Sunday, November 2, 2014

About my Convictions ~ and When the Doldrums Get me Down


No matter the species, Art sees beauty in each length of
wood and, with phenomenal patience, turns it into an object to
treasure .... if he's successful in avoiding the pitfalls associated
with any new hobby.
Some days I need reliable old standbys when my spirits are low. So I sing aloud the song taught to me by my mother when I was a child:
 
"Count your blessings,
Name them one by one.
Count your many blessings,
See what God hath done."

Today I'm baking three buttercup squash from plants Art seeded in our garden. Last spring he took time ~ from enjoying his [then] 4-month-old passion for turning marvels from wood on his Delta lathe ~ to plant them.

As he planted the seeds last spring, Art and I had no idea that our lives would change
drastically before harvest.

In early September neighbors picked the nine squash that had ripened on the sprawling plants, and carried them into our kitchen.

When we moved, we brought them to our apartment at Broadway Court Estates. Their fragrance brings nostalgia.

When my sister and her daughter come today to view our "new digs", we'll reminisce about gardening.

As you begin visiting this blog, the goal of which is to help and encourage those who never imagined they'd move to an Assisted Living Community, you'll no doubt want to know how I am learning to reconcile my feelings about this major life style change.

"Dear Lord,
I thank You for this day.
I thank You for my being able to see and hear this morning.
I'm blessed because You are a forgiving God and an understanding God.
You have done so much for me and You keep on blessing me.
Forgive me this day for everything I have done, said or thought that was not pleasing to You. I ask Your forgiveness.
Please keep me safe from all danger and harm. Help me start this day with a good attitude and plenty of gratitude.
Let me make the best of each and every day and clear my mind so that I can hear from You. Please broaden my mind and keep me from being prejudiced. Let me not whine and whimper over things I have no control over, or be my first response when I'm pushed beyond my limits.
I know that when I can't pray, You listen to my heart. Continue to use me to do Your will. Continue to bless me that I maybe be a blessing to others. Keep me strong that I may help the weak ... Keep me uplifted that I may have words of encouragement for others.
I pray for those that are lost and can't find their way. I pray for those that misjudged and misunderstood. I pray for those who don't know You intimately. I pray for those who don't believe. I thank You that I believe God changes people and God changes things.
I pray for all my sisters and brothers and for each and every family member in their households. I pray for peace, love and joy in their homes that they are out of debt and all their needs are met.
I pray that every person knows there is no problem, circumstance, or situation greater than God. Every battle is in Your hands for You to fight.
I pray that these words be received into the hearts of every person.
God I love You and I need You, come into my heart, please."
To that prayer ~ whose author I do not know ~ I add, "According to Thy will dear Lord."

I find that prayer particularly comforting when the doldrums get me down ~ a common occurrence for people in the first few weeks after moving into an assisted living facility.

Apparently, days when your spirits are low arrive no matter the reasons for moving into an ALC. Something feels amiss. Those who've experienced this say they felt unhappy ~ like they weren't where they belonged, but one way you can learn to cope is to reach outside yourself.

Take heart.
  • Ask those you meet what brought them here.
  • Listen with compassion.
You'll soon realize you have many blessings to count.
 
Participate in activities offered, even if only as a spectator. When you're among others, it helps you live through a day when the doldrums get you down.

A family member confided the following about her 92-year-old mom who moved to a senior apartment just over a year ago (and was widowed a week after moving in):
"The part that has helped her most is building friendships from acquaintances, and that didn't happen fast. Not so much of the doldrums now, thank goodness."
[Readers who want details of "our story" will find a link to it in the October 2014 archive at the left.]

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