30 Days of Thanks - Day 15

Today I am thankful for Tea.   

As I type this, I'm savoring a cup of Bigelow Constant Comment Green tea, flavored with rind of oranges and sweet spice.  Mmmm, "sipalicious". 

Today, tea is the most drunk beverage in the world after water, we drink about 15,000 cups every second.  As I try to wean myself from diet soda (it's not easy!), I've rediscovered my appreciation for tea.  It provides a healing beverage alternative in all kinds of flavors. Tea has a tantalizing flavor and aroma. It can refresh your spirit, soothe your soul, relax both your mind and body, relieve anxiety and calm nerves. Tea can be served hot or over ice and can be warming and satisfying as well as refreshing and invigorating. The blissful effects of tea can help you wind down, relax and meditate.

Health Benefits:

• Tea not only tastes great, it has also long been recognized for its healing properties, from the antioxidants in green and white tea to the restorative properties of various herbal blends.  Antioxidants are believed to have health benefits including cancer prevention, cholesterol reduction, and protection against stroke and heart attack. Black tea also is rich in manganese and potassium, and it contains some B-vitamins. For people trying to cut their caffeine consumption, switching from coffee to green tea is a very healthy alternative. Scientists have shown a correlation between green tea consumption and reduced cancer risk, weight loss, and improved heart health.
• Green tea also possesses a small amount of natural fluoride, an element which strengthens bones. And anyone who has ever had a sore throat can definitely attest to the soothing power of green tea with honey in it.
• Red tea (Rooibos) can be used as a treatment for skin ailments, as an immune system booster, a way to slow the aging process, and a remedy for conditions from insomnia to headaches to anxiety. Also, rooibos does not contain oxalic acid, the compound found in some other types of tea that can cause kidney stones.
• Benefits of herbal tea depend on the herb being steeped. Camomile, linden flower, and lavender teas are all highly calming and can help with sleep issues, peppermint and ginger teas aid digestion and can stave off nausea, lemon balm tea can help soothe a headache, and raspberry leaf tea is thought to bring on labor in late pregnancy, to offer just a few examples of this versatile and beneficial type of tea.

What I like:
I have a shelf in my cupboard devoted to tea which includes the below. My favorites are...

• Celestial Seasonings:
• Tuscany Orange Spice (black tea)
• Cinnamon Apple Spice (herbal tea)
• Tension Tamer (herb tea)
• Nutcracker Sweet Holiday Tea (black tea
• Begelow:
• Green Tea with oranges and sweet spice
• Stash:
• Licorice Spice (herbal)
• Orange Spice (herbal)

Memories:
I also have memories around tea which include ...

• When I was pregnant with Nikki, I constantly craved iced tea and beef jerky (LOL!)
• The story dad always told about why he didn't like tea.
• Mom brought me a teapot and tea leaves as a momento from London (a trip I was supposed to go on but couldn't because of back surgery). 
• Numerous Red Hat Society tea gatherings with my mom at the Brown Palace Hotel, the Broker in Boulder, Molly Brown House, The Holiday Chalet, The Hucklebery, The House of Windsor and more.  
• And, my love for tea led to my teapot and teacup collection.  I pulled out just a few for this post.  Enjoy the pictures!

30 Days of Thanks - Day 12

Today is the fourth and final day of things I'm thankful for that have something in common, which is that I've complained about each one of them.

Today I'm thankful for Life.

Have you ever thought of life as a struggle?  Me?  Oh yah. I'm in one of those seasons right now. I've felt the bitter sting of betrayal, the pain of loss, the uncertainty of the future and the emptiness of days stripped of hope. Life can bring tragedies and turning points that make you question your faith, your purpose, who you can trust and even what's 'real.'    There have been times when the circumstances were difficult but manageable, and I could see how I grew through those experiences.  There is strength in the struggle and the struggles can make you bitter or better. Each lesson helps us grow.  But there have also been some debilitating  events that were not manageable and I could never figure out any purpose behind them.  I did, eventually, watch in amazement as God used those events to bring good things back into my life.

There is so much about life that you can't control. You can't control other people.  You can't control the weather, you can't control the economy and so many other things. Was life intended to be something that you controlled? No. It's something to be experienced and enjoyed and learned from.  I look at the current season of my life, and while there were things revealed that changed the course of my life and the direction I was going in, I also am aware of new opportunities, friendships and support that were forming and finding their way to me, right when I needed them. 

Even through this season, I understand that life is such a precious gift, not to just be endured or survived -- but truly LIVED and lived to it's fullest.  We're here to love each other and that involves risk. The best things in life usually aren't safe, they require you to risk hurting, risk being vulnerable. Like the lyrics say, "Life's a dance you learn as you go."  We're all learning and finding our way.  And when I set aside my fears, busyness, clouded perceptions and limiting feelings, a veil is lifted and I'm reminded how brief and amazing life is. Life itself is so incredible and such a special gift.  From each person who is on their own journey, to the flowers in the field and our living, breathing planet.  Life is all around us and it must be respected.  Step back and see the wonder, keep believing, dancing, connecting, and experiencing all that life has to offer.

Life is a gift.  A spectacular, complex gift  -given with love- and I intend to embrace it.

There are many people, often teenagers, who can't see past the pain of a current problem to envision a hopeful future and they tragically take their own lives. Tomorrow, Friday, November 13th is "To Write Love On Her Arms” (TWLOHA) day on a global scale.  This campaign is a movement to counter self-mutilation, depression and suicide for teens and anyone who has considered harming themselves.  People are encouraged to show their solidarity with people struggling with these issues by writing “love” on their arms on Friday.

See: http://www.twloha.com/

30 Days of Thanks - Day 8

Today I am thankful for ...

Learning and tinkering:

- I figured out how to replace my blogger template with this new template page that I like so much more! This look reflects my style more than the cookie-cutter option that I was originally using. If you are reading this feed in Facebook, come see my actual blog at http://here2assist.blogspot.com/.

- I also figured out how to add the "30 Days of Thanks" logo to my blog sidebar. That was a first!

- I also figured out how to fix the date/time stamp tabs on the left that were showing up as "undefined."  Yah!

- And...if you scroll to the bottom of my blog, there is a photo stream of pictures from my Flickr page that I figured out how to insert. Whoot!

Special meaning behind simple things:

 - I made sure to include a couple of lotus blossom flowers in the Flickr photo stream because of what Stacy Brice once told me . I don't mind sharing that she said, once I trust someone, I open up like a lotus blossom. Those have become the type of words that I can wrap around myself like a warm blanket on a cold night. My quest is for people worthy of my trust. Once they find me, they will have acquired an admirable, solid, caring and loyal partner or friend.

- I also noticed that both of my business logos have butterflies in them. Scenic Sentiments (http://www.scenicsentiments.com/) and Here2Assist (website coming soon!) both incorporate butterflies. I think there's more significance here than I like butterflies. There's a transformation process and struggle in the cocoon before the butterfly emerges, and once that happens, butterflies are free. There's a beauty, gentleness and connectedness about them. There's definitely a strength about them, as they undergo the transformation process from caterpillar to the amazingly graceful winged creature that soon emerges.

In the Christian religion, the metamorphosis a butterfly undergoes is symbolic of the spiritual evolution all Christians go through. In ancient mythology, the butterfly stands for wisdom and everlasting knowledge. And in many other cultures, the butterfly seems to be identified with the human soul. I think the butterfly relates to Scenic Sentiments because it's about nature photography, which is a natural tie-in. As for the butterfly with Here2Assist, I think it subtly portrays that I will help your business go from crawling along to taking flight. :)
 

30 Days of Thanks - Day 5

Though my dad passed away on Valentine's Day, February 14, 2005, I think of him often and I hope he knew that I was and am grateful for him.

I'm thankful that I was able to set aside my nervousness and face my public speaking fears in order to speak at his funeral. I would have always regretted it, if I hadn't stood up to remember him.

Below is the eulogy that I spoke at dad's memorial:

My dad was unconventional and a pack-rat; a home full of gadgets with several to spare will attest to that. He was never “on the fence” about anything, nor without an opinion. What he believed in, he believed strongly and with passion. Sometimes those opinions would draw me into debates, which I could never “win”, but that taught me how to speak my mind.

When he wasn’t voicing his dissatisfaction with the government or telling one of his stories about war, history, or growing up in the depression … he would be telling silly jokes. Just a few weeks ago, he told the corniest joke about a duck walking into a bar and telling the bartender to put the drink on “his bill”. Then he’d laugh his infectious laugh.

Dad was a disciplinarian. I remember he asked one of the boys to mow the lawn one day before day’s end. My brother left all day and got back after dark. That brother was mowing the lawn in the dark. Or when one sibling, who snuck out of their bedroom window at night; he installed a burglar alarm in the window while they were gone, which was set off when they were sneaking back in.

When his eyes were better, he constantly read. He had an unquenchable thirst for knowledge and could talk about any subject. He’d learn and then go do what he learned. He’d teach what he learned. He’d throw himself into a hobby or interest 100%. He’s always had an interest in photography. From the old cameras to all the new digital ones … if you were around him… he’d be pointing a camera at you. When I was little, he captured me sitting on the “potty chair”. His photo won a contest, so there I was with my pants around my ankles on the front page of the Arvada Sentinel! The caption read “to protect this young lady’s identity, we won’t reveal her name – but this photo was taken by Arvil Lee Cribbs at 6152 Independence Street."

My dad was sensitive. I had joined a dating service and was telling him about an experience I had with someone who had started emailing me. I told him there were too many things in this person’s childhood, like being bullied, that he hadn’t let go of. Something in dad related to that … he said that person was an intellect. He was sensitive to other’s needs. If he were still driving later in life, he’d still be picking up hitch hikers. Nikki and I went to my parent’s house a few years ago for Thanksgiving. We ran to the store to pick up a few items and were approached by a homeless person wanting money for food. I gave him the couple of dollars I had left in my purse. When we got home, and mentioned how sad it would be not to be with family or have food on Thanksgiving … dad told us to go back and see if he was still there and bring him back. He would be eating Thanksgiving dinner with us. If there were a need, dad would want to fill it. I learned that if you can do a little … you can do a lot. He really had compassion for those less fortunate, inflicted, or just plain down on their luck. He was generous and had a big heart. I think I was the only child in the city of Arvada with my own candy drawer.

Integrity and accountability are two words that keep revealing themselves as I write this. He had a strong work ethic and, in addition to being quite the character … he was a man of character.

There is more than one way to express love. And though I rarely heard dad say the words, he didn’t have to. His resolute and unfailing actions spoke volumes. He was a strong man with a huge heart and giving spirit.

As the shock wears off, I’m discovering a huge hole in my heart. However, I realized yesterday that dad still lives on through me. And when I see my “pack-rat” tendencies come through, or I become long-winded (like now), or I have a strong opinion about something, or I have compassion for another person … I’ll know there’s still a part of dad that lives on.

I didn’t fully realize this until I lost you, dad …but you’re my hero. I love you.

Daughter, Merri