Stay, Just a Little Bit Longer

Stay home.  Stay safe.  Stay protected.  Stay connected.  Stay healthy.  In other words, stay right there.

This is the time for quarantining yourself.  Some are with families who are driving each other crazy!  Will this be the new way to live life indefinitely?  Everyone is trying to figure out how to make a living from home (I’ve always wanted to), and trying to find ways to deal with kids’ learning needs, all while also desperately searching for quiet time (boy, am I glad I live alone!)  I guess our priorities are earning (an income), learning (our kids’ education), and yearning (for sleep, relaxation, and a sense of well-being).

This is the time to practice acceptance, tolerance, gratitude, appreciation, meditation, negotiating, and surrendering.  You know, we could all come out as better human beings on the other side of this pandemic.  Set a daily schedule to fit in everyone’s needs.  And relax in the evenings and on weekends.

We can do this.  Good luck to all.  And prayers.  Lots and lots of prayers. 🙏💞   Theresa M

📷by skeeze on pixabay

The Sorrow of Losing a Pet

The past few weeks I found myself grieving old losses.  Pets that I had years ago, still get me feeling a little sad when I think of them.  They were such a joy in my life, each having their own distinct personality, their own way of interacting with me.

The anniversaries of getting them also come to mind, bringing bittersweet memories.  Today I have two cats and a dog, so I still have the joy of animals being in my everyday life.  But never does one substitute another.

Luke, Bailey, & Lilly, my current pals

When I lost my first pet (by death, although as a child having them taken away is a horror all of its own) I felt I couldn’t share the reason I was so sad.  I ran into one or two people with the “it’s only a cat” or “it’s not like someone close to you died” responses.  Yeah, there really are people who are that out-of-touch with understanding and consolation.  “Get another pet,” was also a frequent response, as if substituting someone so precious with another would wipe away all that sadness.  I’ve always wanted to ask those people if they lost a child should they just get another one?  Harsh, yes. So be it.

Those of us who lose our dear pets know what I’m talking about.  Who do you talk to about your sorrow, without the fear of being looked at as being wimpy, or foolish, or weird?  I have major depression disorder, and in times of grief, symptoms can exacerbate. 

Bon Ami & Chelsea

When I lost Bon Ami years ago (my tiny Norwegian Forest Cat) I went to a counselor.  Sure he listened at first, but by the second or third session, he tried to persuade me to take one of his cats.  Yes, really.  A therapist minimizing my grief.  Good grief!

Mostly through the years I kept it to myself, when a pet died.  When I found Twitter two years ago, I found a community of pet lovers, freely expressing their feelings.  A lot of it is fun, silly stuff of what we pretend our cats or dogs are saying and doing, but when one dies, the grief is expressed, the sorrow is shared, and the condolences are lovingly posted.  Aren’t we mere strangers in a social media connection?  Yes, but I do believe the care is real.  There is a positive use of this social media that brings those who grieved in the shadows into a light of candlelit vigils that honor and understand our deep committed love to our pets.

Snapper & Nikki

Sometimes you do find there are people who understand.  Thank goodness my family does.  And where I used to work recently, we had a therapist who had patients expressing their grief about their loss of a beloved pet.  And he was gentle and understanding, helping them through their pain, not trying to side track it with a replacement pet.

There are those who care.  Finding them can be difficult.  Come look for us on Twitter if you need to start.  Our pets are a huge part of our life, and we “furever” love them. 🐱💖
Theresa M

This is dedicated to all our beloved pets

who have gone over the rainbow bridge

🌈💖

#OTRB

We know our pets will be there to greet us home.

I, for one, look forward to that.

For the Hundredth Time

Marking a milestone here.  This is my 100th post.  I’ve been trying to come up with something clever, or at least interesting.  But isn’t that what I’m always trying to do anyway?

📷 freephotos on pixabay

This blog has been an outlet for my concerns, opinions, and observations.  As in the heading I note that it’s about my take on life, liberty, and the pursuit of personal growth.

It’s not really a journal - that would be more personal.  But it is a log - a composite account of how time has affected me.  Time is not constant or consistent, we just measure it in different ways.  My time on earth is from a certain point in the past to a certain point in the future.  What was the main point of all it all?  Looking back at some of my posts, I see my life had points of:

☀ possibly teaching others lessons whether I was aware or not

     Living Lessons of Life   Mar 1, 2018
     Keeping Up Appearances   May 5, 2019

☀ learning and sharing that we are more alike than we
realize and we know it deep within

     We Remember   May 13, 2018
     Life As We Don’t Know It   Jan 27, 2019

📷 Kellepics on pixabay

☀ feeling empathy for others, especially for
the powerless and to make their
concerns known...

     Power to the People   Mar 4, 2018
     Belongings   April 1, 2018
     The Traveler (poem)   Jun 24, 2018
     Take Care   Jan 5, 2020

   ...and sometimes that meant sharing
moments of my own vulnerability

     The Little Girl That I Was   Dec 2, 2018
     Being Different   Jan 20, 2019

☀ sharing my beliefs in being positive and
encouraging the same for others

     Listen Here   May 20, 2018
     Time to Go    Dec 29, 2019

☀ knowing I made choices, for better or worse,
and learned to accept them; encouraged
others to do the same

     In Between Life and Death   Aug 12, 2018
     Fortunate One   Jan 26, 2020

☀ having learned to live in the moment

     One of These Days   Nov 11, 2018
     It’s Always Time   Nov 3, 2019
     Calm the Chaos   Dec 1, 2019
     Realizing This Moment   Feb 9, 2020

📷 geralt on pixabay

It seems most of my life’s point, or purpose, was to encourage.
 encourage - verb - to inspire with hope, courage, or confidence.
Sounds pretty good to me.  🙏💖🕊

There's a time for everything, and a season for every purpose under heaven (Ecc 3:1).

So...what time is it going to be after I’m gone?  Well, time for me to get to know my ancestors a lot more than I did when I was alive! 😃  But for now, see you here and on twitter. Take care.  Theresa M

                  😃😃😃😃😃😃😃😃😃😃😃😃😃😃

....here's an oldie but a goodie, dedicated to my ancestors:



Welcome to the Past     (from April 7, 2019)


   I enjoy spending evenings with my ancestors.  They tell me stories of where they lived, whom they married, their kids and grandkids names.

  Especially in the winter when it is so cold, maybe snowy, I enjoy the warmth inside.  Using my imagination I picture their homes, towns and villages.  I can sense their aching muscles from a long day’s labor.  Their tired eyes dozing off as they sit by the fireside.

  And in spring I continue enjoying their company, as I watch for new leaves to sprout and grow on our trees.  More adventure, more tales, more history.  The wind brings their voices to life.  The rain washes away the boundaries.  The sunlight illuminates each person, yet some are a bit of a mystery still, staying in the shadows.  It’s okay, I understand.  Not everyone is sociable.  Some are shy.

📷 Lafayette, LA 1938 Russell Lee photo

  Here another evening of discovery and wonder passes.  The moonlight beckons me to rest.  The book closes for the day.  But my ancestors are always welcome back again.     Theresa M

📷 Old Stones cemeteries by yarmouthandacadianshores.com