Excellent input, much gratitude!

I'd like to thank Phil, Stacie, Canadian Penguin, and Ed for your input to my last post about Christmas. You've all given me SO much to think about. Everyone made wonderful points, and I think that the key in all of this, is balance.

Ed, your last post really, really hit home (welcome to my blog!). I think I got it in my head, that if I cut back on gifts and things, and tried to instill in my daughter how I feel now, by imposing it, it could really backfire. Thank you for your 8 cents, it really connected with me. Stacie, your general acceptance that you know what your parents would do, shed a new light and perspective on a situation where I felt just as Phil did. And Phil, I do indeed feel that in some cases, limits are appropriate. And, precious Canadian Penguin - I did suggest bonds, which they do get in addition to the gifts.

Plus, over the weekend, I was talking to a friend of mine who is a grandma, and informed me that she's blessed we share our opinion's with her, because it's helped her to see things through a new perspective for her own daughter. And, she admited, that she's from a generation where you just didn't tell your parents what to do, and when her daughter does tells her what to do, it's very hard.

So, I think that taking it all into consideration, I just need to trust my little girl, set limits where needed and include the grandparents in helping me come up with a solution. At least now, we can use the excuse that we have no space for stuff.

Ed, I've been thinking about your comment, about what made *us* can focus, and mine didn't really change until this year, and I started to appreciate things and cultivate gratitude. Actually, it was the trip to Taiwan that really opened my eyes. I realized, that I came from a background that taught the only way to feel good about yourself, was to be better than everyone else, and that you were "owed" certain things. Which, doesn't leave much space to be grateful for what you feel you are "owed". But, that's another story.

In any case, I think just being aware of gratitude, helping others, and, letting go of the control/over protectiveness on my part, will all help influence my little one.

Thank you all! I hope I continue to get such great insights into different things!

Coming soon... reflection on 2005 and expectations for 2006. Oh, and I hope you'll all have more comments to add!

One week left of 2005

Does anyone else ever feel a bit of a "let-down" after Christmas is over? All the hub-bub for one day, and then, it's back in the saddle until New Year's Eve.

Oi.

I remember how I used to love the holiday, not only because of the presents, but because of the week off in between. And, with my job, even though I am a teacher, just in a different environment, I no longer have that option. Yes, I know, I at least get to work from home, but there was a certain magic of having that time off in between. It was a time to settle in, or go out spending that Christmas money that you got at the malls during the week.

This year though, things feel different. Yesterday, as Da Pook was opening her presents, I was deeply saddened. You see, the last few days, she's been getting gifts each day from my ILs. And, as she goes to play with one, she's given another. Then, yesterday, my heart sunk, as I watched her try to play with one toy, only to have another gift shoved on her. And, then later on in the day, while I was resting, I heard her ask for more presents.

I could hear my heart "thud". The very thing I'd been dealing with myself, and wishing to avoid, has happened. She now associates the holiday with gifts. I just let myself lay there and feel sad. I realized, I have several options:

* post limits on the gifts from the grandparents, thus stirring up contention and in a way, ruining their version of Christmas
* ask people not to get gifts (however, they don't listen anyway)
* as my hubby said, just forgo the holidays altogether. (yeah, right)

So what are your thoughts? I'm feeling I should leave it be, and just be grateful she's got grandparents that love her.

I'm torn, but I also realize, that I can't control every aspect of what my dear lil one is exposed to. She's going to face the real world eventually, and I can only do so much. But it broke my heart, reliving my own childhood, when the same thing happened. And then came the days when I just wanted the presents, forget about enjoying them, I just wanted more.

*Sigh*

Ah well, it provides a wonderful opportunity to practice gratitude, grace, and love. Right?

Merry Christmas.

And so the light comes forth yet again...

Cycles.

The word is full of them. Winter Solstice was yesterday, and not the cycle of the sun returning and days growning longer begins. The moon cycles from darkness to fullness, with halves in between. You've got the tides of the oceans, also based on moon rhythms. The seasonal cycles as well.

I'm particularly fond of the seasonal cycles. I'm starting to honor them. For instance, in fall, I'm hit with a massive urge to declutter, shed things, and prepare for the quietness of winter. In winter, we hibernate and honor the quietness of winter. (If you've even been outdoors in the woods, when it snows, it's incredibly quiet.) In spring, I'm ready to be social and bloom again. And in summer, it's time to relish in the sun, the harvest, good fun, and be cleansed by swimming outdoors.

Women have menstrual cycles. (So, if you're a man or a woman reading this, and uncomfortable with discussing or reading about women's monthly cycles, you might just want to skip these next four paragraphs.) And, if we pay attention, you can sense through the course of 28 days, how your body and mood changes and shifts. It's really quite marvelous. For instance, I've realized that after my utterus has cleansed itself, I'm pumped, energized, and refreshed. It's pretty obvious when I'm ovulating (just ask my hubby). If I really pay attention, I actually can feel it. And right before, I'm sluggish and swollen, as my body prepares to cleanse itself.

Most women aren't happy with the cramping or the bleeding. In fact, many of the connotations associated with our monthly cycles are negative. After all, many feel it interupts things, and gets in the way. "Aunt Flo is visiting", "on the rag", and "period" are few of the terms (the nicer ones) used to speak in code about it. I've heard other women get excited about menopause - because then they can get on with their lives uninterupted. (I could go off on a tangent with this, but perhaps I'll remember to return to it at a later time.)

The fact is - it's natural. It happens, it's a way to be connected with life. I use my cycle to get in tune with myself. It reminds me to slow down and nurture myself while my body sheds and rejuvenates itself. It gives me a chance to get intouch with my inner feelings (have you realized just how hard it is to surpress how you "really" feel when your hormones are surging?) and deal with them. I've found that I need more sleep, warm foods, naps, and to just slow down in general just before and the first few days of the bleeding. I also become extremely cuddly and loving (after the cranky mood).

And so, when my cycle runs it's course, and I prepare to shed the inner uterine lining, I put my hand over my womb, thank it for being fertile and cleansing, and reminding me each month, that I need to take care of me once in a while. I enjoy being a woman, and, having my own special cycle to celebrate it. But then, that's just me.

****
Okay, for those too squeamish, I'm done. :)

In any case, I always find it interesting to see the cycles in things. We've all got them. And we've got the choice to celebrate them, or ignore them, or ocmplain about them.

And that's my two cents for today.

Purposely being a slug

Today, I was supposed to go down and run errands in town. But, I don't want to leave the house today. I really don't. I'm in one of those moods where I don't want to do anything but lounge around and be slug-like. So, that's what I'm doing with the Pook today. Why? For the sheer reason that I can. :)

Lovin' it.

Of course, I can probably work on some packing and cleaning today too.

He, he, he... yeah. Right.

Monday

It was a weekend of visiting. Next weekend will also be a weekend of visiting, only it will be us doing the running around and visiting, instead of people visiting us here.

This weekend was okay, it wasn't bad, but I still feel as though I'm missing something. I hurt my side, so didn't do any yoga or walking for 3 days, and that always seems to throw me off. Add to that all the chocolate covered cream puffs, white sauce lasange, pumpkin roll, saurkraut and beef sausage, italian veggies, that I packed away on Sunday, and Whoo wee!

Thankfully I was able to do yoga this morning, and return to my centeredness. Today, I'm feeling okay, which is better than BLAH. We've been packing for our weekend trip, and I'm trying no to stress out over hubby being stressed, but it's hard. He's not social, and I am on more occasions than he is.

For some reason, this year, I just feel this need to cram in seeing everyone that we can. Probably because next year we won't be coming back for the holiday, as it'll be on a Monday. Ah well.

Weird.

Quiet on the Homefront

It's been really quiet on the home front as of late. As much as I'd like to be inspired to write something, I haven't been. But, I'm still around. Just, you know, in case you were wondering.

Liars!

No snow. Okay, we'll some snow. But not what they were calling for, and I'm a wee bit bummed out. I wanted it to snow so badly.

Ah well. At least Pookie's feeling better today. And, it's Friday, which means hubby's got off tomorrow. Yay!