Distraction comes easy for me. They can come in a variety of forms such as getting caught up in a movie….decluttering a drawer which leads to investigating every drawer in the house to purge junk….scrolling through apps on my phone….gazing out the window on a quiet sunny afternoon. Today, I had my day semi planned…clean the bathrooms, go for a walk, sit down to email an article to our local newspaper and then write my weekly blog. While each of those tasks HAVE been completed, I did have an enjoyable distraction for part of my day beginning at lunch time. Our 3 year old grandson came to stay with Ah-ma for a couple hours while his mom attended a meeting. So, some of my tasks were delayed which was certainly okay with me and admittedly, sitting down to write wasn’t at the top of my goals….I wasn’t truly “feeling” like I wanted or could pen some words today that would inspire or encourage.

But, here I am. And to my surprise, thoughts are flowing…words are falling into complete sentences…the heaviness that was trying to weigh me down and distract me from writing has been lifted by the short company of a busy lil guy….

After our lunch, we donned our jackets and went outside to play. Well, he began playing by himself in the sandbox…I took one look at the hot bed, sighing over the healthy weeds growing in one portion of the beautiful black dirt…made my way to the garage for gloves and garden shovel….about 10 minutes later I had a bucket full of pulled weeds and raked the black dirt smooth. By now, our lil guy was on another adventure of his own and I began to get itchy to go for a walk (exercise is on my daily “to do” list)…

Thankfully, when I suggested we go for a walk, my lil guy was more than happy to oblige and as soon as our feet hit the subdivision road he squealed “Ah-ma, let’s race” and off running he went, lil legs going faster than I could ever hope for at my gramma age….but, thankfully–again–he stopped at a crack in the road and declared “I win!”

We made our way down the road at a nice pace. Every so often we stopped as something caught his attention….whether a rock or tree…a loud motorcycle coming from a nearby road…a plane overhead. It doesn’t take much to distract a toddler and when things do, I’m quick to remember that he’s learning and soaking up new experiences. In my world of familiarity, everything is becoming “new” to him….

Thankfully–again!–he didn’t hesitate or argue when I told him it was time to “turn back”…Even though we were essentially retracing our steps on the way home, he was seeing alphabet letters formed by the tar patch in cracks ….”Look!  A “W”….”  he also counted squares that the tar made…rocks he collected were first used to “repair a hole” in the pavement, but soon made their way into Ah-Ma’s pockets to take home.

I needed a joyful distraction today from recent worries and heavy thoughts filling my head and weighing down my heart. I’m thankful that a lil guy who is still learning and discovering our big world came to spend a couple hours which became a good dose of medicine for an aching mind and soul. 

He’s gone home now. The toys have been put away. The rocks he found and brought inside to “push with his toy bulldozer” have been returned to a flower bed. All evidence of his short visit has been removed…except for the warm memories etched in my mind and heart. I’m keeping those…..

Scariest thoughts and words have begun coming out of my mouth….”we’re at that age….” you know, the “age” we scoffed at when we were in our 20’s living on top of the world…you know, when we could see our toes when looking down a lean frame and even touch them while bending over with ease….body parts didn’t sag….being close to a bathroom wasn’t a necessity unless we were partying to our hearts content or beyond….and probably most concerning is  noting that all my healthcare providers are now the ages of our children….being a “senior” definitely seems to have arrived by all appearances and quite frankly–I’m not ready. I’m not feeling it.

In a previous blog I wrote about my husband’s heart attack that happened January 31. The experience has given us wake up calls, a new level of gratitude, and a list of changes to our lifestyle–mainly nutrition and exercise. Today, my good husband attended his cardio rehabilitation orientation meeting and I tagged along. As I sat in the room full of exercise equipment I found myself making several observations.

• You know how workout gyms have mirrors on every wall? I think that’s so wanna be gorgeous athletes can admire themselves while lifting weights or making sure cute tight workout clothes are accentuating all the right curves. There’s one mirror in the rehab room. I think most people use it to comb their hair or put on lipstick.
• Speaking of cute tight workout clothes that young gals wear so well? Not the case. What I saw were comfy leggings or capris…sweatpants…jeans…

Curves are still there, but well, let’s be honest…the curves have taken on new twists and turns…

• Adorable pony tails or neatly braided hair seem to be popular with young women who are breaking out in a sweat. The only pony tail I saw today was that of a guy who probably came out of the tail end of the hippie era…his pony tail was neatly tucked in the band of his cap…all gray hair, too.
• While most of the gyms are filled with teens and young adults, this place obviously caters to the “over 50 crowd”…only the rehab technicians are young enough to be our kids…

Today was a good experience. We were treated well with great kindness and respect. I can tell already that the folks who come to rehab several times a week are sort of a family. I guess that’s bound to happen considering we were reminded that my husband will attend sessions for 18 weeks–2 to 3 times a week…that’s a lot of work with a lot of people connecting.

Today I met “Miss Esther”. She’s 91 and all of 4’4”. I loved her spunk, her smile, her honesty wondering why she’s “still here”. “Miss DeeDee” was the one to speak up and remind her that “God has a plan for you Esther; he’s got a plan for each one of us”….loved Miss Esther’s response…”Well, the devil’s scared of me and God isn’t ready for me yet I guess”.

Yup, no fancy wall to wall mirrors. No young strong athletic bodies roaming the room from machine to machine. Merely one mirror, two TVs in opposite corners, monitoring equipment for each patient…all there to care for those of us who are “at that age”…and you know what? We’re thankful we’ve made it this far with much more life to live ahead of us!…aged curves…gray hair and all.

SHOES & FAMILIAR SIGHTS

With warmer mornings and promises of days full of sunshine, it’s past time putting away heavy winter coats and boots to usher in well worn athletic shoes and whimsical flip flops!

Toss in some cool water or hot sand to soothe tired achy feet and I’ve got a recipe for being in my spring/summer “happy place”! Sounds rather funny coming off winter and all my cheers for a good snow storm or two! I guess–if I’m being honest–I like EVERY season and what each has to offer….but, back to shoes and familiar sights.

This week the temperatures finally reached the high 60s by mid morning which is my favorite time to get outside. I actually own a pair of New Balance brand running shoes–no paid advertisement here–and these trusty ones keep my feet well supported during my walks that include a bit of running, too. I have a couple of routes that I use for getting in at least a mile or slightly more, depending on direction of the wind…my mood…a need for a change in scenery. 

We’ve lived in our current home for 36 years now. The “scenery” has changed…a sprawling hay field that could yield three cuttings in a good year is now home to a small subdivision…horses no longer graze next door…nor the goats that used to live with them. The empty lot across the road from us is still going through every season’s cycle of decay, new growth….continuing to offer safety for birds, squirrels and deer. Here and there in the undergrowth are wildflowers that poke out, enticing me to pick them, then remembering that’s a big “no-no”. Gone are pheasants….we’ve had wild turkeys come and go–much to our surprise.

As I walk and run along the road’s edge, I still see all the places the pavement has cracked and broken away…the shoulder’s gravel is full of ruts from the mail truck, cars and trucks that have passed by at speeds I consider a bit over the top, but wide enough for me to walk on when passing traffic comes along.

In the mile leading north up our road to a bridge, there are two new homes. One is yet to be completed. It’s tucked inside a beautiful wooded area that will offer its family some fantastic views of wildlife. With every new home built, our 36 year old neighborhood goes through a small cosmetic makeover…changing the landscape of empty lots or heavily treed spots…a new driveway adorned with a mailbox.

South of us is another area being cleared for a group of homes…if all the lots sell we should see 8 new houses…so far, only a paved road and property boundaries have appeared. One of the lots has a huge pile of logs from the big trees that have been removed, making way for a house I guess. I haven’t seen any activity there unless you count the deer who still cross the road making their way into the overgrowth of trees and tall grasses that come with late spring and summer. Theirs are about the only tracks in the dirt on both sides of the black pavement that winds its way to the back lots. 

Today, when I enjoyed my time outside I reminisced about the number of times I’ve walked our road…traffic has increased….familiar trucks still zoom by me and are still courteous moving over to make room for me. We exchange “waves” as a way to say good morning or acknowledge “I see you”. I note the homes where a family has moved, another taking up residence, acknowledging that I don’t know who they are….gone are the days when the school bus stopped at our house to pick up our own two children…the kids riding the bus are all strangers to me now…the mail carrier comes mid mornings now and I “think” I know her name…

I’m thankful for sturdy, familiar shoes made for walking. I’m giddy about being able to wear flip flops now without feeling I’m rushing the season. I’m thankful for our beautiful neighborhood that ebbs and flows with beauty and vitality through all four seasons. I’m excited to see where my New Balance shoes take me this spring and summer, until I have to put them away and drag out my faux fur lined hiking boots….oh. I guess I better go tuck those away…..

I love a good story. The storyline can be from almost any genre–although I admit I’m not fond of “dark” undertones, the kind that border on outright suspenseful to scare me into a sleepless night if I’ve read far into the evening. A good romance lightens my mood or an intriguing mystery leaves me guessing answers to  “whodunit” questions or trying to solve clues along the way of cleverly written words. Yes, I love a good story, whether I’m reading, watching, or listening. 

I’ve done my good share of reading since learning how to enjoy a good book tracing all the way back to childhood. Books were the road ways and avenues to discovering a world full of fantasy…scientific discoveries….biographies of famous people from around the world…libraries were the “internet” of my early childhood and all through high school. I fondly remember my father driving me to a local library after dinner every few weeks so I could check out 4 to 6 books…our city had several libraries…they were magnificent. If I close my eyes I can still smell the aromas from leather bound books lining shelves that filled the large building…the “library quiet” that was taught as proper etiquette while browsing the variety of books…each one waiting to be chosen and devoured back home while curled up in a corner of the room, maybe under a blanket…waiting with each turn of the page for the story to continue unfolding until the last page..when the back cover is closed ever so gently over the words “the end”…

I remember telling my Aunt Em that my favorite word when reading was “suddenly”. Of course she wanted to know the reason. “Well”, I explained. “When the word suddenly comes along it means something exciting is going to happen!” Suddenly, a story can take a twist that catches its reader totally off guard and  continue to pull her or him deeper into the plot…keeping the reader curled in that corner until the words “the end” appear on the last page.

Turn the page of my thoughts thus far to the best book I’ve ever read..the Holy Bible….This book of books–66 in all–has come in scrolls…leather bound editions…paperback form…and is now available through smartphone apps or the Internet. One does not have to leave the comfort of home in order to read words scribed over the course of several thousand years. There are historical events recorded….poems to inspire and encourage….prophets to heed…letters to reveal past and future events…I would dare to guess that the resurrection account of Jesus is the one that tops anything that is fantastical…supernatural…mysterious or intriguing….

If I close my eyes and imagine that it’s late evening on Friday when Jesus’ body is being laid to rest in the tomb…those carrying Him and mourning His death are quiet. Gentle hands wash and wrap his tortured body. He is laid on a slab of stone…tears are wiped away as each one departs the cold darkness which are the only things the tomb has to offer….a huge boulder is rolled in front of the tomb’s entrance. To those “reading” the story, they thought they had closed the book’s cover over the words “The End”….returning to their homes, grief swallowing up life itself and energy, they lay their heads down…trying to sort out the day’s events and pray for rest to come.

And then….the sudden of all suddenlies happens! The security and strength of a huge boulder is no match for God’s resurrection power when the stone is removed from the entrance…the cold slab lays empty except for neatly folded burial clothes…a supernatural twist has taken man’s feeble attempts to kill God’s plan for salvation and instead, launches a movement that the world has never seen then or now, 2000 plus years later. The book covers of THIS story exploded….replacing the words “the end” with “the story continues”….and so it does….

God’s story is one of great beginnings and triumphal endings! His story transcends all time…the alpha and omega plan that is only attributed to Christ is His story alone.  He is present at the creation of the world and He remains for eternity’s time as described in the Book of Revelation.

Yes, I love a good story…and while I have ready many books over 60 plus years, I never tire reading or hearing about the events of holy week…a last meal with cherished friends…a trial under secrecy of night….public torture and humiliation leading to a gruesome death on an enemy’s cross…a tomb with a huge boulder…but the “suddenly” that came two days later and changed the world then and continues to shatter peoples’ lives every day…the kind of breaking and shattering that leads to love, healing, and eternity with Christ…a story that has no “The End”….the back page of this story says “Forever”…..