Search Results for: gifts

Replacing Doors

Backstory

Have you noticed how nothing is simple anymore? The smallest task seems to get layers of complication. Like this one did.

Click to listen or follow below to read.

Replacing Doors- #483

We are replacing all the exterior doors in our house. It’s part of a larger renovation and we decided to go all the way and replace them all. Sounds easy, right?

The house already has doors, so we know what size they need to be. You just tell the guy, “Give me another door like this one.” Right? Not by a long shot.

There are so many decisions to be made over a simple thing like replacing the doors. Should they be wood or metal…should they swing in or out…do we want them to be insulated…should they have regular glass or thermal glass…what kinds of knobs or handles or hinges…should the sliding doors be replaced with new sliders or would French doors be more contemporary, more practical.

Then there is the issue of cost. Do we want the practical line, the affordable line, or the beautiful classic line? One door has stained glass in it. Do you know how many choices of stained glass there are?

When the man said, “replace the doors,” I envisioned a question that would take ten seconds to answer. Yes or no. Done. Not so.

A month from now, we may have all our options pinned down and be ready to make our decisions. The doors will open to our future, in time, in a lot of time from now.

Have you noticed; nothing is simple anymore?

P.S.

Speaking of simple, why is everything so difficult to open? From aluminum cans to microwave boxes and plastic containers. They all seem to fight me. Is this what happens as you get older or has someone orchestrated this daily challenge?

[Show #483]

Gone for the Rest of His Life

Backstory

I thought I knew him well, but I never saw this coming. We were business associates, and he was enthusiastic about our accomplishments. And then one day., he was no longer there.

Gone for the Rest of His Life

“Gone for the next chapter of my life.” That’s the message received if you sent him an email.

Two young men inherited the business from their father. They worked at it for over 20 years, built it up, made it a success. Then the older brother decided there was more to life.

There were so many things he still wanted to do, and learn, places to see, people he had yet to meet. He honestly felt that he could no longer stay in one place tied up in business responsibilities.

How fortunate to have a brother willing to take over with the leadership skills to continue the business on its successful path. So, he told colleagues and customers, “I am gone for the next chapter of my life.” What a rare option to choose. One not open to many and chosen by few.

What now? I wonder if he is hiking in the Himalayas, surfing off the beach in Hawaii, dispensing life saving polio vaccine on a Rotary mission to India. How did he decide what the next chapter of his life would encompass? Is he simply enjoying his garden, his woman, his grandchildren?

What would you do if you left your current life path to pursue the next chapter of your life? What a question to ponder.

P.S.

There is a belief that wherever you are and whatever you are doing at this moment is exactly as meant to be. It’s a decision that has been made by the universe. What happens if we have the courage to turn that decision upside down? To determine that your future is around a different curve. Consider the possibilities. He did, and never looked back.

[Show #411]

The Art of Downsizing

Backstory

Just how to start downsizing. That was the question. Most families realize that at one time or another, they’re going to need smaller space that will only accommodate less “stuff.” That time finally arrived for us and here’s how we went about it.

Click to listen or follow below to read.

The Art of Downsizing – #608

I gave away seven gaily painted nutcrackers and ten wooden toys. They were part of our Christmas decorations, as the children were growing up, and long after. I took them to the family Christmas party and invited each grandchild to choose some. The Christmas angels will be shared next year. It’s the start of our household downsizing phase. A very small start, but definitely a beginning.

What’s next? Bill’s ancient electronics are definitely on the table. For decades, they were treasures. In the age of computerized electronics, they are archaic. Then we’ll go on to the household items of which we have too many.

Friends warned that downsizing would not be easy. I envisioned delighting locals with a yard sale where they could find great stuff for pennies on the dollar. Then we considered how much work that is. Maybe it’s time to call in Junk Monster instead. You pay him to take it all away.

I have heard it said about material things – First you wish you had them, then you own them, then they become a burden. That’s where we are.

When Bill and I combined our households, five truckloads of furniture, books, domestics and glassware went to the church thrift shop. I hope they have room for more stuff, because I feel it going their way, as we shrink our belongings and organize our life for a simpler time.

P.S.

I am pleased to say that we resisted the temptation to rent storage lockers as a final resting place for our stuff. We have seen friends pay heavy money over time to secure belongings eventually tossed or sold at auction. Even worse, to will stuff to heirs who move it to their own stowage in the absurd cycle of life-long holding.

[Show #608]

Start the Year Right

Backstory:

2020 – A year when we got broadsided faster then we could get upright from the last calamite. A time when the truth of every spoken word was questioned and no written word seemed to pass muster either. How do we set a stage for entering the complexities already obvious for the new year? A lot will depend on attitude.

Click to listen or follow below to read.

Start the Year Right – #490

Every morning, when you wake up, you have a big decision to make. You can decide whether to be happy . . . or sad.

It may not hit you in the head like a brick – “Hey there, do ya wanna be happy today?” So it’s important to KNOW that you have that choice. Something wonderful is totally in your control at that moment. YOU can decide!

Don’t put any reservations on your decision –

If my lottery number comes in today, I’ll be happy.
If he calls for a second date, I’ll be happy.
If I get on the scale and find I lost another pound, I’ll be happy.

You can CHOOSE to be happy, regardless of what you will face that day, or what outside interests have their hold on you.

You can’t control who will call or how lucky you will be or whether that éclair took its toll on your hips. But you CAN control whether you will be happy. It’s a decision you make for yourself.

It’s very selfish, because it involves nobody else but you. When you look in the mirror, over the bathroom sink, you can smile or you can frown. You can assume your day will go badly today . . . or decide to be happy even if it does.

Don’t let outside influences decide. It’s YOUR choice. Set your tone and attitude to welcome a day in which you will be happy, joyful and make good decisions for yourself. The choice is yours. What will it be?

P.S.

There! With that attitude set in place, go out into the world. Be a problem solver. Provide the glue that keeps things together. Bring the wisdom of experience to the table. Be the spokesperson for those with no voice. Bring calm into the room that leads to compromise. Happy New Year.

[Show #490]

Christmas Sermon

The young pastor was pacing. He was totally perplexed. Here it was Christmas Eve and he had no sermon for the midnight service. People would come to the church full of Christmas cheer. They would expect to be inspired and he lacked inspiration. He was so tired of the commercial aspects of Christmas that he feared the real meaning of the season was being lost forever.

He wandered by the life-size nativity scene outside the church and noticed a brightly wrapped gift package by the manger. Curious, he reached out and opened it. Inside he found a pair of tiny baby booties and a card. It read, “This is a birthday present to keep your baby feet warm. Happy Birthday, Jesus.” It was signed, Cheryl, age 4.

The pastor smiled. He could envision young parents teaching their child the true meaning of Christmas in a way that she could understand.

That night, he read the card and based his sermon on it. The card became the core of his sermon every Christmas Eve.

Fifty years later, two elderly parishioners smiled at each other as they listened to the story yet again. Cheryl’s parents had heard it every year. They both agreed that to have inspired this Christmas message over all of these years was the best Christmas gift they ever had.

[Show #121]

When Christmas Is Sad

Backstory

On my sad Christmases, I would write. The keys on my computer would fly. It might be spilling all my sorrow, putting my anger into words, shouting out the injustice of my circumstance. Others shed tears to cope. Some go away, avoiding the setting of their last happy holiday. Others return to that special place. Some folks are lost, seeking a means to calm the hurt.

Click to listen or follow below to read.

Christmas Sad – #123

There are times when Christmas is sad. You may be missing a loved one, or you may be far away from home, on your own, or you may be the one left behind with your loved one serving of a battlefield halfway across the world. Sometimes it helps to remember not only this sad Christmas, but all of them, stacked up in a row from childhood until now.

Considering all of the holidays in our lifetime, some are bound to be better than others. But, ah, the good ones were really fine. Think about them and you’ll simply HAVE to smile as you remember words and actions, laughter and love.

Take out photos and relive those times, so warm and loving. No one can take those precious memories away. They may be the greatest gift we were given. Once a good thing happens, it can always be conjured up again in your mind. It can always make you smile as you remember, relive and enjoy it all over again.

So this Christmas, whether it’s one of your best or not, may you have the comfort of memories of Christmases past and may you smile and enjoy them all over again.

Wishing you a Christmas with a peaceful heart.

P.S.

It’s so easy to become sour when holiday plans go awry or you are sad. You want to blame someone or take it out on somebody. Instead, do something for someone else – or a lot of elses.

Take over someone’s job so they can be home with family on Christmas.
Serve at a soup kitchen – dressed up nicely for the holiday.
Sit with someone who is ill, so the caregiver can be with family.

As the holidays rush upon us, don’t become the Grinch who stole Christmas. Help bring peace on earth to your little corner of the world, no matter what.

[Show #123]

« Previous Page