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February Blog 2018

Friendship and family, alones and aliveness.

I’ve recently had my birthday, being a January child, and experienced a beautiful quiet and gentle day, beginning with the usual meditation, journaling, followed by my yoga.

I worked part of the day and throughout was called by phone to be wished a Happy Birthday by several. And funnily enough I had so many happy birthday acknowledgments with little messages from each person on FB, I was chuffed to say the least. Years ago, it would’ve been beautiful cards having been sent via snail mail, now its FB with so many messages, from all over the world, some were very creative and obviously thought about what they wanted to say and post, I am grateful for that. A birthday wish is a wish!!! I understand some may cringe with considering fb to be of value, we are in a changing world, it is a connecter. Learning to be the observer as we navigate the new territories and release what’s ready to be moved on from. Working with what works….

As a child I would enjoy pressies with my family in the morning whilst having breakfast, a fun day to follow, with a special evening meal with the beautiful birthday cake that Mum would’ve made. She was the best Mum, she was great with food, with making clothes, looking after the animals on the land a long side of Dad……Most of what we ate was Mum made from home grown produce. I loved my birthday and I really draw fondly on those days long gone.

My mother passed 39 years ago and my father 26 years ago and along with a lot of grief and letting go of I can honestly say that I have come to love my birthday now without them being here by my side literally! In spirit they are by my side, in a different way!

 

 What surprised me this year was the catch up with friends over the next day or so after, and it was especially for my birthday of which I wasn’t expecting anything at all. I loved being greeted by the children with a pressie and having a beautiful meal made for me. They were so excited and I was excited by their enthusiasm. A spectacular yummy meal had been made and we shared and I made homemade ice-cream with raw cocoa, macadamia nuts, goji berries, my favourite cinnamon from shop 73 at the central markets (as I love to refer to, but are called House of Health!!!!) and frozen honey dew melon it could’ve been more-ripe but the intention and sharing it didn’t really matter how it turned out! Sharing, the friendship and gratitude for such a great time spent together.

Along with another great friend who shared a very special selection of foods and non-alcoholic (as I don’t drink alcohol) red grape drink of sorts, very nice, as sat and talked sharing stories and we played a few games together, back gammon and crib, I haven’t played crib before….I loved it and I felt very spoilt and like I’d had a very unexpected grand birthday. I am truly grateful and feel very humbled for the love and appreciation given as my friends and community have over the years become my surrogate family.

So, this blog is about gratitude for having found another form of family, that being friends and the community. What and who are your family and what are you truly grateful for? Instead of focus on misery and what we haven’t, turn it around and gratitude for what we do have.

Love and gratitude in the grace of life Angela