I Am Thankful Today ...

Throughout our lives, we have all had a variety of years … successful years that give us much to be thankful for, challenging years that make us dig deep to find our gratitude, and many “normal” years that we tend to take for granted and therefore often forget to count our blessings.  Perhaps you had a year of successful accomplishments, of challenges survived, or maybe mistakes you have learned from.  Perhaps you had a year of refreshing firsts or tender lasts.  Whatever your year may have held, please join me this Thanksgiving in reflecting on the year with gratitude …

  

I am most thankful for my family … those who are with us every day, providing us with many moments to treasure; those we don’t see as often as we should; those who have moved away and we see but once or twice a year; and those who graced our lives for but a short time now visiting us only in our memories and in our hearts.  Perhaps you have family you long to forgive … maybe now is the time to make that happen. 

      

I am thankful for friends and coworkers … those we see every day, those we vow to see more often, those who have retired or moved away, and even those we may only visit via email, text or facebook.   

I am thankful for goals accomplished … we can all be proud of our successes; but I am also thankful for the goals that we still struggle to attain … thankful to always have something more to strive for each day. 

I am thankful for the simple things … the beauty of nature that surrounds us … the sunrise and sunset, the colors of leaves in the fall,  the smell of cut grass in the summer, and a quiet snowfall on a winter day.  I am thankful for a cup of coffee on the porch and moments spent with family.  I am even thankful for piles of dishes and laundry … means we’re leading busy lives; thankful for the extra pounds on my hips … means I have enough to eat; and thankful for piles of photos that need to be organized … means I had a year of great memories.  

And I am simply thankful for TODAY and all that this moment holds!  Yes, I am happy today!

The Treasures of My Personal Legend

“Wherever your heart is, that is where you’ll find your treasure.”  (Paulo Coehlo, The Alchemist). 

As I step through the front door from my afternoon walk, my cheeks still raw from the crisp, wet air, I am greeted by the sounds of my children playfully arguing in the kitchen.   It has been a dreary, rainy day that would probably have been better suited for curling up in a chair with a good book (such as The Alchemist) and a cup of hot tea.  But thankfully, the rain subsided long enough to allow me to take a walk to the park and back.  I had been longing to go for a walk all day … for when I walk, my thoughts tend to become clearer, allowing me to feel centered and see the poetry in the moment and in the world around me.  I tend to notice little things such as a lone leaf still clinging to the branches of a barren tree up ahead.  A droplet of water falling into a puddle at my feet may draw my attention to the reflection of a flag flying nearby.  On sunnier days, I may eagerly follow a butterfly playfully leading me on my path.  While walking, I am often reminded of how lucky I am to be following my personal legend…

What is one’s personal legend?  As stated in The Alchemist, “It’s what you have always wanted to accomplish.  Everyone, when they are young, knows what their personal legend is.  At that point in their lives, everything is clear and everything is possible.  They are not afraid to dream and to yearn for everything they would like to see happen to them in their lives.”  

But then reality and "life" happens and we tend to let our dreams fall by the wayside as we give in to external demands on our time and energies as well as other people's standards and expectations of success.  We tend to allow others to dictate what is important and allow them to convince us that our dreams are unattainable.  But remember ... those who truly love us will be there to support us and encourage us to strive harder to reach our goals.  They will not stand in our way as we follow our personal legend.  

Often fear sets in!  Fear of failure, of course,  for as grownups, we become aware of the risks and obstacles, and no one wants to make mistakes.  But we also find a  fear of success… What if we reach our goals and it wasn't what we had expected?  What if we are disappointed? What if we are truly successful?  What then?   How do we continue on once our goals have been reached?  We must find the courage to carry on despite our fears …    

Following one’s personal legend does not need to revolve around a major quest.  Following one’s personal legend simply means doing what makes you happy, fulfilling the things you long for in your heart.  Perhaps it is simply a mother finding joy in spending time with her kids, a farmer finding pride in watching his corn grow, or a writer finding just the right words to share in a poem or a blog.  While following a personal legend, we often feel one with the world, centered within ourselves and ready to give to the world around us.  

Now this evening, as I am nearly finished typing my blog, I stop for a moment to answer my daughter’s plea for my attention.  She is wondering if we can have a family movie night after supper.  I think it sounds like a good idea.  I call downstairs to Christian to see  if he has plans for the evening while Karissa begins to search for a good movie on Netflix.  Yes, I am happy to be following my personal legend, and I have truly learned that the treasure is indeed in the journey, the moments we share with the people we love; and my greatest treasures are right here at home!  

My Favorite Color is Blue ... What's Yours?

I hang up the phone from yet another political survey and wrinkle my nose with annoyance as I try to remember what I had been doing before the phone rang.  It is nobody's business but my own who I plan to vote for next week ... and my thoughts wander ...

Everyone is unique and has a variety of differences ... differences in appearance, talents, personality, heredity, experiences, etc., and with that, everyone also is entitled to their own opinion!  We each have an opinion on little things such as our favorite color and our preferences in food.  We also each have our own values and ideas and ways we view the world.  We have our own views on what it means to be a good parent, a good child, a good teacher, employee, supervisor, community member, community leader, and even the President of the United States.  There are many more people in the world than I can count, but I know for a fact, it is absolutely impossible to agree with them all!

We may have some opinions of which we are not very convicted ... we may choose blue for some things, but brown for others ... and we may feel like eating pickles one day and cupcakes the next.  But on other issues, we might hold much stronger convictions ... such as on the subjects of parenting, religion or politics.  We may hold strongly to making it to every game or recital for our children or making time for family meals ... we may feel it is mandatory to make it to church every Sunday morning ... and we may be a staunch Republican or Democrat...

Of course, we probably believe our own opinions and decisions are correct or we wouldn't feel so strongly about them.  However, it is important to remember to respect the different decisions and opinions of others as well.  Again, we are all unique and are entitled to our own opinions.

For that matter ... imagine if everyone in the world had the same opinions ... there would be no variety, creativity, conversation or debate.  There would be no new ideas, change, moments to learn from or opportunities for growth ...

My thoughts go on and on and I suddenly remember what I had been doing when the phone rang ...  I proceed to dial the number for Don Jose's Mexican Restaurant and await an answer on the other end of the phone.  "Yes, I'd like to place an order" I reply when my call is answered.  I order a taco salad, an avocado tostada and two burgers with fries ... although my family agrees on fitting in our family meals, we don't all agree on the same types of food ... but that's okay ... we probably won't discuss the election either!
 

It's HERE!!! Check it out!!

I am so excited (that is all I can say right now)  Check it out ... I am definitely "Happy Today!" :)

I'd Give You My Life - Kendra Kleve : AuthorHouse

It will also be available soon at "Happiness Is" in Decorah, Iowa.  (Watch for more information ... you could even get a signed copy!)

Also, please check out my facebook page titled "I'd Give You My Life (A Mother's Wish For Her Children) By Kendra Kleve" and be sure to "Like" my page!!

Good Things Come To Those Who Wait

A crisp, autumn breeze greets me as I head out the door for my daily walk and I instinctively hug my shoulders to stay warm.  The quiet of the morning fills my soul as I am surrounded by the gentle pitter patter of falling leaves.  Bright orange and yellow maple leaves are my favorite part of autumn … I long to dive into the nearest pile, but manage to contain myself … I only wish my children would not have outgrown our annual leaf-diving rituals!!  (Maybe I can still try to convince them to join me later today.)  As I head around the corner, I am blinded by the rising sun reminding me that the afternoon should be a little warmer once the sun has fully risen.  Through the quiet of the morning, I hear the hum of a far off tractor and my thoughts go out to my husband.  Although today is Sunday and routinely a day for quality, family bonding, the kids and I will have to find other ways to spend the day since Shawn will be confined to the field once again.  It seems like forever since I have actually spent time with him during waking hours!  Although in many respects, autumn is my favorite season, being a “harvest widow” can be very challenging on my patience!!  

They have always said that “patience is a virtue” but no one ever said it would be easy!  Although waiting is often the hardest part, many things are truly worth waiting for.  Often we wait … we wait for prayers to be answered, wait on nature to take its course, wait for our hard work to show fruits of our labor.  We wait on babies to be conceived, and to be delivered … we wait for our children to learn and grow to become successful men and women.  We may even have to wait for our niece or daughter or friend to write another blog post.    :-)

But an important thing to note, is that patience is not to be confused with procrastination ... waiting til the time is right, til tomorrow, til next spring, til next year, or “someday” … til the kids have grown, til we  lose 5 pounds, til our inbox is empty … (These are all excuses!)  Patience is meant for things that are beyond our control!  

Now, as I sit in my living room surrounded by piles of unfolded laundry (oh damn, that’s procrastination), I am startled by the ringing of the phone.  It is my husband calling to say that he may make it home for supper tonight.  I head into the kitchen, take some meat out to thaw and open the refrigerator to find that we are out of milk.  With a smile on my face and a spring in my step, I head out the door to get a gallon of milk from the Mini Mart up the street.  On the way, I swing into the post office to see if the first printing of my book has arrived yet from the publishers.  

To my readers (you know who you are), I leave you with this … “Good things come to those who wait!” 

Just Do It!

Time has once again escaped my grasp and it has been nearly a month since my last blog post.  When I last wrote, I had the ill-conceived notion that life would slow down once the kids were back in school … but I was greatly mistaken!  Baseball and softball simply gave way to football and volleyball, and dance competitions turned back into weekly dance classes.  A new school year brought with it a plethora of homework for the kids while continuous deadlines still greet me at the office and my husband has recently left me widow for the demands of fall harvest.    

Meanwhile, I have been diving back into the goals which I had set aside for the summer.  I have recently become immersed in the final publishing stages of my book and my thoughts are consumed with perfecting the final details.  The journey of putting this book together has been a blast (for the most part) with dreams turning into plans and plans turning into actions and visions becoming reality right before my eyes!  The support and encouragement of my family has been amazing as they held my hand while I dove into big decisions, waited while I stopped to get a photo or two (or maybe six), and continually reviewed the entire book for the umpteenth time just because I added (or changed) a particular photo or word.  

However, with the final proof and changes staring me in the face and the finish line drawing near, suddenly fear has set in and I feel the need to procrastinate!  Why is it that making the final changes, hitting that “send” button and taking a step over the finish line is such a challenge?  I guess because we can’t go back once we’ve reached our goals … and the "what if’s" suddenly take over … What if this was a bad idea?  What if I make a mistake?  What if the publishers make a mistake?  What if it doesn’t turn out like I planned?  What if the poem wasn’t really worth publishing?  What if people think I am “crazy” … or worse yet a “terrible writer”?  (the list goes on and on) …

I think this is common as we come close to reaching any goal.  I know others who have gone through this process with other major life decisions … deciding to take on a new job, or to retire after many years of working, or perhaps to leave a bad marriage after many years of trying.  Like my book, these are all things that we may have been thinking of for years, planning for, changing our minds a few times, and changing our minds again … for quite awhile.  Although these are things we may know we want, the final decisions are always the hardest.  Accepting the new job, making your retirement date official, or perhaps signing the divorce papers are all similar to my “hitting the send button”.  Of course, these examples are much greater decisions than my meager little book, but the goal and decision process are the same.  

Ultimately, as we reach our goals, we need to go ahead and take that step over the finish line and not look back!!  The important thing to remember is that we can be proud of the courage and effort it took to tackle our goals and take charge of our own happiness.  Of course there is no way to know what the final product will be like … and it can be scary … but we need to learn to face our fears and accept the risk of making mistakes.  As a wise person recently told me, “if we don’t make mistakes we aren’t living.”  So, if it is something you really want to do, you need to go for it … or in the words of NIKE, “Just Do It!” ... Now can someone please hit the “send” button for me?

One Step Forward, Two Steps Back

I finish lacing up my tennis shoes and glance at my watch as I head out the door for my morning walk.  Although the kids have been in school for a week now, we are anticipating another hot, summer-like day and an early out for the students; but for now, the air still feels cooler and I take a deep breath convincing myself to continue down the road rather than opting for a cup of coffee on the porch.

My mind wanders as I head toward the park and I think about the things I have planned for the day as well as for the coming season.  Now that the kids are back in school again, it is time to step back onto the path toward those goals once again.  The summer flew by and much of my time consisted of running after my children as they pursued their activities.  Although I loved every last second of it, it is rather refreshing to slow down my pace at least a little bit with the change of the season.  It seems that with the rush of summer, it is easy to let personal goals fall by the way side.  I know that in my case, I purposely set aside some of my goals with the intent that I would pick up where I left off when the kids went back to school.   Perhaps you did the same.

But then there are the goals that are a personal challenge in the first place, such as our bad habits, and are easy to lose ground on when we find an excuse.  Perhaps you had exercise and weight loss goals and made progress throughout the first part of the year; but with the hustle and bustle of the summer, you lost track of your exercise program, gave in to unhealthy foods, and even gained a few pounds.  Maybe you had planned on saving money to put toward a bucket list vacation, but ended up spending the money on other expenses.  Perhaps you had planned to spend more quality time with family or find time for yourself, but in an effort to "get all your work done" before you could "allow" yourself time for personal gain, you ended up rarely finding time for the things you would have enjoyed.  Whatever your goals, perhaps you took one step forward this year, only to find that you took two steps back in recent months.  That is okay.  We could get caught up in blaming others and finding excuses for our recent lack of progress (that is easy to do) but ultimately we are each in charge of our own decisions each day.  The year is not over yet! 

It is time to take a deep breath, accept our lack of progress and add these items to the list of goals once again ... no need to give up and take five steps back!  These goals should not be viewed as "failures" or things we are unable to achieve.  These goals should simply be viewed as our greatest personal challenges ... ultimately, they may be our greatest accomplishments someday ... we are bound to get it right eventually!  Now lets turn ourselves around, tackle these challenges, and take "one step forward" toward that goal line once again!!  I know we can do it.  Are you with me?