Give Me One Superpower, For Just ONE Day!

There's no doubt I can change a lot of things for myself but that is not why I want this power.  I want to live in a kinder world.  A place where people help each other cross the street and smile at you for no apparent reason.  Blame it on the Hallmark movies I binge watch every holiday season, or on the fact that I dare to dream - I just think it can be.

One day.  One superpower.  I would give each person I interact with for that day, the chance to go back and visit their lives 5, 10 or 15 years ago.  The opportunity to right a wrong, to apologize, or say they love someone, to think twice before taking - or quitting - their job that could have eventually changed the course of their life.  The idea that, at some point, we have all been hurt from something or someone and we can change our view on life - well that is enough for me to share that "time travel" power.  The cliche, "Would have, could have, didn't," rings true.  We live such a guarded life - afraid to take chances, afraid to mess up, afraid of letting down a small circle of people that may care about us, that we take wrong turns trying to correct what we should have done in the first place.  I'm not greedy. I am not selfish.  I love too much - and I love hard!  (My daughter gets this trait from me.  Not sure if it's a good thing or a bad thing but it ends up feeling like the weight of the world is on your shoulders.)

Reluctantly, I ponder the idea of leaving others in pain. It does not sit comfortable with me.  If only someone could take the time to listen.  If only someone had just 5 more minutes.  That five minutes, a smile, a simple chat, a helping hand, could change a life.  I think people need to be reminded, in a world of negativity right now, that humanity still exists and not to be afraid of kindness.  Where everyone is on their own journey, we have plenty of room in our hearts and daily lives to go the extra mile for another. Why don't we do it?  Why aren't we filling our bags with clothing that we don't need and donating them - just for them to sit on shelves and hangers in a dark closet? What about volunteering at schools or other places that are trying to do good in the world but need a little extra help because they don't have a budget to hire people? Why aren't we donating $1 or $5 to food pantries to help feed families in lower income areas? Does having thousands of dollars, or more, to yourself make you a bigger person?  We know you worked hard for it.  But it can do a heck of a lot more for a random 5 or 10 people than on a designer bag, or outfit.  What about holding doors open for others as they leave a store? Offering to babysit a stressed out mother's children if we have more time and patience that they have - well that will change her life!  Not just for that hour or two - but for years - because someone could have saved her patience to last a long time raising her children or help her when she was about to just throw in the towel instead of feeling helpless!  

We are all "busy."  We are all wanting, or needing, our own things.  But living the way we are living right now is not cutting it.  We are greedy and selfish and egocentric.  There has got to be more in life than this. There has to!  Otherwise, what the heck are we doing here - all going in different directions????  Rewind time and see where we were failed, or where we failed ourselves.  That is what I would do for others, for one day, because it could change the world. Think about that crap. 

A New Leader, A Different Kind of Hope

Recalling the moment - the moment where our new leader was being guarded and escorted to the White House area, gives me hope.  Gave me hope.  Makes me feel comforted, which I didn't even realize. This is not about a political party.  It is about humanity.

I recall watching Joe Biden arrive at Joint Base Andrews.  He was arriving in Washington, D.C. for a return to the people's house. Glazing over the screen, he seemed a bit frailer than our previous Commander-In-Chiefs, yet he stands strong in his abilities and faith to lead us to a brighter tomorrow. This is a different kind of hope than we had when his friend, President Obama, took office. Both took office at a time when the world needed change, yet this hope is one that we have been waiting for throughout the last four years. This man wrote about the possibility to become President as a young teenager. He has been devoted to this plan, of helping the American people, throughout his life. His time has arrived. His moment has arrived and I can only imagine his emotional feelings right now.  I wonder what he thinks about as he sits in the Oval office.  It has been a whole eight days and it seems like an eternity - because we are all at ease.  We know he is sitting in that room thinking, with his cabinet, about families.  Family is everything to him.  Not money.  Not fame. Not social media.  Not causing a mini civil war between the citizens.  This man will heal us. I believe in him. I believe he is the better choice for what we, the American people, need at this time and can empathize with a lot of us.

Mornings with my teenage son have changed.  He use to grab the family room remote and tell me, "You have to see this,"  as I'd slowly fill my teacup for the morning, taking in the sun's rays through the kitchen window.  I could see his jawbones fluctuating out of fear, out of rage and disgust.  Now, we don't meet around the morning news any longer.  There is no fear, or worry, from him.  He is in a calm state and have returned to doing laundry in the mornings and not causing my stomach to go in to knots at the thought of him turning on the television.  I am at peace.  Again, this isn't a matter of a political party because I have voted for individuals from both major parties.  At this point in time, it is a matter of pure decency.  Knowing we are all sleeping well, is a bonus..... and knowing the stock market is still doing well - unlike what people were going crazy over. 

All is calm.  Maybe we can get back to liking our neighbors again. That is all.  Let's just think about that for a moment.  

Living With Lupus

Bravely telling myself every single morning I stare at myself in the mirror, "I got this," I gather strength from the deep dark unknown.  Not sure where it comes from but I cannot teach my children about perseverance and strength if I don't live it.  Staring at the well known "butterfly kiss" on my face and the bunch of hair I just removed from the shower and placed it on my crisp, white, marble counter doesn't make me feel better. 

Life starting changing a few years ago.  I couldn't understand why my body was hurting. I couldn't sleep or remember things the way I use to.  My head would hurt constantly, different from the constant migraines and constantly walked around with a low grade fever and constantly freezing in a house with teenagers whose hormones were raging and didn't want the central air to be warmer. I get it.  We live in a tropical climate where 80+ degrees outside means you want your cool air running.  Suddenly, I started getting crap from my older husband - who I might add - is in such great physical shape and still turns heads.  I couldn't hike as well as I use to because my feet were swelling at times and my back was hurting, falling asleep by 7:00p.m. most days because I was constantly exhausted.  Fatigue can put a real damper on things. My constant complaints to my doctor went unanswered and left me - almost - in a depression. I was not stressed, as she thought. I did not strain my body.  Dropping a 1/2 gallon drink in the supermarket and standing crying because I couldn't move my arm was the kicker.  Hubby knew something was truly wrong at that point. Something was wrong and I wasn't sure how to fix it.  Two doctors later, the later being a young 28 year old enthusiast general practice doctor who studied a new kind of science (Biome science) - determined to figure this out for me, noticed two things when I sat to talk to her and boom! - she had an inclination.  What?? That is all it took???  A few minutes of her looking at me and listening and a blood test recommendation.  An early, 7:30 a.m. phone call confirmed it.  I had Lupus.

Fast forward and I changed my eating habits.  My body began to respond and I was pleased to know I did not have to use medication. For as long as I can, I will fight this fight naturally.  Though I ate healthy before, I have now become gluten free, lactose free and dairy free.  It has helped inflammation, which affected my joints.  It has made me feel a bit faster and not sluggish. It has helped my skin and hair, I believe and finally, it has helped me limit calories by being mindful about what goes into my food. Processed foods are pretty much a thing of the past and I can only hope that this journey I am on will help me completely.

We'll see how it goes.  Think about that.