Creating Balance

I am a person who does not like to miss out on anything. I just love activity and being in the thick of life. However over the years this has created a feeling of being overwhelmed, rather than the joy the activity was intended to bring. In this past year of 2010, I a made a personal choice to say no more often and to be more content in being versus doing. I have found balance in my life and balance is a true gift. The more rare occasions when I do an activity, for example having friends over for dinner, I appreciate the time more deeply or when someone at my office drops by for guidance or just to say hi, I feel more grounded and able to listen more keenly. My interactions with friends, colleague and my family are richer. I created this balance in two key ways: creating a list of 50 things I value most, something I had read or heard from Oprah 5 plus years ago, and practicing saying no to extraneous opportunities that were not congruent with this list of my values. This morning as I find time to write in my blog, I feel the balance and the joy that comes from balance.

Gift of Perspective

My brother's wife's sister is in a coma. Susie is 41 and has suffered from Lupus disease for so many years and it has taken a toll on her body and particularly her kidneys. We do not know the prognosis, we keep a prayer vigil going and in the process we find a perspective on life that allows us to be more present, to let go of minor frustrations and focus on the love of family. Our families have known each other for nearly 38 years as Susie's mother and my mother met while Susie and my brother JP were in "tot lot" at Diamond Point club where we grew up. Our mother's both have large families and their last children Susie the youngest of 7 and JP the youngest of 9 played and read together in this pre-school program. My older brother later met Mary, Susie's older sister and married. Our families have grown close as over the years we have attended Mary and Damien's children's first holy communions, birthdays, one wedding so far, graduations and other milestone events. Susie, like me, is the single aunt for our mutual beloved nieces and nephew from Damien and Mary. I could go on and on about how we know each other and yet I write to share the empathy I have for Mary as she journey's to be with Susie. I know if my own sister lay in a coma I too would feel the depth of sorrow, and uncertainty. Since Susie's illness has gone on for years it seems as the family has been through this before alas it never is easy and certainly today seems more serious than ever. Today, my perspective is a gift from Susie and her family that invites me to love more deeply, be gentler with all and let go of things that don't matter. Susie and Mary we love you and your whole family and our prayers for peace are with you all.