Another true story about moving and letting go.

Elyse, you once asked for my story and it now seems appropriate.
 When you wake up, and find you are not where you want to be, you find the courage and do something for yourself. Lucky for me, my husband was by my side.
 I left 88 years of building (a business), 38 years of my blood, sweat and tears, and knew for the first time in my life I was ready to live my life. So I left all my belongings in my house, filled the car with stuff for my furry children (dogs), took my backpack and 6 articles of clothing and we were off to investigate what I did not know. Driving down my street  for the last time, I swear, I never looked back. For as long as I could remember I was attempting to please everyone else, never myself. I wanted a change and realized that cold March Monday the only one who could do it was me.
We drove through many states and then we  came to a place we had never been before and began to smell the flowers. Not just roses, but everything else. I was able to rid myself of things which seemed to define who I was. The operative word was things. The more you have the greater the responsibility. I needed nothing, as I was ready to truly live a life. Remember, people see what you allow them to view. What I was defined as was not who I really am. Not my core....that was mine, private and sacred. I found there is something higher that was guiding me, to what I call my paradise. I am now known by my name, not a relative of someone, or my father's daughter, or the owner of a business. I am who I am, and have been graced with the opportunity to do what I have always wanted. Working within a community to bring business to that community, collect food to feed children who would otherwise go to bed hungry, raise money to better a community, the list for me is endless.  I left "it" all behind to find so much more!

Moving, letting go and change.

by anonymous

photo via trashitman.com

                                                                            

They took my furniture away today. They took my mom's buffet that was the first piece of furniture she and my dad purchased after they were married in 1950. They took the white wicker wardrobe I bought when I decorated my daughter's room 23 years ago. I always wanted to have white wicker furniture for her. They took the rattan dresser that was the first "grown up" dresser I could afford. I had it for so long. They took the stand that my mother used to keep her iron collection on. I kept the irons. They took the entertainment unit I bought my mom when she lived in assisted living and I wanted her to have nice furniture. The room was so small and hard to furnish. Whenever I looked at it I knew I had disappointed her. They took each piece, threw it in the garbage truck; squished it to smithereens one piece at a time. I watched from my newly carpeted and freshly painted bedroom window. I got emotional and teary eyed. They are just things. Things that I could not use anymore. In three cases, things that I had because at one time I could not afford better so I used them and enjoyed them. I did not expect removing them to make room for new and nicer furniture would make me sad. It did. It was like seeing old friends get tossed aside never to be used or enjoyed again. Sometimes even the little changes evoke emotions.

Elyse has taken a hiatus from her blog. She'll be watching  20 plus years of things she knew as "comfortable" go in the garbage. Change is good. My new things are my choices; not other people's leftovers but I cannot move ahead without looking backwards if just for a moment and remember when and why I had each one of these rather insignificant pieces and a little piece of me went in that garbage truck with them!

So, if you follow  "The Way I See It" or you have a moving story to share while Elyse is busy with a big change in her life we would love to hear it! 

Change - it's not always for the best

I know that I have talked about this before, but must revisit this today.  I just finished having a conversation with my father, who by the way, is my boss.  We were talking about how so many things in business have changed.  One of the things that has changed in our business is how we do our photography.   We used to talk to the photographer and say "a little more yellow, a little more blue." Now everything is done on photoshop. Then we were discussing how years ago a single person would sit and write advertisements  in beautiful fonts.  That was replaced by the font on the computer.  That led to us talking about the "Kindle."
I am not a fan of the "Kindle."  My brother has one and thinks that it is great. He boasts about all the books he can download in such a short amount of time.  His great collection of books.  But his books are a piece of plastic.  I said to my dad that I think that it is sad that the children of today are reading their bedtime stories on e-readers.  They are cold to the touch and do not have the same feel as a sweet storybook.  Children will not know what it is like to turn pages and look at beautifully illustrated pictures. He does not agree with me.  My dad is an advocate for change.  He says that change is always a good thing.

My dad has this quote on the wall in his office:

When I was a little girl I loved to go to the library and look at all the books with their pretty covers.  I loved the plastic covers and the crackle sound it would make when you read the book.  And I couldn't wait to turn to the back and read what the book was about.  And then take out the book.  It was an experience.  One that the young children of today will probably not know.  Is the library also going to become a thing of the past?  I certainly hope not! 
Remember the "Golden Books."  I used to love to collect them with my daughter.  She was always excited when we bought a new one.  And we couldn't wait to read them and look at the pictures.
I know that the Kindle is a space saver.  You don't have to store your books. But isn't it a nice feeling to look at old books that you might have.  I still have a book from junior high school that I look at every so often.  I will always save that book.  Many of my daughter's books we donated to the library but many were just too hard to part with.
What is your opinion?

This is my book that I have since junior high.

No e-readers can replace these!

The End Of An Era

By Wendy Joy

The end of an era is something we think of on a grand scale.  It's something that has to do with our government, our times and any change that affects our society as a whole.  Together we get it.  Together we understand that the world as we knew it just changed, and we find comfort in one another so that we may stay strong, move on and adapt to our new surroundings. But what about the end of eras that go on in our own private lives.    Some endings are good, and some bad, but either way they require us to change.  For some it could be a move, a new career, or the end of a relationship.  Even the good endings can shake our core and make us feel unsteady on our feet....When my mom died it was the end of an era for my family and for myself.  Life as I knew it would never be the same and I was now a very different person.  As soon as she got sick, it was the end of an era but it was all happening so fast that I didn't realize it. Then when she died it was the end of an era again and nothing would ever be the same.  But slowly, I came back to life with the help of my family and friends and because as my mom used to say "time has a way of letting you heal".  I miss her everyday and I think of her everyday, but now her memory gives me strength. 

                                                                       
When my oldest son was leaving for college, I was prepared a year in advance.   I was hyper aware that there was another end of an era right around the corner.  I knew that in one year his kind hearted face was not going to be behind his bedroom door talking to ten friends on video chat on school nights.  I knew I could not walk in at 11:30 at night and say "please it's getting late......get ready for bed and I love you."  I knew I would no longer have all four of us under the same roof every night in what seemed like forever.  When they were young it felt like this would be my world forever....or at least for the next forty years.  College and the age 18 were for older kids....not mine.   But there it was staring at me in the face and I was setting the table for three instead of four.  I was going into his room at night and crying for a bit....remembering the year before and all the life that was happening in that space.   In actuality everything was great.  My son was in college at a school that he loved.  He was extremely happy and successful there and I wouldn't have wanted it any other way.  This was the way it was supposed to be, but go tell that to my heart. 

In time I got used to our new set up like my sister said I would.  I got used to him coming home for vacations and talking and texting on the phone.  I got used to our new era and it's working just fine.  All is good.

                                                             

But as I sit here and write this I am sitting across the table  from my youngest son who is going to be a senior in high school next year.  He is studying for finals and looking on College Prowler to check out the schools he is interested in.  Together we are laughing, just hanging out and talking about something that just went on in school.....but in my heart I'm thinking "one more year and my baby will be off.  One more year and it will be another end of an era".  I am huge on enjoying the moment.  I never have to be told to enjoy the here and now.  I do. But go tell that to my heart. 

So as I begin to practice adjusting for the day that he too leaves for school and I begin the next era, I remember what my dad has posted on his wall in his office.

 "It is not the strongest of the species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change." Darwin.