Yesterday was a singular day. It did not fit the normal Saturday mold. The entire day was odd, but two experiences stand out.
For the last week I have had what felt like a splinter in my right foot. I wore super thin sandals when we went to the North Shore last week and I thought I hurt it while walking on the sharp rocks at Laie Point. Instead of getting better, it was getting more sore. I could feel something very fine and short when I passed my finger over the red spot on the bottom of my foot, but I couldn't see it. Yesterday I had Carl take a look at with his super magnifying glasses (Thanks Dad for giving him those. They are awesome for splinter extraction!). Sure enough, with those glasses he had it out in seconds. It was a hair. A Charlie hair. Unmistakeably, Charlie's blond hair with a brown tip.
I have no idea how that hair became embedded deep in the tissue of my foot. Maybe it was somehow a reminder of what happened with Charlie and how hard and painful it has been for me to let those emotions go. It was deep, and it hurt. Without help, the pain would have continued to increase. That's how life can be sometimes. What looks to be something small and harmless, can cause us deep pain that we can not solve on our own. Sometimes we need help, and even when those problems seem small, it is important to get the help we need.
It has been raining off and on here for the last week or so. It is the uniquely tropical sort of rain consisting of a fine, warm, mist falling while the sun shines. It's wonderful. Yesterday afternoon I ran out and from of the corner of my eye I saw a rainbow. As I turned my head, to take a good look, it took my breath away. It was the largest, brightest, unbroken rainbow I have ever seen that close. I wanted to take a photo, but it was so large that no camera I own could capture it. It stretched from Pearl City all the way across Pearl Harbor. At least that's how it appeared from my perspective. It was glorious and beautiful. Without rain in our lives, those breathtaking moments are not possible.
Showing posts with label lessons. Show all posts
Showing posts with label lessons. Show all posts
Sunday, April 4, 2010
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Strive vs. Struggle
A man is struggling to climb a mountain. Each step on the path is steep and rocky. His footing is unsure, sometimes he slides a little sideways, or even backwards, yet he labors onward. The higher he gets, the more ragged his breathing, as each lungful has less and less oxygen. His face is hard with concentration, and grimaced bracing for the pain of the next step, the next breath. Ever onward, ever pushing, ever climbing, ever suffering in the struggle to reach the top. When he arrives his body is spent, feet swollen, muscles aching, head pounding, exhausted, he collapses to the barren ground, gasping for air.
Our journey through life can be a struggle. It can be just like this man climbing the mountain, full of hard effort, set backs, pain, and finally achievement of our goals by the sheer force of our will to succeed. We can set our foot on the rocky path, and steel our hearts for the long, hard journey ahead, knowing it will be difficult and full of adversity. At the end of our days our bodies and souls are broken and spent, full of the scars of our struggle, diseased and in pain collapsing into death, hoping for rest in the next life.
On the other side of that same mountain is a man striving to climb the mountain. He has the same goal - to reach the summit. His path is equally as steep and the journey is long. He has invited his friends along, and they talk as they climb. At the most treacherous peak, he slips on the loose rocks and falls. His friends help him to his feet, placing him back on the safe path. They continue to strive onward, marveling at the beautiful vistas only visible from that altitude. As the air thins, the talking dwindles and the walking slows, but upward they strive. Breathing deeply, relaxing into the effort, letting their bodies set the pace. Going slowly they notice the rocks, before they trip. He is aware of the details of the great beauty all around, the plants the trees, the flowers and the rocks. As the man reaches the summit, he stands arm in arm with his friends, smiling into the warmth of the sun, surrounded by the majesty of all that lies below.
Our journey through life does not have to be a struggle. We can instead choose to strive for success with a smile on our face and loved ones at our side, enjoying the journey. Anticipate the joy and the beauty, rather than the pain and the difficulty. Aim high and strive with all your might to get there. But get there happy, and whole, surrounded by those you love.
"When we strive to become better than we were, everything around us becomes better too."
"When we love we always become better than we are."
Paulo Coelho, "The Alchemist"
Our journey through life can be a struggle. It can be just like this man climbing the mountain, full of hard effort, set backs, pain, and finally achievement of our goals by the sheer force of our will to succeed. We can set our foot on the rocky path, and steel our hearts for the long, hard journey ahead, knowing it will be difficult and full of adversity. At the end of our days our bodies and souls are broken and spent, full of the scars of our struggle, diseased and in pain collapsing into death, hoping for rest in the next life.
On the other side of that same mountain is a man striving to climb the mountain. He has the same goal - to reach the summit. His path is equally as steep and the journey is long. He has invited his friends along, and they talk as they climb. At the most treacherous peak, he slips on the loose rocks and falls. His friends help him to his feet, placing him back on the safe path. They continue to strive onward, marveling at the beautiful vistas only visible from that altitude. As the air thins, the talking dwindles and the walking slows, but upward they strive. Breathing deeply, relaxing into the effort, letting their bodies set the pace. Going slowly they notice the rocks, before they trip. He is aware of the details of the great beauty all around, the plants the trees, the flowers and the rocks. As the man reaches the summit, he stands arm in arm with his friends, smiling into the warmth of the sun, surrounded by the majesty of all that lies below.
Our journey through life does not have to be a struggle. We can instead choose to strive for success with a smile on our face and loved ones at our side, enjoying the journey. Anticipate the joy and the beauty, rather than the pain and the difficulty. Aim high and strive with all your might to get there. But get there happy, and whole, surrounded by those you love.
"When we strive to become better than we were, everything around us becomes better too."
"When we love we always become better than we are."
Paulo Coelho, "The Alchemist"
Thursday, July 23, 2009
In the Quest to be Headache Free
Headaches suck. Over the last year or so I have lessened the frequency and intensity of my personal suffering with the headache demon. Here is the list of what I have had success with in my quest to be headache free:
1. Caffeine - 100% eliminated from my diet. I used to LOVE Coke. It just tastes great! I was not addicted. I didn't drink it everyday. But it was my quick fix, go to solution when I felt a headache coming on. The only migraine prescription that ever worked for me included a large dose of caffeine along with a barbiturate. It definitely helps in the moment, but it perpetuates the problem. The rebound headaches create a wicked circle that is tough to break.
2. Sleep - Don't go cheap on sleep, and don't cheat yourself out of the hours you really need.
3. Water - Drink it, drink lots of it, and then drink a little more.
4. Eat - Low blood sugar does a number on me, and a bad headache is usually a part of it. Small meals, healthy snacks throughout the day make a big difference. If I skip a meal I can pretty much bet on a headache.
5. Gum - Don't chew it! The chewing motion, especially if you are like me and you chew with intensity, causes tension on your jaw muscles which can contribute to a headache. If your gum is sugar free, the aspartame can also add to the problem.
6. Aspartame - Don't eat, drink, or chew it! This chemical that is the artificial sweetener nutri sweet is just bad stuff. I have read studies liking it to multiple health problems, but from personal experience I can tell you it is bad, bad stuff and can cause a headache.
7. Exercise - If my head hurts, and I have done 1 through 6, I get up and go for a walk, or turn up the music and dance around. The good brain chemicals that come from exercise usually do the trick.
1. Caffeine - 100% eliminated from my diet. I used to LOVE Coke. It just tastes great! I was not addicted. I didn't drink it everyday. But it was my quick fix, go to solution when I felt a headache coming on. The only migraine prescription that ever worked for me included a large dose of caffeine along with a barbiturate. It definitely helps in the moment, but it perpetuates the problem. The rebound headaches create a wicked circle that is tough to break.
2. Sleep - Don't go cheap on sleep, and don't cheat yourself out of the hours you really need.
3. Water - Drink it, drink lots of it, and then drink a little more.
4. Eat - Low blood sugar does a number on me, and a bad headache is usually a part of it. Small meals, healthy snacks throughout the day make a big difference. If I skip a meal I can pretty much bet on a headache.
5. Gum - Don't chew it! The chewing motion, especially if you are like me and you chew with intensity, causes tension on your jaw muscles which can contribute to a headache. If your gum is sugar free, the aspartame can also add to the problem.
6. Aspartame - Don't eat, drink, or chew it! This chemical that is the artificial sweetener nutri sweet is just bad stuff. I have read studies liking it to multiple health problems, but from personal experience I can tell you it is bad, bad stuff and can cause a headache.
7. Exercise - If my head hurts, and I have done 1 through 6, I get up and go for a walk, or turn up the music and dance around. The good brain chemicals that come from exercise usually do the trick.
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