A smart bear

I love these lessons from Bear 🐻 and Rabbit. 🐇 

“It’s time to go,” said Bear.

“But where are we going?” asked Rabbit.

“Forward,” said Bear, 

“We can’t stay here anymore.”

“So much has happened here, though. I don’t know 

that I can move on,” said Rabbit.

“You can stay if you want,” said Bear.

“But life won’t wait with you.”

“It won’t?” asked Rabbit.

“No,” said Bear. Besides, up ahead

there may be something wonderful.”

“You think so?” asked Rabbit.

“I think,” said Bear, if you stay here,

you’ll never know.”

It’s so much easier for me to remain where I am. So much more comfortable and yes, familiar. It might not be perfect but at least I  know what to expect most of the time.

But life doesn’t let you do that for very long. Something beyond your control happens and it forces a change. I resist. I dig my heels in until I finally realize I’m powerless to change the situation. 

Something strange happens once reality and acceptance kicks in.

I begin to see possibilities. I take a small step. Opportunities present themselves, most of them I’d never have imagined. I give in and take another step, bigger this time. 

When my husband died, joy and hope for the future were lost for me. It was hard to see a life ahead. Hard to imagine life could even go on. Like Rabbit, so much sadness and so many memories had me stuck. And I guess I could have stayed there as that was certainly a choice.

Time began to be a bit kinder to me as one day passed into the next and the next and the next. I began to think something wonderful just might, just could, just may happen.

End of story: I was right.

Beginning of story: I was right.

Bear is so smart.

Turning the page

There comes a day when you realize that turning the page is the best feeling in the world because you realize there’s so much more to the book than the page you’ve been stuck on.       — Zayn Malik

🌷 🌷 🌷 

April showers brought May flowers. Trees are now fully leafed, grass is green, everyone is out and about. Tending gardens, planning picnics, graduation events, getting the fishing gear ready. And isn’t June the month of love?

Well, somewhere in there I found it. Love, that is. 

I was introduced to a wonderful man who very quickly and unexpectedly found his way into my heart. It was very easy to fall in love with David; his kind nature and sense of humor are irresistible. We’ve discovered we have the most important things in common: our faith first and foremost, along with our love of our wonderful children and their families. We have gotten and appreciate their blessing, so we’re ready to sail on, to enjoy life together for as many years as we’re given.

David has visited my home and surrounding towns, meeting some of my family and walking through my neighborhood and then a short hike (mosquitoes!) in Allemansratt Park in Lindstrom. A Sunday church service and a Monday night community dinner completed his introductory visit.

In turn, I was introduced to his town of Staples, Minnesota where we walked around Legacy Gardens and Dower Lake, enjoying the beautiful weather. He showed me the devastating effects of a tornado that went through Old Wadena, downing a countless number of trees and leaving bare land where they once stood. 

Back at David’s home we enjoyed a cozy crackling campfire, watching the still, glassy lake and the deer passing through the edge of the yard. His country setting is so relaxing and wonderfully peaceful.

On Sunday we attended services at his church. We visited a very good friend of his family in the afternoon. An evening visit from two of his granddaughters and their friend was a delightful bonus end to a wonderful weekend. 

Having both experienced the loss of our deeply loved spouses five months apart, the raw edges of grief have at last softened for us and we are ready to turn the page to discover what’s ahead. We see the sun shining again and there are new, sometimes silly, smiles on our faces.

 

Love is not reserved for the young. Love knows no age and when the heart is ready, love appears. 

Thank you, God. 

Thank you for reading my musings.