Sunshine and Shadows -- A metaphor of life

The past two mornings, as I was walking the trail near our house, I was looking at the patches of sunshine and shadows and thinking how like life that pattern was.  Pretty deep for so early in the morning, isn’t it?  But as I started out on the trail, I had at least a quarter of a mile of pure sunshine and green grass.  Isn’t that what life is like when you are a little child?  Endless days of play and no responsibilities except maybe to wash your hands before you eat.  Oh, there were the odd times that I had to clean my room but that was before I became obsessed with having everything perfectly clean and in its place.  That’s the pure bliss of childhood and the unobstructed sunshine!
 

Then as I got further onto the trail, the trees were lining the walkway and that’s when I encountered the patches of shade along with the sun.  Sometimes more sun and sometimes more shade. Very much like life.  As I got older and took on more and more responsibly, I found that there were times when life seemed overwhelming and I was just making my way through the shade.  Then I came to an area of the trail that has thick trees and underbrush and it was very shaded.  Again, this reminded me of times in my life when I thought that I was fighting the whole world alone. But even in this very shaded area, there were birds and squirrels scampering around the bushes and that was how my life has been too.  Even in the darkest moments, there were always times of laughter and joy. 

I returned to the last stretch of sunshine at the end of my walk and again, it’s a perfect metaphor for life.  I’ve experienced most of the difficulties (or so I hope) and now I’m again living in the sunshine. It brought to mind the quote from Ralph Waldo Emerson, “Most of the shadows of this life are caused by our standing in our own sunshine”. I’m not sure that I agree entirely with that because there were a lot of shadows that life threw at me and I’d rather not have experienced but when we are in the deepest shade, we can at least appreciate the birds and squirrels that are freely romping about and enjoying whatever life throws at them.  Let’s be like those birds and squirrels – let’s freely romp even if only for a little while – especially if it’s a shaded time of our life!

I would encourage you to enjoy the outdoors and nature now.  It’s a beautiful time with so many things that nature can offer us.

The best remedy for those who are afraid, lonely or unhappy is to go outside, somewhere where they can be quiet, alone with the heavens, nature and God. Because only then does one feel that all is as it should be and that God wishes to see people happy, amidst the simple beauty of nature.

- Anne Frank

Awe-Inspiring Wonder Women

How often can you attend an event where the room is filled with accomplished women who are being honored for their work within their companies, communities and families?  Recently, I attended a Tribute to Women and Industry Awards dinner (TWIN). My daughter was one of the 38 recipients and I’m very proud of her and her accomplishments.  It’s not easy today for these young women to keep all of the balls in the air with the demands of work and family; now many of them have the added responsibilities of looking after elderly parents too. This wasn’t just a local event; it’s a US wide annual event that recognizes outstanding professional women who are on the management teams of companies or organizations. It’s satisfying to see a huge range of professions, ages, races and religions represented.

The speaker for the evening was extremely inspiring as she talked about finding a balance in her life and how she has struggled for almost 30 years with being an entrepreneur, a wife, mother and just trying to find some time for her, mainly for sleep.  She heaped praise on the women being honored on the night and told them that they are representing a large number of “wonder women” who are achieving so much.  

I could identify with her because I’ve been there and now I’m seeing my daughters struggling with those same issues.  But it’s encouraging to see that there are companies out there who are recognizing the contributions that these outstanding, talented women are making.  And it was heartening to know that these over-achieving women have mentors and a community of like-minded women to connect with.

Do women ever get their lives into balance or is this some myth that we’ve been fed?  Like most of you my age, I grew up with a fairytale of “having it all” so I went to work while raising my children, making sure that they went to all of the extra activities, cooked, cleaned, and in my spare time, I sewed, did crafts, grew flowers.  You name it and I tried to fit it all into a 24 hour period every day while life passed by in a blur.

The awards evening led me to thinking about my own life nowadays and ask myself, do I now have life balance?  Although retired, I am still working more than my husband would like for me to.  But it’s in my blood and I thrive on events! I can’t say no to a request to babysit my grandkids if I’m not at work. I love taking classes and lessons and am constantly signing up for some sort of class or workshop.  Usually, as soon as I sign up, I get really busy with work so I’m pedaling like crazy to keep up with everything. Currently, I’m doing 3 on-line classes and my work schedule has gone crazy.  Except for keeping my flowers healthy and “flowering”, I’ve not had time for any of my other hobbies. 

So I’ve been asking myself, is my life in balance now?  After living an extraordinary life where I was able to follow my passion for travel and combine it with work, I can tell you that life certainly wasn’t balanced then. I would say that now, I’m still not living a balanced life but I’m not sure exactly what a balanced life is.  I have more time now to do things that I want to do but I’m filling my days with “stuff” and not giving myself enough space. I’ve always taken on too much and had too many interests. I also have trouble saying no.  But at least the awards dinner has given me much food for thought.  (Really – no pun intended)  I now need to explore what a balanced life would be for me.

Maggie definitely didn't have her life in balance but she made a huge impact on a lot of lives, not just in the UK but around the world.  Was she in balance -- probably a definite NO -- but again, maybe this was "her balance".

Do you have your life in balance?  If so, I want to know how you are doing it! Or maybe you are looking to find your balance.  Again, let me know of your journey.