Times flies doesn’t it? Looking through old photo albums this past weekend and I ran across little me between two of my most influential women. My mom and grandma. I’m blessed beyond to have each of them still in my life and I just turned 50 this past May. As I flipped through the old albums and reminisced, I got to thinking about how much simpler life seemed. How carefree it felt. Yes, technology is amazing, it’s allowing me to express right here in this blog but it also has it’s downside. Lately I’ve been a little down and I know I’m not alone in this. We are all experiencing strange days and as positive as we may try and be and even when we focus on our faith and grow deeper in his Word, we are human, plain and simple. It’s hard not to get down in times like these. I did an entire pod cast on my “down-ness” Then I realized as I was looking at these old photo’s that its up to me to turn it around. What should the game plan be? What can I do to change how I’m feeling, unmotivated and overwhelmed? How about going back to the basics.
I have decided the first step for me is to take what they call a social media cleanse. I pledged to stay completely away from Facebook and Instagram for an entire week. Maybe more if it feels really good! Monday I got off the MEAD. I was telling daily stories on social media and some people had reached out to tell me that they love my stories and it starts their day and that was wonderful to hear but I can’t stay on there to tell stories when it’s not so good for my well being right now. I decided to step away and step back into the basics. Blogging was something I used to LOVE to do. It was a way for me to express my thoughts and share pictures without feeling bombarded on a social media platform. While I know that my mom is probably the only one reading this, it’s ok too. It just feel good to write.
I’m going to have more time to write snail mail, draw and paint pictures in my studio, make recipes, walk outside in the fresh air and spend time with actual humans. It’s going to be awesome. In fact the very night I gave up the MEAD, I went on a walk because my new friend I met in the neighborhood, the one with “#hergivingtree” was having a private concert in her backyard. She told me her father-n-law was giving a free concert from 6-7 Monday evening. I was apprehensive to go because I’m very shy and more of an introvert but I decided to go anyways because I knew if I went I would be blessed in some way or another. I walked through our neighborhood, felt the breeze on my face, listened to wind chimes and birds and as I got closer I could hear the saxophone playing and I followed the sound all the way to her giving tree’s house and listened to the private jazz concert in Becki’s beautiful backyard. Everyone had their masks on and each little family was social distanced. She planned it perfectly. I sat “kind of still” cause I couldn’t help but tap my feet and wiggle my shoulders but mostly sat still and listened, and cried. Yes, little tears of joy shot out of my eye balls and I was thankful for the sunglasses and mask so nobody really had to see me cry. I’m not sure if this will work but I’m going to try and share a clip. He played “when I wish upon a star” and it kind of got to me.