Thoughts About Family

We are in the midst of summer vacation time.  Often, summer vacation means taking time to see family and friends.  Vacation for you is not at the top of the priority list.  The stress starts when we have to deal with family and friends who are family, and we are feeling the pressure to “do things just right”; “to have things perfect”; “to meet others expectations”; and, “to perform”.  Alas, vacation is just another form of stress for many.

The Angels have given me some thoughts around this.  Funnily enough, they come from others who have to deal with family, too.  

May your time with your family be healing and healthy, and provide you with the love and the guidance that carries you through your days with a song in your heart!  The quotes below from great authors will tell you that everyone has to deal with family/friends and their expectations.

Family quarrels have a total bitterness unmatched by others. Yet it sometimes happens that they also have a kind of tang, a pleasantness beneath the unpleasantness, based on the tacit understanding that this is not for keeps; that any limb you climb out on will still be there later for you to climb back.  
-- Mignon McLaughlin

Feelings of worth can flourish only in an atmosphere where individual differences are appreciated, mistakes are tolerated, communication is open, and rules are flexible -- the kind of atmosphere that is found in a nurturing family.  
-- Virginia Satir

I know why families were created with all their imperfections. They humanize you. They are made to make you forget yourself occasionally, so that the beautiful balance of life is not destroyed.  
-- Anais Nin 

Family life is full of major and minor crises -- the ups and downs of health, success and failure in career, marriage, and divorce -- and all kinds of characters. It is tied to places and events and histories. With all of these felt details, life etches itself into memory and personality. It's difficult to imagine anything more nourishing to the soul.  
-- Thomas Moore

 Whatever you choose to do on your summer vacation/time off, do what pleases you.

Many blessings,

Judy

 

 

Healing in Nature

 

Pictures taken by Judy Hirst in the Elbow Falls Recreation Area

Last week, we were able to head off to the mountains and spend time along the Elbow River in the Elbow Falls Recreation Area.  We had a chance to hike and climb up a small mountain that gave us the view of the river valley.

The feeling of peace, serenity, grace, and abundance filled the energy in the space that we found to have lunch.  There were so many butterflies and lots of wild flowers along the path.  Bird song filled the quiet.  And sometimes it was gophers whistling that disturbed the peace.  It all felt so good.

Being out in Nature made us both feel lighter and eased some aches.  I felt a deep healing of the stress in my shoulders.  In fact, one bird song sounded like “it doesn’t matter”.  It felt so good.

If you have a chance over the next several weeks, try to get out into a park and walk in the bush.  It will do wonders for your soul.

Many blessings,

Judy

The Garage Door Test

      Picture from Valley Garage Doors at ValleyGaragedoors.com

My husband and I watched “The Good Fight” TV show on Netflix the other night.  We were both struck by the words of wisdom from the television Mother to her daughter.  The daughter did not know whether her lover was the right partner for her, or not.  Mother said to use the “garage door test” to determine if he was the right person or not.  

The way the test works is when you are driving up to the garage and you open the door are you happy the person’s car is there and that he/she is home, or does it make you sad or irritated.  If you don’t have a garage, when you see the person’s car parked by your residence, does it make you happy or sad/annoyed.

What the Mother was really saying is that the “garage door test” is a way to discern how you feel about the other person and it can be used to determine if you love the other person.  Now remember that love is not just about couples but also applies to your friends and family.  How do you feel about them?  The garage door test or car test works.

This test is a great way to gage love in your life.  My husband and I talked about how we feel when we come home and the other person’s car is not in the garage.  Each of us feels a little sad because we were looking forward to coming home and sharing what the day or event that we were at, was like.

I don’t believe that this test is the only way to determine love.  It is an interesting way.  It makes sense.  It provides a quick evaluation of the balance of life in the relationship.  It sums up where the relationship should go.

In the world, even in the Universe, there is no sure way to determine love because love is not visible and it is so emotional.  Perhaps this is a new tool for us all to use.

Many blessings,

Judy