"Thanksgiving Preparations" by Susan Pearl

 Thanksgiving Day is one of my favorite times of the year.

There are preparations to be made for the day.

Now that I am older I realize there is ,also, a preparation time of my mind for Thanksgiving.

Really, it can, be three or four days of preparation.

So with thanksgiving less than a week away I am starting to prepare for this beautiful day.

The first element is "appreciation". To be thankful we truly have to have an "appreciation" and special meaning for the people and things we are thankful for.

Next we must be "grateful" for them.  This is humbling to realize we have been given a lot. By knowing and receiving all these gifts in life we are not only humbled we are amazed by the awesomeness of it all.

Another part of thanksgiving is to have "joy" in seeing others enjoy the fruits of our labors.  It gives us happiness to see their happiness.  They may now have their own thanksgiving and we are happy for them.  

The "appreciation", the "gratitude" and the "joy" are woven into the strong fabric of "love"  All of this makes something beyond beautiful because it covers time, space and distance.  It covers all situations,  settings, family dynamics, family systems and even pandemics. It covers having "the good for all" and thankful efforts this outcome comes to be------time and time again.

We don't have to embrace or see each other face to face for thanksgiving to take place.  Let us prepare with, appreciation, gratitude, joy and and love and continue living a life that works towards the good for all in any way we that can do so---- and have a---------- "HAPPY THANKSGIVING".

"Did it Happen in the Sixties?" by Susan Pearl

Because of my age I went through my teen age years during the "sixties".   The "sixties" were called an age of enlightenment.  It went forward with promoting a new culture of freedom as a way of life that is not inhibited for having true self expression.  It has been sixty years since the "sixties".  The time that has passed has brought about a whole generation being raised by "the sixties" concept of freedom and viewpoints to live a free life that is not limited to old standards and narrowmindedness.

Over twenty years ago years ago I was sitting by a young woman who was obviously angry.  It was close to the holidays and so I just casually asked "Are you going to be with family for the holidays"?  She looked directly at me and said,  "I don't have a family.  I never had a family.  They never knew who my dad was and my mother died from an overdose when I was one year old, I ran away from every foster home I was ever placed in and I'm telling you the system doesn't work".  Somehow, I automatically asked, "Did it happen in the sixties"?

She answered abruptly "No, it was 1970".  To this day I think of her and wonder how her life went.  I hope it has gone well for her.

The reason I am writing this is to give my humble opinion that sometimes the differences of we face now may have been put into place many years ago and have grown to be recognized, respected and even appreciated for the insight and their truth   Generations have had completely different experiences in life and that is all they have ever known. They want to have their reality to be part of the picture in a very real way and with an awareness for all to see.  This is meant for the benefit of all to bring the understanding needed for coming together in a renewed way with better insights and perceptions for the years to come.

It can work out when everyone is wanting the best for all and willing to work for it and willing to change to accommodate progress for a greater good.   

"To Rest Can Be Moving On" by Susan Pearl

 In my opinion there are times that it is best to let things rest.

To know when or when not to let things rest is a personal judgement call.

We are the only ones who know what we have been through to be where we are today,

  the hard work, the broken relationships, the kept relationships- 

   the efforts of following one's heart and conscience for the good of all-

   may transpire into making a timely decision to "let things rest". 

In my personal journey, if it took considerable efforts to "not" have something in my life

because I could see it was not only taking a toll on me but it was taking a toll on others, 

whom I love--

I let it rest and not give any avenue for it to come back into my life.

I leave the door of entry boarded up and even if someone knocks on it--

I don't open it to what was before.

I think it is best to not project the past into the the future

   and sometimes to do that--

It is best to let things rest.

To see what the future will hold

we do not have to replicate the old.

We learn, we grow and we move on--

Sometimes a big part of moving on is to "let things rest"-

  and truly knowing it is for the best.

 

"I Didn't Mind" by Susan Pearl

Lately, my husband and I are making homemade bread in the bread machine more often.   It is absolutely a treat and so delicious to have a warm slice of homemade bread.

I remember visiting with a lovely elderly lady many years ago.  She told me of raising her family and making nine loaves of bread twice a week.  I must have exclaimed, "Oh, My"!!!  because I remember her saying, "I didn't mind" and then giving a beautiful smile with love glistening from her eyes.

I could tell the joy of seeing her family enjoying her homemade bread meant so very much to her.  She made more than bread because, with me, she made an impression ---and a lasting impression it is.

Now I am an elderly lady and her words, "I didn't mind", still reach my heart more than ever before.  She made more than nine loaves of bread twice a week--she made wonderful memories, and her sharing of those memories with the words, "I didn't mind", made a lasting impression on me.  We just don't know how far our efforts and acts of kindness will reach or who they will touch in the years to come.

"SO SMALL BUT SO SIGNIFICANT" BY SUSAN PEARL

HAVE YOU EVER THOUGHT OF A DOT-

  A LITTLE TINY DOT-

I THOUGHT NOT.

LIKE THE DOT THAT IS THE "FINISHING TOUCH" OF HANDWRITING A WORD

 AND IS PLACED ABOVE A  SMALL "i" OR "j"---

OR THE PERIOD DOT THAT SHOWS WHEN ONE SENTENCE "ENDS"

 AND THE NEXT SENTENCE "BEGINS"--- 

OR HOW ABOUT MORSE CODE?

DOTS CAN SIGNAL A MESSAGE (EVEN DISTRESS)

OR HOW ABOUT THE DECIMAL DOT?

LIKE THE DOT AFTER THE DOLLAR AMOUNT TO SHOW THE CENTS.

OR A DECIMAL POINT TO SHOW THE FRACTION AMOUNT?

WHEN I WAS GROWING UP I LOVED MY DOT TO DOT BOOK.

DOTS ARE FUN.  DOTS ARE INFORMATIVE.

DOTS DO A LOT!!!

DOTS SHOW A LOT!!!

DOTS SHOW ACCURACY.......PRECISE....EXACTLY RIGHT---

THAT ONLY A DOT CAN DO.

SO LET'S APPRECIATE THE DOT....

AND THINK HOW SOMETHING SO SMALL IS SO SIGNIFICANT.

"Surprise Salad Check Out" by Susan Pearl

 My sister-in-law, my husband  and I were going to eat a salad at a hospital cafeteria.  I noticed that the salad bar was set up like a buffet and then to pay for the salad a person would be charged 30 cents an ounce.  My sister-law-law went first.  She put lettuce and alfalfa sprouts and a couple other lightweight salad items on her plate and was ready to check out. I think her salad was three ounces and it cost a ninety cents

I was next in line and I was very hungry.  I had covered the lettuce on my plate with lots of my favorite shredded cheese.  Then on top of that I had put lots of other favorites--bacon bits and cubed ham.  Then I put a few cherry tomatoes, cucumber slices and topped it all with thousand island dressing and bread croutons.  Since I was so hungry I thought another layer of shredded cheese, bacon bits and cubed ham should do it.  I was ready to check out.  My salad weighed one and a half pounds and cost over seven dollars.  I must say I was a little embarrassed as I asked my husband if he had a couple of one dollar bills to go with my five dollar bill.  It seemed like everyone was shaking their head as if they had never seen anything like it before.  All eyes were on my seven dollar salad.

We sat down at a table and ate our salads but I really felt so surprised at how expensive my salad was.

I learned that when something is being charged by the ounce to keep it light.  

"Two Different Philosophies" by Susan Pearl

Many years ago was a time in our life when we made an annual eight hour drive to see our daughter and family.

The route we chose to take was very desolate for several hours on the trip.  One time we drove for over an hour and didn't see another car.  We live in a rural area and little traffic and no city driving are more comfortable and familiar to us.

Some friends asked if I could come with them to where our daughter lived because they would appreciate my help on the trip.  They would be driving back an extra vehicle and I could read the road map for the wife if needed.  I was happy to go with them and have an opportunity to see family again.

I noticed the route that they took was a different route then my husband and I took.

This route was very busy with traffic and had a large city to navigate through to make the necessary

highway exchanges to stay on route.  I commented that we took another way and didn't have traffic or city driving.  They replied by telling me that they didn't feel comfortable to take that route because it was too desolate. They said if they needed help there wouldn't be anyone.

This intrigued me because they were choosing one way and we chose another way to go to the same destination.  Two different ways, no right or wrong, both have advantages and disadvantages,  I was surprised they chose traffic and they were surprised we would take such a desolate way.

Does this mean we had two different philosophies and still liked each other?