The Glitches In Life

Do you ever get those?

Glitches?
You know, the things defined as a defect or malfunction in a plan?
Like, in your life plan?

Well, they show up faithfully in my life.
I am not an OCD or even real disciplined planner but I do try to have some direction that I am heading towards in life.

And then The Glitch Who Stole Structure shows up.
In Whomeverville. (Where I live.)
With things like dental challenges (smiles and chops for eating are pretty important),
Car trouble (someone telling you smoke is coming out of your parked car from under your hood is not the kind of BBQ you want),
Illness or health issues (should be left to commercials only),
Relationship struggles (forget about the happy endings that movies portray),
Financial trials (who needs the fountain of youth, I'm still looking for the money tree plantation),
And major home repairs (projects that HGTV House Crashers wouldn't even touch!).


Unlike the movie, all the joyous singing I can muster doesn't make my wallet grow three times larger or alter the "presents"  (see above) sent my way.
It doesn't soften the Glitches heart either.

But guess what?
I change. 

As I qiut singing "You're a Mean One Mr. Glitch" and I sing songs of gratitude and count the presents wrapped in Blessings paper (although few and pretty worn looking) my heart starts to soften.

In some weird Cindy Lou way, I start to see the Glitch as someone with something(s) to offer, to help learn and grow from.   And instead of asking "Why are you taking my happiness tree?  WHY?"  I start to trust and believe that maybe there is a Christmas hidden within the trials after all.

And even though many of my life "presents" have been literally dumped in the abyss by the Glitch, I realize that maybe Christmas life doesn't mean not being poor...., maybe life... perhaps....means a little bit more.

Maybe it is realizing all that I do have (Glitches and all)-even if  just Roast Beast.

 "Christmas is a time to open our hearts to God and his gifts.  Just like the rest of the year."  ~Author Unknown
  
DISCLAIMER: I know this may seem untimely mentioning Christmas in the summer, but glitches come all the time and I should remember the blessing and ultimate gift that Christmas brings all year long.

What Is YOUR Speed Limit?

Do you know what your speed limit is?
  
Not the one on the main street closest to your house or on your most frequented routes, but the one that your life is comfortable running on.

Have you ever felt like you were "driving" faster than you could keep up with? 
That your life resembled the autobahn with no limit except your interpretation?
That you might almost lose control on those unexpected curves in life?

Or maybe that you aren't moving at all? 
Stuck in life's "traffic jams" at a standstill-feeling like the progress is so slow it feels as if there in none being made-although the speed limit is greater than zero?!

Let's think about some real speed limits in life.

When there are very little obstructions and distractions and life is "good" per se, we can zoom on down life's road at highway speed, often even using cruise control.
This can be a time to "visit" or relax (sometimes almost falling asleep) and just enjoy the ride.
We don't have to worry about much stop and go.  We aren't even the one pushing the gas pedal.  

Other times there are many busy things going on around us so we are more cautious and use downtown business speed.
For safety of the steady to and fro it requires that we pay added attention and react accordingly, watching diligently for the unexpected. 
This is not a place to be complacent.
This may be the speed we most frequently drive at with stress adrenaline running high.

Residential speed is set for the safety of pedestrians, pets and local traffic.
It is to protect our loved ones.
Especially those who may not be able to protect themselves.
It can get easy in our hustle and bustle in life to forget about these special beings and use the inappropriately dangerous highway speed limit to "rush through life" past our loved ones.

Other times when we are at a learning stage in our lives, we need to remember the 15 MPH
school zone limit.
Yes, it is one of the slower speeds but it too has been established to protect the innocent.
The reduced speed helps us respect the crossing therapist guard whose job it is to safely help his students get to the other side of our (life's) road.

Then there are the exceptions of speed limits.
The temporary.
As is the case in construction zones.
There is a lot of work going on, unusual situations, detours, and human beings working very close in harms way.
There is a double fine (or extremely high one) if caught speeding in a construction zone.
For very good reason.
It is a precarious situation.
Why then when our lives are "under construction" because of an adversity in life do we not offer ourselves those same respectful exceptions and added safety measures?

Perhaps one we use the most is the traffic control one.
The one where we are obstinately obedient and follow the "safe limit" because we are being "watched".
Where our choices are based on whether or not we think we could "get in trouble" .
When integrity is gone and our chances of "being caught" are what determines our behavior.

Since our lives are constantly, unpredictably changing, our most healthy consistent alternative is the variable speed limit.
The one that monitors conditions and changes accordingly as needed. 

Some people grew up in a variable speed home county and follow directions faithfully, knowing that some slowing while driving through life is just temporary and they accept and enjoy whatever the life pace that has been set for them.
Others like me.....
Well, at some point, life's "construction" should have a finishing deadline in place and I, the privilege of enjoying the journey and not just blankly driving to my "destination". 

"No person shall drive a vehicle upon a highway at a speed greater than is reasonable... and in no event at a speed which endangers the safety of persons or property".^[19]

^{"Yes, Officer, I did see the speed limit sign. I just didn't see you." ~Author Unknown}

I Love You More Than...

I was talking to my 5 year old granddaughter on (or through?) Skype and her parting goodbye started with;
I love you more than squirrels love nuts.
Me: I love you more than dolphins love water.
Her: I love you more than the Pillsbury Doughboy loves a baking convention.

Who can top that?!!

If Eyes Could Talk

If eyes could talk what would they say?

Well, I believe that eyes do talk.
But they talk in sign language.
Emotional sign language.

(Isn't there a quote that says the eyes are the windows to our souls?)

If we are not "watching" and looking into the eyes of someone who is "speaking" in more than words, we may miss it.
Vocal words are not even necessary to "hear" when someone is internally happy or sad or heaven forbid, seductive.  (For some reason the latter is one of the most easily read messages?!)
Just look at their eyes. 

It can be fun and easy and emotionally much more comfortable to send a message just as I am doing here or via text or some other technological mode, but there is no substitute for human interaction.
For reading and seeing into the spirit, the soul of someone whose emotions may only be able to be expressed in their eyes.

We have all probably seen (or even been the one delivering ourselves) someone whose words did not match their eyes, their true feelings.
Someone who is saying they are happy or fine but whose reflection you see as masking some pain.

So just for today (sounds like my AL-anon pamphlet) look into just one person's eyes as you interact with them and maybe for the first time "see" them in a different way.
That someone may even be you, hiding behind a verbal facade. 

Then take the time to ask what is really being said.
(That's the hard part isn't it?  Which is why we will often "look the other way".)

Often, all that is needed from us is just a listening, understanding ear.
Then come back and share what happened.  (My eyes are sparkling with anticipating adventure and challenge right now!)


"Tearless grief bleeds inwardly".  ~Christian Nevell Bovee