Our lives are an amazing and colourful adventure of, sunshine filled days, wild chaotic storms, days that are calm, days that are dull, days that are painful, days that are pleasant, and days that provide a bit of it all. No matter how dark the day has been, the sun stills comes up, the stars still shine, the ocean tides continue to roll in and out and, the wind continues to move the heaviest of clouds revealing blue skies. There is calm before every storm, There will be calm after every storm, Life carries on after every storm, and so shall you❤️.
If you can find Joy, calm, purpose, meaning and happiness doing ordinary things, like; planting a garden, painting a fence, washing the dishes, cooking a meal, folding laundry, raking leaves, cleaning your home, walking your dog,
You can let the heaviness of life take you down, or, you can turn towards the sun, stretch your arms to the sky, put a smile on your face and grow through whatever life throws at you. Yep, release your inner sunflower and shine baby shine! Toni O’Keeffe🔆
As the age-of-grace settles in and our hearts soften, we begin to see life through the warmth of our authentic selves, and see life for how she is supposed to be;
~gentle
~compassionate
~loving
and
~simple
We begin to remember the loving little souls we were, before the outside world got its messy hands on us and pushed us off our path.
This latter stage of life, when the wisdom and experience we’ve acquired over decades is firmly planted, might be the most beautiful stage of life as we begin to see things as they really are. We shine brighter, letting go of the regrets, the fears, the behaviours, and material possessions that have weighed us down.
And, although our physical beauty may begin to fade, there’s a new beauty that blossoms, one that whispers a loving caution to those who follow, urging them to let go and live with lighter hearts and tender souls.
But like “us”, the ones who follow, must live their learning, and, if they’re lucky, they too will reach this gentle point in life when they look back and realize they made life too hard, too complicated, perhaps too angry, too chaotic and too cluttered, and, they’ll realize, it didn’t have to be this way.
On any day, in any moment, we can decide to live gently, compassionately, simply and shine brighter than we ever have. Because one day we all reach an age-of- grace where we look back and wish we had.
Thirty four years ago (Feb– 1991), my two sons, Korey 5, Ryan 7, and I, stepped off the plane on to the icy tarmac at Cranbrook airport. We had just moved 900 kilometers away from the people and city that had always been our home.
I had accepted the position of chief of administration at the Canada Employment Centre in Cranbrook in hopes of building a new and better life for my children, and, thanks to the community of Cranbrook, I did. Cranbrook provided my boys and I with a life we would never have had in the city.
Sledding at Idlewild Park, hiking the many forest and mountain trails surrounding us, swimming in Jim Smith and Moyie Lakes, time spent exploring Fort Steel, attending Kooteney Ice hockey games, the fun we had skiing Kimberly, Fernie and Invermere. Weekends in Creston with my cousin Val, auntie Margaret, uncle John, Alicia, and Daria, and time spent with great friends from my work with the Canada employment centre, the College of the Rockies, Cranbrook Cubs and Scouts, Rotary, Chamber of Commerce, and the United Way. These times will forever be some of the happiest moments of my life, and definitely the best days spent with my sons.
Ryan is no longer with us, however, a few short months before his passing in 2013, he sent me a letter thanking me for moving him and his brother to Cranbrook. He beautifully described his childhood adventures and how grateful he was that he had the opportunity to grow up in Cranbrook and experience, the great outdoors the way we had.
So, as I reflect on the 34th anniversary of my move to Cranbrook and Family Day approaches, and, my son Korey approaches his 40th birthday(what!) I’m sending out a whole lot of love to those who became a part of my Cranbrook family. The colleagues and friends that continue to be an important part of my life.
Family whether near or far, is made up not only of those who share our DNA, but those who bring comfort to our lives, help us lay the stones that become our life path, and make our life journeys the extraordinary adventures they should be.
We lived in Cranbrook for almost 15 years, perhaps the best 15 years of my and my children’s lives. So cheers to you Cranbrook! Thank you for our extraordinary and marvellous adventure.
Life’s big beautiful things, really are the small, simple, joyful, things🔆. ~a smile from a stranger ~that first sip of coffee in the morning ~watching the sun rise or set ~the quiet that comes with the snowfall ~a lingering hug ~a hand to hold ~a friend to call ~puttering in a garden ~ hearing a baby laugh ~someone who listens ~a thank you ~ a puppy on your lap ~a heartfelt apology ~a walk in the forest ~walking barefoot on the grass ~the smell of fresh lavender ~ a bubble bath ~feeling the wind caress your face, ~waves rolling onto shore ~sitting next to a crackling campfire ~the colours of autumn leaves ~waking up and feeling well ~peanut butter cups 😋
… and so much more.
The best things, the really good things, are the millions of beautiful, simple (often free) things that help get us through the difficult things.
I hope this day, and every day, is filled with simple, beautiful things that offer you comfort and bring you joy.
The Whimsey Angel 