — like putting things away.

I want to change that, God. In fact, maybe I will pause now and put away a few things. Yes! Now it is a little easier to think. Help me, please, God, to embrace the small acts of just “putting things away.”

Another change long overdo, God, is to ask for help — or maybe it is to appreciate how much better two minds are than just one? No, it is BOTH. Asking for help is really hard for me — even though I love giving it.

I think it might go back to my schooling where “asking for help” was cheating? Or maybe it is a cultural fear of being “needy?” Both of those have a “point” but I have clearly overdone them.

Ah, but You just pointed out that I need to begin by acknowledging that I NEED HELP! Of course, I do! And, besides, it is so much more fun to work with others than, alone.

So, today, God, help me give myself MAJOR POINTS for taking care of myself. Both my body and my office show signs of excess accumulation. IN is easy. OUT is hard. But, not THAT hard. Here is a New Day WAITING for me to process tasks that have been kind enough to wait. So, ONWARD to a day, at least partially devoted to MAINTENANCE.

Posted in accepting my ability to REDESIGN, accepting my need for help, living within limits, Maintenance, self care as maintenance

Rocks into Walls? Or into Roads?

Posted on April 11, 2011 by a moment with god — Leave a comment

A section of Hadrian's Wall, Engladn

Good Morning, God!

I was chatting with a friend who was telling me about going into a doctor’s office and seeing a group of men sitting there. What struck her was how “alone” they were. Each one was avoiding eye contact and sitting as if with “an invisible wall” around him.

Both my friend and I thought this was strange so I shared it with Kit and he said, “Of course they were!”

Of course, God? They were in a stressful situation and they were ISOLATING themselves? No WONDER women live longer than men! A study — by women scientists — came out a few years ago that said that women under stress — mostly — come together and chat.

Can it be, God, that men are especially fond of building Walls? I think of how men seem to think it is WEAK to TALK to “enemies.” Building a Wall of Silence and Disrespect is going to help us? HOW EXACTLY?

But, I digress, God. My friend’s experience did get me thinking about WALLS. Hadrian’s Wall across the North of England was created to keep raiding tribes OUT of Romanized Britain. Walls often seem intended to keep “Danger” Out.

What about our Inner Walls, God? Walls we build with Rocks of Resentment and Regret? Ah, God, I wonder how many of our resentments would turn out to be misunderstandings? Mistakes that could be explained — IF WE ASKED — IF WE WERE BRAVE ENOUGH TO INQUIRE.

Since there IS no NON-COMMUNICATION there are endless opportunities for misunderstanding. Maybe, God, we women could take it upon ourselves to talk together. To take Rocks and Turn them into Roads?

Posted in Communication, listening, Possibilities, Stress, systematic rebuilding required

Inside a Palace, Inside our Hearts

Posted on April 10, 2011 by a moment with god — Leave a comment

Inside the City Palace in Jaipur, India

Good Morning, God!

I was looking at our friends’ photos of India and loved this shot of the inside of the City Palace in Jaipur.

Palaces — and the homes of the rich and powerful — seem to exert a pull on us.

I think of the mansions that we can “tour” in England — where the no-longer-quite-so-rich live in one of the wings? And the MacMansions that are squeezed into small parcels of land along Kahala Avenue?

What is the point of huge houses, God? It is the nature of the people inside the house that makes it a “home.” Hmm. I suppose that is a bit like our bodies? Being “fit” and “in shape” is great — but You look on our INSIDE — on our Hearts.

I wonder, God, what it would be like to be taken on a “TOUR” of my Heart? My heart is FULL of all the people I love. But if YOU took me on a TOUR I am afraid that You would take me down into the dungeons where people I have JUDGED are confined.

Down in our innermost hearts — are people who have hurt us — or hurt those we love. Do they stay FOREVER?

How I wish, God, when I hear of someone still hurting at an injury, that I had the Authority to Apologize to them. Apologies are powerful. They Acknowledge the Reality of the Hurt. They Accept Responsibility. And they Express Regret. I think, God, Our World NEEDS Official Apologizers! How busy they could be!

Posted in Apologies, Forgiving, Grief, healing, Hearts