Generosity

In the near future some of my school friends and I will be embarking in a trip  to celebrate our Class 71 dinner party in Las Vegas but will spend some time before that enjoying the hospitality of another school friend who lives in Los Angeles. 

My friend America has a heart as big as the continent whose name she shares. She has invited us to her home-there are 10 of us- and to sightsee Los Angeles and then she will take us to Las Vegas where she is paying for a time share for all of us to have our dinner party together.

I am sure that will be a blast. We have all been excited for months and that not only has created expectations but also strengthen the bonding between some of us.

My friend is not a millionaire but a successful entrepreneur who knows how to take good advantage of the miles and reward points you get by using your credit card. Why does she "waste" her points in us? Because making us happy makes her happy. It is always in giving that we receive. 

And talking about generosity, here is a quote from The Daily Om on unconditional generosity, an issue Ame knows so well.

Sometimes when we practice generosity, we practice it conditionally. We might be expecting to "receive back" from the person to whom we gave. We might even become angry or resentful if that person doesn't reciprocate. However, trust in the natural flow of energy, and you will find yourself practicing generosity with no strings attached. This is the purest form of giving. Remember that what you send out will always come back you. Selflessly help a friend in need without expecting them to return the same favor in the same way, and know that you, too, will receive that support from the universe when you need it. Besides, while giving conditionally creates stress (because we are waiting with an invisible balance sheet to receive our due), giving unconditionally creates and generates abundance. We give freely, because we trust that there is always an unlimited supply. 

My Mum turns 88 this year and for the last 6 she has been experiencing the effects of Alzheimer. In spite of her fading memory, she seems to be happy, smiles very often and loves presents. She believes I am her Mum so I need to introduce myself every time and then she realizes She is my Mum. She just smiles when this happens. 

In one of my night time reading sessions I read the article below and decided to share it since it does sums up the feelings of people like me, those who have become the guardians of their aging parents.

Aging Parents

BY MADISYN TAYLOR Dealing with an aging parent is part of the challenges and blessings that are part of the cycle of life. For most of us a natural part of the cycle of life is when our roles as children start to shift from that into caretaking roles where are parents are concerned. This can be as major moving a parent into a retirement facility, or coming to the realization that it's necessary to check in with them more often than usual. Whatever the case, such a shift is momentous as it signals a time of confronting our own mortality as we confront that of our parents. In addition, it can bring up issues about how well they cared for us when we were young. We may also find ourselves consumed with fear at the thought of losing them, even if we've been on our own for a very long time. Talking to other friends and family who are going through similar experiences can be a large source of support. They can help us look at both the unresolved past and the unfolding present, and we are free to talk only about ourselves. Sometimes we need the kind of undivided attention a friend can offer in order to deal with the material that comes up at this time of our lives. In many ways, this time of life signals a rebirth as we examine our individual past, as well as our familial past. As our parents' lives move toward completion, we are able to see what they did with their time on earth, what we have done so far with our time, and what we might want to do with the time we have left. These challenges and blessings are all part of the cycle of life.

I am really excited with the beginning of this new year. I am full of plans, wishes and activities. I do not search for recognition or money, I just want to be happy and spend time with my loved ones.

I am reading more and bumped into this, I do love it. 

We have a habit of presenting life with a set of conditions--ifs and whens that must be fulfilled before we will say yes to the gift of our lives. Now is the time for each of us to bloom where we are planted, overriding our tendency to hold back. Now is the time to say yes, to be brave and commit fully to ourselves, because until we do no one else will. Now is the time to be vulnerable, unfolding delicately yet fully into the space in which we find ourselves.

Welcome to the best year of your life!! This is the time for falling deeply and passionately in love-with yourself. Loving yourself is the most essential pre requisite to living your best life. So..let´s do it!!

A lot has happened since I last posted something here. I have been overwhelmed with work, studies and health issues. 

I ended up being operated on and now that I cannot display my usual activities, I have decided to consider this situation as a kind of retreat.

Giving ourselves time to reflect and heal can be a powerful way to process the things that are happening in our lives. Going on a retreat means that we have set the intention to heal and learn more about ourselves and our spirit, but above all, it is a decision that we make for ourselves.

 

I had a hectic week last week with academic presentations to make, family decisions to support and health issues to take care of. I also had to sit for an exam on a topic I am just learning and had not prepared well enough for it. I really thought I would not be able to make it through the week. However, while I was talking to a good friend of mine -more as catharsis than to keep small talk - she told me she was convinced that I could manage since I had been through worse. What she said shocked me at the beginning but she said it so convincingly that her faith in me gave me the courage to do it all. The cherry at the top was bumping into the text below in a magazine, it raised my spirit so high that I decided to share it.  Hope it helps somebody else as it helped me. There are times in our lives when we may find ourselves facing challenges that can seem overwhelming. The situation or task we are struggling with seems hopeless, and it is easy to stop believing in ourselves, our goals, and our dreams. It is during these moments that it can be reassuring and reaffirming to turn to the people in our lives who do believe in us, especially when we are finding it hard to believe in ourselves. An encouraging word, a reassuring look, or hearing the words "I believe in you" from someone who matters can help us turn our situations around in an instant.  Everybody has someone who believes in them, whether this person is a teacher, parent, friend, loved one, or an employer. Often their belief can wrap us in warmth, bolster us, and offer us a supportive hand to grab onto until we can regain our own support. Having that special person who believes in our abilities and our worth is a wonderful gift. But when we are feeling unworthy, it may be difficult to take in something so precious. We may even feel like we need to do it all on our own and that we shouldn't be asking for help. However, in letting their belief and support impact you, you are acknowledging the part of yourself that knows you are worthy of trust and esteem. By allowing them to believe in you, your own belief in yourself and your abilities will start to emerge again. Borrow their vision, and you can make it your own.

It's difficult to clearly see what needs to be done when your environment is burdened with half-completed projects, unfinished to-do lists, old files, clothes that don't fit, and equipment that no longer works or serves any purpose. At moments like these I remember the words of a folk song that asks for taking everything out and making room for new things to come. Renewal as spring does in nature, that´s what we need. 

When 2017 started, I was committed to creating the best year of my life – a year that completely surpasses anything I've known before!  That would not happen if I do not clean out the old and make room for the new. 

It is half year now, I still have time!!!