Hello to all our Petals.  With all the talk about new outbreaks of CoVid and new strains of CoVid it is becoming clear, at least to me, that the numbers should reflect the number of people getting this after taking the vaccine.  Not all immune systems can handle what was thrown in the mix to make this vaccine.  NO, I am not saying you shouldn’t get the vaccine.  I’m saying do your research.  Find out what is in the vaccine you’re being given.  I personally cannot take the Flu Vaccine.  I had it once and was so incredibly sick for 2 weeks that I decided never again.  That is my right. I can refuse medications if I want to.  That having been said, if you feel strongly that you are a good candidate for the CoVid vaccine you should get it.

I have resurrected this Food for Thought from last year because it is still relevant.

We have all been chomping at the bit to get out, be sociable and to be, somewhat, normal again.  The good news is that businesses are reopening, people can go out and soak up some sun, we all need vitamin D, and parks and trails are starting to open up again. So, we feel like things are getting back to normal. Or are they?

There have been reports of new outbreaks of CoVid-19 all over the world.  The bad news is that if we do not continue to follow the guidelines to protect ourselves and those we come in contact with, it can cause everything to have to shut down again.  Social Distancing is not what humans are accustomed to unless it was a life choice.  Covering our mouths with masks so we cannot put words to eyes for full comprehension is not what we are used to.  Being forced to stay home is not what we are used to.  So, is this the new “Normal”?  I, personally, hope it is not.

I am one of the millions of people with an “at risk” status.  I have respiratory problems, I am over the age of 65, I have allergies and some arthritis.  The point is, I, myself personally, follow the guidelines but with an alternate meaning.

I do not recommend this approach for anyone.  I just chose to allow my common sense to guide me. 

First please note Guideline 1:  Stay at Home.  Simple directive but some people seem to take it literally.  Stay at home does not imprison you IN your home.  You have the ability to step outside.  If have a back yard, it is a safe little sanctuary to get you away from the four walls of your house.  If you live in an Apartment, it is okay to take a walk around the block.  Simply wear your mask.

Guideline 2: Wear a Mask when in Public.  Another simple directive.  Doing this, you are protecting others as well as yourself.  No one will be spitting on you when they sneeze or cough. And vise-versa. That being said, if you are in your backyard with your family, and were exposed, your family has already been exposed by you.  So, a mask would be a redundant gesture.  I, personally, do not care how good they say the masks are, I just cannot get enough air through them to function.  I always feel like I am suffocating but I digress.  I will add more on that later.

Guideline 3:  Observe Social Distancing.   If you are in your home, social distancing is ridiculous.  It’s difficult to comfort frightened children from 6’ away. They need a hug.  Unless your mad at your spouse, it’s difficult to stay 6’ away when going to bed.  And I apologize to whomever this offends but, I am not wearing a mask to bed. 

Guideline 4: Sanitize your hands.  Avoid touching your face.  This is an oxymoron because you have to touch your face to adjust the mask every few minutes.  But you must wash your hands regularly.  Another oxymoron since washing your hands defeats the purpose of using the sanitizer.

So, the problem I have with masks is that I am constantly adjusting them to stop them from shifting.  I sympathize with all the people who wear glasses.  The mask directs the warm exhalations up and fogs your glasses, so you have to touch your face more often to keep your glasses clear of fog.  And then you have to readjust the mask and the cycle continues.  It becomes incredibly frustrating.  But, for however long this lasts, we are to follow the safety protocols set out by governments to protect ourselves and everyone we have contact with.

On the lighter side, I have found that, if you want to see a Mountaineer lose their mind, tell them that they have to stay home, observe social distancing, wear a mask, and then tell them all the sporting events have been cancelled.  Now they have lost the will to live. A cold beer and nachos just are not the same without the game.  And then there is the continual presence of the mask.  It has to be removed to take a drink of the beer or to munch on the nachos.  THIS is why there are so many speeding projectiles flying through the living room.  I hope one is the mask!!

Moral of the story is: If we do not keep our sense of humor alive during all this, we will quickly forget that there is a light at the end of the tunnel.

Be safe, stay healthy and try to remember “This Too Will Pass”.

Think about it and Feed your mind with positive thoughts.

Good day to All. This Month’s Food for Thought is about, of course, Love.
We all love in one way or another. We love our Parents, sometimes. (Not true). We always love our parents and siblings. But, sometimes, we may not like them very much. It is hoped that we truly love our spouses or significant others. But, again, sometimes we don’t like them very much. We also love our children, unconditionally, and still have times we don’t like them.
Another person we love unconditionally but sometimes don’t like is ourselves. Our ability to love is always there. However, we may, occasionally, cut ourselves off from it. Meaning we don’t give love and refuse to accept love. As an example? We get burned by a spouse or lover. It hurts. And we shut down to stop being hurt. Unfortunately, we also shut down our ability to love ourselves. Over the years we close ourselves off completely. It seems like love has deserted us and we fall into a pit of negativity wondering why no one loves us, why we can’t find happiness anymore and why we are so lonely. The negativity flows from us like smoke from a factory. We create this emotional and mental situation ourselves.

The primary ingredient in any reciprocal form of love, is that we first love ourselves. I know, it’s very difficult to do when we start thinking and feeling it’s all our fault. We beat ourselves up over the things we could have said or done and then we don’t like ourselves very much. Loving yourself is primary to anyone being able to love you in return. Loving yourself is about focusing on your accomplishments and being proud of what you have done. Applauding yourself for seeing things through to the end and not giving up.

Negativity has no place in self-love. Think about it. If you look in the mirror and nit-pick every feature of your face like the nose is too big, eyes are too small, the skin is too sallow, etc., you will convince yourself that you are ugly. If you continue to do this every day, you will see yourself getting uglier every day. The mind sees what you tell it to see. And it doesn’t take much for your mind to start believing it. Focus on what you do like. Are your eyes a beautiful summer’s day blue, a warm, sultry sherry brown? Are they a cool gray that changes color with the sunshine, rain or your emotions? Build your beautiful face from what you like most. Add something beautiful to it every day.

It’s the same with the emotions of the heart. Do you belittle yourself because you face change with fear and anger? STOP IT!!! Change is as much a part of life, as water is a part of the earth. When you accept that nothing stays the same forever, face the new challenges with hope, love and determination. If it doesn’t work out, it’s not necessarily YOUR fault. It may have been about one of those lessens we all have to learn to grow. Embrace it. And try again. Embrace your ability to love yourself, unconditionally!! We all have flaws that we must accept in order to correct them. There is no quick fix. Not if you want it to last a lifetime. But once you reconnect with self-love, all the other forms of love follow. People will feel the positivity exuding from you like beam of sunlight. They will come to you. They will want to be with you and around you because you are showing them the positive vibration and energy of loving yourself. Unconditionally!
Think about it……and feed your mind with positive food.
Blessed Be.

Have you ever asked yourself “Why do I put up with crap from others?”
Ask YOURSELF these questions:
Are they trying to see what your breaking point is?
Are they angry or hurting and need to take it out on someone?
Do they know that you’re a timid person who detests confrontation?
Are they trying to assert control through fear?
How should you handle these outbursts and the disrespect associated with them?

If you’re an enlightened soul, you know that many people have issues with everyone and everything. When they reach their breaking point, they will find someone they can vent at. (I am guilty of this myself, occasionally.) It doesn’t matter if it’s your boss, husband/wife or a total stranger. If someone has reached that point, they can’t control themselves. They open their mouth to take a breath and everything just flies out.
We live in a world of tension, stress, depression, anxiety, helplessness, hopelessness, desperation and for some, nowhere to turn.
We may get help from our faith, whatever faith that may be to you. We may vent at others, we may keep it inside until WE blow, or we may just work ourselves into a physical and mental collapse. Many just forget to think about why people choose them to be their target. Instead of curling up inside and simmering later or blowing back at your nemesis, try to understand where it’s coming from. Is this person overworked, underpaid and fighting to keep their family above water? Is it possible, that maybe they just lost their job, were given a sad medical diagnosis, were betrayed by a friend or loved one or are simply just having a bad day?
When I am faced with these situations, I try to let the person vent. When they have blown themselves out, I will ask if I can help them or try to get them to tell me why they are so upset. People, in general, can only be ignored for so long before they get angry and blow up. And I don’t mean they are talking and you’re not listening. I mean that they get angry because they feel like the Universe is against them. Nothing they say, do, plan ever works out the way they want. It always seems to backfire leaving them more and more frustrated.
You, as a target, can diffuse a situation by remaining calm. Listen and actually HEAR what they are ranting about. They will blow themselves out once they see that someone, anyone, will listen to their rant (fear) about what’s going on in their life. Too often, the strong will turn it into a shouting contest and then a physical one. The timid may stand there and take it with out saying a word. But then they go home and cry because they had nothing but be there. Sometimes the timid will go home and berate themselves for not standing up to the “bully” and then get angry and drive themselves nuts with thoughts of all the things they could have said or done.
Think about how you would react if you were in that person’s shoes. Have you ever been desperately frustrated to the point of not being able to breath? Would you be looking for the nearest wall, or face, to punch?
We all have bad days and, as corny as it sounds, maybe a bit of compassion would go a long way to alleviating a person’s anger at their life, job, circumstances. If you were desperately in need of a sounding board and there was no one you could talk with, wouldn’t you boil over and start yelling at anyone in the vicinity? A co-worker, husband/wife, complete stranger? Take a moment to think about it before you answer with a resounding NO.
You should never have to take crap from people. But sometimes, sometimes, you can do a lot of good for people by just listening.
Think about it.