What do you see in my picture?  Are they flowers?  Are they weeds?  Ted will say flowers.  I say … well they are flowers … but they are a bunch of weeds too.  Because most wildflowers are weeds.  Even if they have flowers blooming on their stems.

Ted loves wildflowers.  I think they are pretty but they tend to grow, well, wild.   Ted planted his wildflower garden in this vacant patch of dirt on the back side of our house where there is plenty of sun shine.  (That’s the only place I let him plant his seeds!)  He sees a wildflower garden and I see a flowering weed patch.

I started a new job today.  I work as the post-surgical nurse in an outpatient surgical center.  I saw fourteen cataract surgery patients as they came out of the operating room, and I saw fourteen different kinds of people.  They were young, old, male, female, weak, strong, healthy, fragile, simple-minded, educated, friendly, aloof, fat, skinny, clean and dirty.  But they were all there as patients getting cataract surgery on one of their eyes. 

As my job as nurse, I only saw them as patients.  It was after I came home that I thought about how different they really all were.  And I realized how my focus insists that I treat each one of them the same, and not judge by all the above mentioned characteristics.  I only needed to see them as patients because, in someone else’s eyes they were a dad, a mom, a brother, a sister, a wife, a husband, an aunt, an uncle, a cousin, or a friend. 

I think the lesson here is that what one person may see as having little value or worth may be a treasure in someone else’s eyes.  And if people were flowers, well then I know quite a few flowers with thorny stems as well as some others that don’t smell very nice.  Some of the flowers, err,  I mean people who I know are too flashy, too show-offy, or some are awfully sweet. 

So, keep in mind, that the person you think is a pestering unwanted weed…

…is someone else’s wildflower.

just Laurel

 

 

I remember running into a friend at the OB/GYN’s office many years ago.  Noticing her rounded middle I smiled and asked, “Oh, when is your baby due?”  “I had my baby three weeks ago” she replied.

Oops.

While shopping for our first home many years ago, Ted and I were in the basement of a house that our realtor was showing to us.  The family that currently lived in the house stayed during the showing and the young son had followed us to his basement.  I noticed that one of the basement walls looked rather “ruffled” with paint curling and flaking off.  “I wonder why that wall looks like that?” I whispered to Ted.  Obviously overheard by young ears the shadowing boy loudly replied, “Every time it rains the water pours in down that wall!”

Uh-oh.  No sale here today.  And I’m sure the boys’ parents would have cringed if they knew what he had said to us!

I had to call DTE today to have them turn on the electricity to Amanda’s apartment in two weeks and to change the billing address so that we can receive her electric bill.  “Hello,” I said, “I need to have the electricity turned on in my daughter’s apartment that she will be moving into in two weeks.”  “Well, I can take care of that for you!” she cheerfully responded, “Isn’t that nice that she’s moving out and getting a place of her own!!” she added.  Smiling to myself because I knew she had no idea of our whole situation, I replied, “Well, she’s twenty-nine years old, handicapped, and in a wheelchair, but we hope it’s all going to work out!”

Awkward pause.

Poor DTE lady – I think she was mortified.  Her next comments came out all business as I could tell she was a little embarrassed and caught off guard.  I made a few little jokes and spoke very nicely to her and I think I finally got her to relax about the whole thing.

Now I want to tell you about Dean.

Dean is blind.  He lost his sight when he was a teenager.  He lives in Canton Manor.  Amanda and I got to meet him and we got to look at his apartment.  He is doing great on his own and has wonderful staff helping him during the days.  On a subsequent visit to Canton Manor Amanda and I saw Dean again.  “Hi Dean!” I said to him.  “It’s Laurel and Amanda.  We met you last time we were here and you showed us your apartment.  It’s so neat we ran into you again.”  “Hi!” he replied.  “Oh and I probably ran into YOU because I couldn’t see you!”

Did he really say that?

Yes, Dean did say that and he jokes about being blind quite often.  Bless his heart.

Sometimes we all talk too much.  Often times we say the wrong thing.  It’s just human nature.  A little kindness and a dash of humor can smooth out the awkward pause and the itchy uncomfortable feeling of saying the wrong thing.

There’s an ‘oops’ moment in the bible that is a favorite story of mine.  I will quote the bible verses from Mark 9, condensing it for brevity sake (NIV Version) with all my comments in the parenthesis’.

¹⁷ A man in the crowd answered, “Teacher, I brought you my son, who is possessed by a spirit that has robbed him of speech. ¹⁸ Whenever it seizes him, it throws him to the ground. He foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth and becomes rigid. I asked your disciples to drive out the spirit, but they could not.”Jesus replied, “Bring the boy to me.”²⁰ So they brought him. When the spirit saw Jesus, it immediately threw the boy into a convulsion. He fell to the ground and rolled around, foaming at the mouth.²¹ Jesus asked the boy’s father, “How long has he been like this?”“From childhood,” he answered. ²² “It has often thrown him into fire or water to kill him. But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us.”

(Oops!  Did you read what he said?  Here is this guy standing before Jesus and he asks “IF” he can do anything??  That’s like standing next to Justin Verlander and asking him if he can throw a ball.)

²³ “‘If you can’?” said Jesus.

(I love this!  I picture Jesus stifling a huge grin because He knows this poor guy is just aching over his possessed son.  Jesus knows He can absolutely help cure the boy.  But the poor father is so anxious that he puts his foot in his mouth and doubtfully asks “IF” Jesus can help.)

“Everything is possible for one who believes.” said Jesus ²⁴ Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!”

(Jesus smoothed over the father’s ‘oops’ with kindness – and I’m sure a chuckle – and the father was able to say the right thing in the end.)

The words we say can help or harm.  Here’s to us all having an ‘Oops-free day’ !

just Laurel

I was smiling as I read my friend’s Facebook post today.  She mentioned that all three of her children were napping at the same time so she was doing a ‘happy dance, happy dance’ !!  I know the feeling!  I love to happy dance!

The other day when we were at the yacht club, I observed another happy dance.  The water level had been very low which is typical at the end of the summer.  Friends of ours have a sailboat that has a very large keel which means there’s a big part of the boat, like a fin, that sticks out underneath the boat and in the water.  You need deep enough water to keep floating or else you sit on your keel!  haha – that’s sounds funny.  You don’t want to sit on your keel – you don’t get very far!   Our sailor friends had to keep their boat pretty far out from the main part of the marina where the water was deepest.  They could not manuever into their assigned boat slip because they would’ve gotten stuck trying to move.  Well it happened that the wind blew the right direction and blew so much water into the marina that the water level rose about nine inches!  Our friends noticed the risen water and literally jumped and started moving the boat while the water was up!

And then today, one of Amanda’s friends called and asked if she could stop by.  The friend had ordered this big box of Harry Potter collectible stuff and didn’t expect it to show up in the mail today.  She was giddy, breathless, and shaking with excitement as she just had to come over that very second to show Amanda her Harry Potter box of stuff.  She was absolutely gleeful.

The thing that makes the happy dance unique is that it is something that makes you gleefully happy but is totally unexpected.  It is a wonderful surprise!  It’s the moment of peace when the kids are all asleep at once, the water has risen and returned, or the long-awaited for package has arrived.   It’s a gift.  A surprise.  It’s something you may have been waiting or hoping for, but you weren’t looking for it any time soon.

I think God sends us reasons to happy dance all the time.  You might call them blessings.

I love when I have a good day and I find reasons to do a happy dance.

I hope you find a reason to happy dance every day!

just Laurel

Psalm 28:7 The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and he helps me. My heart leaps for joy, and with my song I praise him.

For as long as I live, may my walk on this earth be a dance inspired by the joy He provides and the words from my mouth be always a song to His ears.      quote by Laurel 🙂

If you are friends with me on Facebook, you would have seen a picture I posted this morning.  The picture was of my laptop keyboard, and on it was a greeting card, a chocolate candy bar, and a BIG box of Jelly Belly jelly beans.  Today is Ted’s and my 33rd wedding anniversary!  Counting as well the two years I knew him before we got married,  Ted and I have been best friends for 35 years now!

So where were the flowers you ask?  Phshawww.  He knows better than to get me flowers.  Flowers are expensive and don’t last.  Candy is more pleasing to this sugar-craving palate and I can share, too.

I love Jelly Belly jelly beans!  They are my favorite snack for when I have to make a long driving trip where I am doing the drivng.    I like to have a mixed bag where I can reach in and grab one, then put it blindly in my mouth (so I don’t see it – duh – I’m driving and I can’t close my eyes).  You see, it helps to keep me awake.  I slowly work on smashing that little beaner in my mouth while trying to guess the flavor.  My taste buds are firing, my mind is taking inventory on familiar flavors, and the little burst of sugar all work together to keep me from dozing.

I love all flavors of Jelly Belly jelly beans that I’ve ever tasted except for one.

Buttered Popcorn.

Jelly beans are supposed to be sweet.  And fruity.  They are candy.  A buttered popcorn flavored jelly bean is just plain nasty.  I mean, there’s no crunch, no butter on your fingers to lick, and the texture is all wrong,

My anniversary box of jelly beans has 20 flavors, all segregated in their own separate little cubby so I can pick and choose and savor them one at a time.  All except for the buttered popcorn ones.  It’s great to have so many kinds to choose from.

Thirty three years ago Ted and I were busy opening up wedding presents.  The very sweet little old lady that lived across from my parents gave Ted and I a small wrapped gift as well.  We weren’t expecting Mrs. Greenfield to spend money on a gift for us.  Inside the small square box there rested a little crystal orb, about one and half to two inches in diameter.  When you moved it around, you could see all colors of the rainbow reflect through the facets.  It was just a little knick knack thingy.  Not even big enough to use as a paper weight.  The most meaningful part of the gift was the note attached.  It read:

May your married life together be as many faceted as this colorful ball.

Mrs. Greenfield’s best wishes for us have certainly come true through the years!  We’ve weathered job changes, raised three daughters, have traveled places, and weathered both the good and the bad.  I still have that colorful little orb sitting on my dresser.  Through the years it often became a play thing for our young daughters, so the shiny faceted surface has weathered several nicks and bumps .  Sorta how life is, huh?

So it seemed rather fitting that, as I reflect on being married forever, or at least for 33 years, that like my many-flavored box of jelly beans, I can look back at years filled with many flavors of life. And like the many facets on a gem, life has shown many sides to us   I wouldn’t want it any other way.  Oh I recall some very good times, and some not-so-good.  But to look back on a life that might have been only one flavor seems boring, tasteless, and not so precious.

I could totally skip the buttered popcorn, though.

just Laurel