There has to be a reason to swing our feet over the side of the bed every morning…otherwise, we would just curl up in a bundle of comfy comforters (depending on the season) and perhaps decide to stay there indefinitely. We want to feel safe…we want to feel loved…in a world that half the time doesn’t make sense, or really add up. The main reason to chuck the covers and stick our neck out is Hope….the belief that something better is coming down the pike….someone out there needs us….there really IS a light at the end of the tunnel, and we can only reach it if we make the best of where we are in Life.

I remember seeing the movie, I think it was called “Alive,” where an airplane crashes on a snowy mountaintop, and, after several days, the survivors realize a rescue is nowhere in sight. As more folks begin to die and freeze, the remaining people decide that in order to stay alive, they must eat their fellow frozen passengers. They cut the frozen flesh into matchstick slivers, and one claims that it tastes like chicken, from what I remember, which I thought was odd, but then again, I haven’t had, thankfully, the experience! I remember being horrified, but realized that it was a desperate and last ditch attempt to stay “alive.” It also made me realize, in a flash, how horrible suicide is, because if people are willing to go to such lengths to stay in this world, then what does it say about someone willing to toss it all away?

We are here for a reason…there is always Hope on the horizon, and there really IS a light at the end of the tunnel. These are basic facts, as far as I believe. Hope is the belief that no matter what Life throws at us, we can and WILL overcome it. I’m thinking now, in particular, about the folks in the Gulf States who must feel absolutely devastated by the oil disaster unfolding. What can one say to them? What was one supposed to say to the people standing in the bread lines during the Depression? If you truly believe you are here for a reason, then you find your way back from disaster, and trouble. You take stock of your situation, and don’t have blinders on. If you see a boulder headed your way, move yourself from its path. Sometimes a change is what’s in order….there are times when it’s just smart to go another direction, or move in a different way. We are all here for a reason….it’s our job to find out what the reason is.

Hope, Faith and Love…the three reasons to swing our legs over the side of the bed. Love, because without it the Universe, and we, would collapse. Faith, because we are always being watched by God and His Angels, and there IS a plan for each of us, and Hope, because a loving, faithful God wouldn’t have put us here, and where we are, if he didn’t have Hope for us. We are never to abandon God, because He never abandons us, even if we think, or feel so sometimes. I think God’s Hope is that we don’t forget this.

The strange thing about Life is that it can change overnight. Bad things can happen overnight, and Good things can happen overnight. The Hope is that we can handle the Bad with grace, and the Good with gratefulness….

Keep Hoping,

Jennifer Avalon

Stress….the number one killer, as they say. Now why is that? Perhaps because stress is what usually is the tipping point in our health. Where we can have problems, and still be content, when stress is added our sense of well-being plummets, and we have less “ammunition” to fight our problems. It is extremely important to find ways to combat stress.

 I know for myself that even though I do a bit of yoga in the morning, and evening, and try to meditate once a day, if I don’t add a walk to my routine, the stress can still build up. Being an artist, I am very sensitive to my surroundings. That is both a blessing, and sometimes, a curse! Why do people with Alzheimers generally not get stressed out? Because they have become de-sensitized, overall. In the late stages of the disease they can become quite agitated, but in the beginning and middle stages they mosey along without much stress because their memories can’t hold onto problems long enough to get upset about them. Well, none of us want to get Alzheimers to be relieved of stress, so we must find other ways to feel at peace!

 In early childhood, Time goes very slowly. We take in the Present, and can focus on the Moment. As we get older, we have to re-learn what comes naturally to us in childhood, because of more input, and overload. The old saying “It’s time to cool out,” is really valuable, because unless we cool out, we will overheat, and then our circuitry has to find ways to slow down again . In my life finding a quiet place (not easy these days!) without the T.V. on, where I can just sit and gather my thoughts for a few minutes, really helps. I visualize a beautiful garden, with a stream and a large tree….and I go there, in my mind, to rest and think. The reason I try to add a short walk, when I can, is because stress builds up in the body, whether we’re aware of it or not, and walking (or swimming) gets rid of the toxins in our muscles. All common sense…..but difficult to remember that we owe ourselves, if possible, an hour a day at least to take care of ourselves. If we don’t take care of ourselves, we will be of no good to the ones we love, and who love us. Most of us are needed by others in our lives, and we owe it to them to take care of ourselves.

 Stress….Life without it is almost impossible, but too much of it can kill us. So when it starts to build up, remember how you felt as a little kid, when your cares were few, and you knew that your journey here is for a reason, and growing up to get to do all those things your parents wouldn’t let you do, you now can do, if you want. Get off your chair and stretch….a few seconds every hour, if you can. Remind yourself that relieving your stress will be good for all…….and focus on yourself for a change.

 love,

Jennifer Avalon

© 2010 Jennifer Avalon

 There is an old saying that goes something like this “You can’t choose your family, but you can choose your friends.” I beg to differ a bit. I think we do choose our friends of course, but we may also choose our families. I know that may sound strange, but as I believe God has a plan for all of us, I think that perhaps part of that plan is to bring us together with folks to overcome what has gone on before, and to heal the wounds of the past.

In the animal kingdom, it is fascinating to watch what happens to “blood relations.” A mother of newborn pups will turn her back on a puppy that she doesn’t raise. She will only take care of the pups that she has a hand in rearing. The first time I witnessed this I was a little shocked. What happened to “blood runs thicker than water?” Even in human relations, sometimes friends are closer than family members. Those who have close relations within their families are lucky people indeed, because there is no guarantee that just because you are from a particular family, you will automatically be close. When it does happen however, the saying “blood runs thicker than water,” truly applies. The loyalty that can take place between family, when the relations are good, is pretty astounding.

 They say that some in the animal kingdom will give up their lives to save their human masters. Do you have anyone in your circle whom you could count on to do that for you, if it were needed? For some, it is a family member…for others, it may be a friend. It doesn’t really matter….loyalty can come in all different forms. “Family,” when all is said and done, can be anyone we truly trust.

On a wider level, we are all part of the Human Family…but we often forget this. We become so involved in our own circles and our own problems that what happens to folks worlds away is mostly off our radar. Truth is, what happens to people on another continent does affect all of us…we are all inter-connected. I think that’s why people are so fascinated with the idea of life on other planets. For some reason, even though many of us don’t know, or care to get aquainted with, the folks living next door, or down the street, we are truly curious about the creatures that could be living many moons away from us! Strange, isn’t it?

Family…..the cousin in Kentucky, the Great-Uncle that started the grocery store in the 1800’s, the Grandma who taught you to tie your shoes….the friend who makes you chicken soup when you have the flu, the sister who always makes you laugh when you’re down, the co-worker who shares lunch with you once a week, and listens to your personal problems. People you count on…people you trust….people you love. Family.

Enjoy your circle,

Jennifer Avalon

© 2010 Jennifer Avalon