What will the holidays look like this year because of the pandemic?

 Tomorrow is Halloween. But because of the pandemic it will be different. Luckily my grandkids are going to an outdoor Halloween party. Therefore I won't have to worry, as much, about the number of people who could possibly expose them to covid-19. But as we all know even a small family gathering also has some risk. And even though the grocery store has its risk, you got to eat so you have to put on your mask and take that risk. Things will be different but my grandkids were still excited as they ordered their costumes on line to avoid the stores. We have decided to gather for a Thanksgiving meal, but we will be eating outside this year, just in case someone has it and doesn't know it. It will be a shorter visit but it will be nice to get together after many months apart. I know without a doubt that I want to watch the grandkids open their Christmas gifts from us. Pandemic or not I wouldn't miss the Joy they ooze at Christmas time for the World. Hopefully we will start New Years Day with a vaccine to end the Pandemic of 2020. Forever we will each remember what life was like during a pandemic. But don't let the pandemic stop you and your family from enjoying life. It may be different but you will just have to learn how to enjoy life in spite of the pandemic. The holidays are still a chance to create special memories and share your love and joy with others, even if you have to do it from a social distance or virtually. 

Don't let our differences blind us from seeing our similarities

 We are all unique individuals which means there will be differences between us. You don't have to agree with everything they say to call them your friend. BUT if you want a friendship with them, you do have to agree to disagree to enjoy the love and friendship, in spite of your differences. Choosing to build a relationship based on you both having the same core values to build on. You may not agree in little ways but that's okay as long as you agree on the important things in Life. Who you surround yourself with has a profound affect on your life so you have to choose wisely. But don't let the small differences of opinions on subjects that don't matter in the long run, keep you from enjoying them as a friend. You will never know someone if you don't take the time to get to know them just because they have a different opinion than you do on something insignificant. We won't agree on everything but as long as we agree to disagree we can enjoy each others company. 

Are you waiting for the perfect opportunity?

 Are you waiting until the perfect time to do something? Since nothing is ever perfect, you might be wasting your time. Not only do you waste your time, you miss out on all the opportunities that you passed up on because they weren't perfect. It doesn't matter what PERFECT thing, person or opportunity you are waiting on, NOTHING IS PERFECT. NO ONE IS PERFECT. So don't look for what is not there. Don't wait on it because it isn't coming. Take advantage of the people and the opportunities that come your way so you don't miss out on the only opportunities you will ever have. Opportunity may come knocking at your door but you will never know unless you open the door when it does.

Trying to please everyone is stupid because you can't please everyone

 The turmoil you go through trying to please everyone around you can damage your health. It's impossible to please everyone. Fifty percent will be upset either way you go. It's nice that you want to please others, it shows you have compassion for others. But you have to take care of your own needs and desires for your overall well being. Doing something you REALLY HATE the thought of doing just to please someone else is not good for you or for the relationship with the person you are doing it for. You won't bond while doing it because you will be frustrated that you are doing something you absolutely don't want to be doing it. Be honest with yourself and with them from the beginning and tell them no. An honest no does far less damage. Sure they will be disappointed but trust me, they will get over it. But if you force yourself to do something that you absolutely don't want to do the turmoil inside you will have a negative impact on your overall well being. You feel pressured to do it so you stress over the thought of doing it for days or even weeks before it is even time to do it. The ten minutes or an hour of doing something to please someone else isn't worth the countless hours or days you lived in turmoil. Just be honest with yourself and them from the start and say no. There is nothing wrong with saying no. Just say NO so you can JUST FLUSH IT OUT OF YOUR MIND to maintain your overall well being. An honest NO is best for everyone.

You may not like it when it rains, but we need the rain

 Having to go out while it is raining isn't what you want but we need the rain. Needing something is a blessing when you get it, even though it may come at an inconvenient time. You have to be thankful that it came. You may have a favorite Season but there is something to enjoy about each Season. Those that live in colder climates couldn't imagine living in sunny Florida. But those that live in Florida can't imagine living in freezing winters. You adapt to whatever climate you live in just like you have to adapt in this ever changing WORLD we live in. The challenges we all face during this pandemic is tough whether it is cold or hot outside. We will get through this but we will have to adjust and bend like a pretzel to do it. You may get wet when it is raining but you know we need the rain.

It's not a good deal if you buy something you don't need

 If you don't need it you don't buy anything no matter what a "good deal" it is. As I was clearing out my closet to make room to start setting the gifts I bought for Christmas, I found lots of little "good deal" items in there that I had bought for a "good deal" since last Christmas. There were a few that I was excited to wrap up that I knew who I bought it for would love. But there was also a pile of items that no one i know would even want. I tried to remember if I bought it for anyone in particular but I had to admit that I only bought it because it was a "good deal." I didn't want to wrap them for anyone and they feel obligated to pretend that they love the gift that I bought them. Then take it straight home and throw it in their closet with a bunch of other gifts that people had bought them (that they won't use) over the years past. Don't waste your money on junk no one would want no matter how good of a deal it is. That's a waste of money and closet space for anyone to store it in. Bake them there favorite pie instead. That definitely won't end up in the closet. 

Memories that need something to trigger them to remember them

 Our minds have stored more memories then we even know. Some memories you think of often. Sights, smells, sounds, and words can trigger particular memories. Like when I hear an old song that I loved as a teenager. I can see and feel present in the decades old memory as if I had been time warped back. I am sure there has been times when someone relives a memory that you two shared that you had totally forgotten about. But it triggers the memory that you had buried deep in your mind then instantly you can vividly see it in your mind. At that moment you say, oh yeah I remember that now. Having happy memories be triggered is a good thing. But unpleasant memories can also be triggered the same way. I have learned that certain songs bring up negative memories so whether I like the song or not I turn the channel before I get time warped back and have to relive it. Spending time during the quarantine to have more conversations with friends and family, on the phone of course. It has triggered many fond memories that we both had forgotten about as we have plenty of time to connect and just have "small talk" that we never made time for before the pandemic. I am hoping we all call each other more often even after the pandemic to have more chances to relive treasured memories that we won't remember unless they get triggered. 

To maintain your overall well being takes more than just watching what you eat

 You already know that to maintain good health you have to watch what you eat and exercise. But did you know that to maintain your overall well being you have to also watch what you let eat at you mentally too. Just like you have to avoid unhealthy food you have to avoid letting negative thoughts eat at you. Take the painful experiences from your past and JUST FLUSH IT out of your mind to maintain your overall well being. You may have had no choice but to go through the painful experiences when they happened the first time but YOU CAN AND YOU SHOULD choose to not relive it. Everytime you relive it in your mind over and over again then you yourself are letting  it hurt you over and over again. JUST FLUSH IT out of your mind every time it pops up in your mind so you can maintain your overall well being. You can't stop negative thoughts from popping up front and center in your mind, our minds have a never ending stream of thoughts running through it. But at a quick glance you can JUST FLUSH IT out of your mind before it can cause any damage. To stay healthy it is not JUST what you eat but what is eating at you.

When the Halloween stuff goes out on the shelf, so too does the Christmas stuff go out on the shelves beside it.

 Every year as they put out the Halloween stuff they also put out the Christmas stuff. They go hand in hand apparently. Thanksgiving doesn't even get mentioned. With the pandemic going on still in full swing the holidays will be a little different this year. With social distancing still a must I am not sure the family will be able to gather together. That will be very sad but, it's a pandemic so we will have to make memories another way. Today I had my oldest grandkids take snapshots of things that they wanted on Amazon. Although they won't be surprised at what I get them since they picked them out themselves. But I could invision the smiles on their faces and hear the excitement in their voices as they looked for things to take snapshots of to send me. It was a Christmas memory that I was able to enjoy in October. I am sure even though it won't be a surprise they will smile every time they remember what gift they were getting from Grandpa and Grandma. As they wander what is in the packages under the tree from their parents and others, the thought of what we will bring over will pop up from time to time. And the day I bring their gifts over even though they know what it is, it will bring a smile to their faces to finally have what they sent snapshots of. It might not be the same kind of Christmas but the Christmas Joy will still be in the air, even during a pandemic. But regardless if they know what is in each package the robots I always make out of their boxes of presents will still make them smile from ear to ear. And even I don't know what they will look like until I start creating them. Don't let the pandemic take the Joy out of Christmas. It may be different but it's an opportunity to get creative with your Christmas Joy and make memories to treasure of your Christmas during the pandemic. I just had Christmas Joy with my grandkids in October because of the pandemic and I will get to enjoy it with them again when it gets closer to Christmas. So it really is all  in how you look at it. I can be disappointed that I couldn't get out and shop for gifts that would be a surprise to them because of the pandemic. Or I can look at the fun and Christmas Joy I just had with my grandkids in October that I had never done before because of the pandemic. The pandemic has many negative effects but if you look for it you would see it also has had some positive effects. Like people getting connected to their human side and having compassion for each other. Like families spending time together and enjoying family meals together. Make a list of all the things you have done that you enjoyed but you would have never done if it wasn't for the pandemic. 

Saying please and thank you is more important than you may ever know

 You probably already know how hard it is to resist someone when they say please. The look on their face seems to be begging you as much as the word please does. You know that if you want something you may have to say please to get it. But telling someone thank you for normal everyday things should not be overlooked. My son actually got all of us in the habit of saying Thank You for even the little everyday things. Like making him dinner, he has instilled in my grandchildren the same thing, they all say Thank You as I hand them their food or a snack. He even tells me Thank You when I do his laundry. When you tell someone Thank You it makes their efforts feel important. Even if as his Mom of course I am going to cook for him and do his laundry, it sure feels nice when he notices and says Thank You. Acknowledging when someone does something for you with a Thank You is important. When a stranger tells you Thank You when you do something nice for them it makes you feel good. When someone holds a door open for you, automatically you smile and say Thank You. Especially during this pandemic when someone holds the door open for me I am so very Thankful because that is one less thing I have to touch that could have coronavirus on it. Remember to say Thank You to acknowledge someone's good deed whether it is your spouse, your child, your parents, your friend, your neighbor, your lawn guy, the store clerk or a stranger. It will mean more to them then you will ever know.

A bump in the road doesn't change your direction it just adds a detour

 Throughout your life's journey there will be an occasional BUMP along the way. Just like when there is road construction areas you just take a detour that will lead you around it. It will lead you right back on track, just a little annoying. In your personal life there will be bumps that you will have to figure out how to go around them yet still remain on your path. With the pandemic the road has been VERY BUMPY for everyone. For some it has made them take a different route with a different destination then they thought they would go. I have talked to many restaurant employees who had to find other types of jobs since restaurants took an especially hard hit during the pandemic. At first they were upset about changing careers but after six months they like their new line of work and are thankful that they had no choice, they needed income or they never would have thought about it as a career. People whos jobs allow them to work from home during the pandemic love it. They hope there bosses will allow them to work from home permanently. Trying to keep companies going during the pandemic has had many bumps and hurdles to accomplish. Patience and creativity are key during the pandemic. Remember anyone can make a mountain out of a mole hill if they keep adding dirt. Don't react to a bump in a way that turns it into a mountain. Just go around the bump.

What is the most important thing you learned about yourself during quarantine?

 During quarantine you have a lot of free time on your hands. Which means you have a lot of free time to think about the "little things" that you never even noticed before. You get to know those around you as well as yourself in a much deeper personal level. Unfortunately some of the things that you notice aren't exactly positive traits. You can't change the negative traits you saw in others, but you will forever judge them with what you learned in mind. But the negative traits you saw in yourself, well you know you have to work on eliminating them to be the best you can be. Having time to reflect on yourself and evaluate where you are and who you truly are is at times painful. Be thankful that you have had the time and the insight to see your strengths and build on them. As well as seen your weaknesses that you can overcome so they don't hold you back. Living through a pandemic has forever changed us all. We went from a fast paced world too busy to stop and smell the roses, to a quarantine where at a snail's pace we can't help but notice every new bloom on our rose bushes. There are many positive things that have happened to us all on a HUMAN level, which in reality we all needed because we had lost touch with our HUMAN side. To be the best you can be you have to work on the things you noticed that you have to change about yourself that is keeping you from being the best you can be.

Your EMOTIONS create energy

 It's hard to hide your EMOTIONS. If someone is angry you feel it, the tension is in the air. You could be full of positive news to share with them and the tension they bring can zap the happy right out of you. Who you choose to associate with has an impact on your EMOTIONS. Do you know someone who is always sucking the joy out of you with their negative energy? Do not let anyone become a vacuum and suck the joy out of you. Look around you and be honest with yourself. Decide if you are surrounding yourself with people who evoke positivity in you. Your thoughts make up the reality that you live. If you have negative thoughts, it will have a negative impact in your life. If you have positive thoughts, it will have a positive impact in your reality. Focus on the positive things in a situation to have a chance for a positive outcome. If you react in a negative way to a negative situation, there is no chance at all of anything but a negative outcome. Don't surround yourself with people that point out all the negatives. Look for those that give you encouraging words that will help you navigate through the tough times. To keep a positive attitude you have to surround yourself with positive people who evoke positive thoughts.