I'm growing more and more attached to the cabin--which is easy, as it's only in our lives during holidays, we have friends and family over frequently, and what's not to love about that?!!
When I write that I'm feeling reflective, that's sort of a normal state for me--but more so when we are moving, so in the last six years or so...that represents great ponderation. Actually in the middle of moving, thinking about moving, having just moved...these have all been the 'usual' for many years now.
Our kids are getting to ages when I'm looking into the future beyond their launching into independence-but seriously, I'm sure it will be semi-independence for the early university years. It's been a constant goal of mine to be able to give each one the gift of advanced education; as education has been a family value for generations now...and likely part of the spirit that brought our great grandparents to Canada in the first place. We are not the first ones to look to another country! The difference is that we're fortunate to be able to go to other countries and return to Canada.
Canada has changed in the last few years, in all the cities we've been to, there are more and more people from other countries here, having made similar choices to the ones our grandparents made. It's fascinating to have the perspective - and I think I might have written on the subject before, but on Canada day, I was in Vancouver, and felt profoundly proud to be Canadian, and to know what that means to me, when I overheard a Dad, in the accent of his homeland, happily explaining to his daughter that it was Canada's 'birthday'. If that wasn't enough--the grin she gave him!!!
Being here, at the lake, reminds me how fortunate we have been as a family, to be able to come back to this place. And that brings me to the gratitude aspect...I've been posting on Facebook about gratitude, and find that it's serving almost as a daily inoculation of stress-preventing perspective. It's not to say that having a grateful attitude means I'm never upset, or that I've crazy-glued rose-coloured glasses onto my head--but since reading The Antidote (earlier post! click here for a 'catch-up'), I've been able to be more into the emotion, without dwelling, and happier (punning here...) to admit when I don't like something, because it doesn't mean that I'm 'negative' when I do. It feels more authentic; and somehow, I've given myself a ticket to get past things more easily, while enjoying myself more... So for me, it's not about ignoring things, but more about dealing with them, as they seem, as they feel, and moving along... less about 'being positive' and more about being grateful. I've really felt the difference between-gratitude feels better to me, allowing fuller experience and expression.
Cheers and chao.
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