Putting my armor on and then my bathing suit

(Disclaimer – I am complaining and questioning the meaning of life and is only the beginning of this post then we move into sunshine, puppies, and flowers.)

In recent months, I am finding life to be more confusing than ever. The more I know, the less I have confidence that I know.  This has really messed up my psyche.  I suppose I never really cared much about politics, it just did not resonate with my daily life and quite honestly all the fear that each party’s side brought to the table never really materialized.  However, it is impossible not to notice the blatant hatred towards one another. There are many people who possess one hardline issue and that is it.  They fail to see the complexity of maneuvering broader polarizing forces that are at odds with one another on multiple matters.

When I have an honest conversation with my daughter, she and her friends question why we would bring children into this world and the general lack of hope for our future.  This is really sad and as a parent, it is hard to come up with compelling reasons to challenge her thoughts.  I do believe we all have more in common than we think, however, we are blinded by proving each other wrong and promoting behaviors that do not honor the most basic codes of humanity.  Some of these shared values are love, truthfulness, fairness, freedom, unity, tolerance, responsibility and respect for life and I know we can all get around these priorities.   As a child, when I learned about the Holocaust, I could never understand how neighbors and the population turned on one another, shipped the un-want-ables (Jews, Disabled, Minorities) off to concentration camps.  People stripped of their possessions, dignity, rights based on jealousy and hatred and then left to suffer and be slaughtered.  I now realize that the German population was probably afraid to speak up and they went along with what happened maybe not knowing all the details.  Today I sit in the United States and I am scared to voice my doubts and concerns for the first time in my life.  Our country is literally setting  up concentration camps and making a joke of how those escape will be eaten by alligators.   We are doing things I would never guess in a million years that I would see in the United States of America.  We are seeing  overt hatred for everyone – it does not matter if you are Jewish, Black, Woman, Hispanic, Gay, Trans, Democrat, Maga, Liberal, Republicans, Rich or Poor.  We are damaging our alliances with the rest of the world, we are dismantling the core foundation of democracy in the US by challenging the systems that were developed for balance and semblance.  Maybe I am an idealist, maybe I am being dramatic (don’t think so), I want to be proud and stand side by side with my friends, neighbors, community, country, the world and try to make it better for everyone.  I want our children to be full of promise and optimism, not doubting the future.  I want them to feel they can make a meaningful difference in a better environment that is based on shared values that I know we all possess.  I think it is time for our generation to step out the way we are not acting like the role models our children deserve.  We can do better and motivate our future.

Moving to the happy portion and wellness

Sorry for the deep rant, but I needed to get that off my chest, all of that supports the importance of being true to your center.  As part of my reset, I went to visit my dear friend Laura for the long 4^th of July weekend.  It had been a few years since we had seen each other and it was nice to do very little together.  Basically, the schedule was wake up ( I took advantage of the softest most comfy bed), eating a leisurely healthy breakfast of fruit and oats, some general kibitzing and then off to the pool.  The weather was perfect as I was able to disconnect and had no thoughts on my mind (not even that stuff from the top of this blog😊).  I floated in heaven, in a trans-like state listening to jazz and just thinking – I could get very used to this lifestyle.  We would then decide after hours (who even knows how long as time did not exist for me), that maybe we should think about dinner.  Laura and Frank (her fabulous husband) are vegans (lifelong for Laura) and have really perfected the art of yummy meals.  I shared with her that I started this great garden that was next level for me.  She then took me to hers, which looked like a farm to table garden with the most beautiful greenery I ever saw.  I felt embarrassed how I went on about mine after seeing this one – a scene from Martha Stewart’s home.  Her dill – was the most gorgeous dill I ever saw.  Mine looks like a small dried out tree with little growth ☹.  Anyhow, she would run out to the garden, cut some that provided that extra oomph to the flavor of our meals.  Not only was this experience relaxing for the body, but it was also restorative for my brain and heart.  Having a friend that is like a soul sister that is just on the same page, impressive, smart, ambitious and kind is just the best Zen moment.  It helped me to recalibrate and head back to life in Michigan.  Also, a nice shout out to Frank, who was so hospitable and took me in his bad ass Mercedes convertible down the hilly side roads of Pennsylvania into the Amish community.  We went to farm stands and bought the most delicious vegetables for his special green bean soup which was a family tradition handed down from his mom growing up in Yugoslavia.  We ended the long weekend, with my signature chakra cleaning for both of them (the least I could do).  Hopefully this was the jolt of energy they needed to carry on without me for the rest of the week – haha.

As I was flying back home, I felt so grateful that I have established lifelong friendships with some very interesting people.  They raise my spirit, ease my mind and help me truly get back to what matters most.  Nothing is more fulfilling when you are on the same frequency as someone else and it is a synchronicity that motivates you and makes you glad to be alive.  It was just the medicine this girl needed to get back into the grind we call life.

Thanks to Laura and Frank for being so warm and running the best resort/spa, a girl could ask for (and the price was right too😊).  Peace and love everyone, and I truly mean that – we have one chance in this lifetime to do right – lets do it!