NOREPLY

Some of you might have heard from our friend Noreply, who regularly sends us emails. You may get emails yourself from Noreply. This name became well known in our home after my then young daughter asked "who is this 'Noreply'  who's always contacting us?". Of course, she meant the "no reply" that comes with certain emails. But it was so cute we held onto it. Noreply has become a household name. Someone we refer to with fondness and laughter.

While we laugh about "noreply", it also causes some consternation for me. Not in the way you'd think. It has nothing to do with spam or phishing-though you do have to be aware on that front. It has more to do with the feeling there. Let me explain.

There is a famous person (actually probably many famous persons, psychologists, and just plain humans) that said:

While I know this is true to an extent, I have a different take on it. Now there's something to be said for someone who can sit patiently and listen without interruption. And believe me. I DO want to hear you and understand you. I want to understand what you are saying and the message you are trying to convey to me. But I feel like there are times that occur in epic numbers, where we reply with the intent to RELATE. Many times the response is so the author of said thing does not feel alone. They know they were heard. They know someone has some kind of idea of a similar feeling or situation. Responding shows focus, empathy, relatability, compassion, knowledge, and perspective. While I understand that everyone wants to be heard and have their chance to speak and tell their story, it is called "conversation" for a reason. The need to help and inspire and give feedback is just as an inherent a need as delivering a story. It bonds us when we can come together with expressions and feelings. It is natural for a spark to be lit in a person's brain when it is registering something familiar, and sharing it helps us process. 

I do keep in mind that there are people who want something entirely different. Some people feel the need to correct, or be right, "one-up" or even "one-down. There are people who just need the attention or are used to the spotlight. But that happens no matter what kinds of situations we are in.

When I am telling a story, conveying a feeling, and even pouring my heart out, while I love the chance to finish my thoughts, I really enjoy the fact that someone else can understand the things I have felt-if only to a degree. It may give me perspective and ideas on how to process or cope with the experience. Or cherish it. Or learn from it. I may find all new kinds of things to try and gain understanding that I haven't had before. That, and I love people and hearing about their lives and experiences. I love feeling happy with or for another human being. I love offering sympathy and love and compassion to others as well. There are so many times I needed to hear exactly what was said. Even if I haven't finished my story yet. I learn a lot that way. I even learn to listen to my heart to know how I can reply, and even say just the right thing that someone else needed right then. I am so grateful for the times I listen. I am especially humbled when I get to hear that I did. Many times we never know-we just hope it was right. So when the reward comes of knowing you helped another with Heaven whispering in your ear-well, there's nothing quite like it. I want others to know when they have done that for me. Stuff like that just binds us humans together- and Heaven knows the world needs so much of that right now. 

What I'm saying is, yes, it is good to listen. It's good to let someone talk and get their stuff out. Though it's not a bad thing to want to respond. Not every time. Not every situation. But it takes a lot more counting than I have appendages for the times it has paid off to either listen to someone's reply, or give one of my own to help us relate to each other. It builds trust and relationships, gives calm and comradery and in the end gets us all on the same page knowing there's someone out there who understands-at least in part-what we are trying to say. 

The other thing hanging out there that needs to be addressed is the elephant in the room-the times we respond to protect, defend, and make clear the proper stance is being heard and understood. Alot of miscommunication can occur when the speaker is assuming something, and proceeds to lay out their case -not wanting interruption or response until they have been heard and put all their evidence out there. But sometimes, the case is faulty-because assumptions have been made or information has been mis-construed. And then it's time to correct the falsities before that train of thought can move any further. Oh, this causes frustration and consternation on the speaker's part, but if there are false ideas being presented to the listener, that needs to stop before things are made worse. "That's not what I said. You misread my reaction. That is false information. That never happened. That was not my intent. That was taken out of context." These are phrases that may be used to interrupt when the accusation train has headed down that track. It is okay to defend and explain yourself (or anyone who is being mis-represented) before the conversation gets out of hand and more misunderstanding occurs. Oh, I am not encouraging anyone to interrupt another person, but pointing out there are valid reasons to speak even when the other person desires to just be heard. This is another situation where balance has to come into play and it is rare that balance is achieved in this area-but it's worth a shot. So, open your mind to a conversation as you open your heart to another. Understand that you may get feedback as the listener tries to relate to you and let you know you're not alone. Or be ready to hear a rebuttal if need be. There are so many people that want to help or want to relate or even give perspective. There are blessings that can be found in the reply. For that we can be grateful! 

And thank you for letting me be a little 
devil's advocate😉

#dinosaursinthemud

YOLO and FOMO -When Two Acronyms Go Walking

It's been over a year since I have been able to bring myself to blog. For so many years it brought me joy and therapy. But I'll admit-this crazy, mean, dishonest, finger-pointing, disaster wreaking, backwards world got to me-Miss Sally Sunshine. The Silver Lining Seamstress. I couldn't do it. I didn't know what  to say. My mind's been  too full. I didn't give up. I just had to concentrate on keeping my life together and having perspective that would help me see though the fog and know what is important to share-and what isn't. I think I'm ready. 

San Francisco Fog-much like my mind

So life scares me. I LOVE it. But it has always scared me. Yet I have a zest for it that will not be quiet. In fact it is constantly screaming in the back of my head. "LIVE!" "Take chances!" "Try something new!""Don't miss out!" Yes, I have a bad case of YOLO. There are so many things I want to do. While I love being organized and love having a plan, I also I love adventures on the fly. I love being impulsive. And I love finding the opportune moments- golden chances in life.

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As much as I am sure there really are the "opportune" moments in life, I also know that many times, you just have to take them. On that note, insert FOMO. I hate the feeling of missing out. Oh, I am picky about what I have FOMO about. I really don't care if I know the latest, have the most current, do the most amazing, or have the longest list. But I hate missing out on trips, or fireworks, late night walks, or concerts. I hate missing out on chance meetings, and planned ones, too. I hate missing work, or  Sunday worship, or flashes of lightning in the sky. I hate knowing I had the chance to do something great, and either squandered the opportunity or was kept from it in any way. I don't like missing things that could fill my bucket or feed my soul. So I'm on a constant search to make those FOMO moments few and far between, and make the YOLO moments count. 

Planes Landing almost close Enough to Touch

Fallout Boy Concert

Fourth of July Fireworks. I can never get enough.

Barbie Movie with my girls-yes. I loved it-I took a very spiritual
meaning away from it. I looked for good and found it.

As always, my summer has gone so fast. What I used to accomplish in a summer is not even feasible anymore. The days are gone before I can blink. I keep plugging away, but the list is never ending. It has also been a physically, mentally, and emotionally draining summer for me. I am not complaining. I care and I love caring. My self-care has taken a back seat, but I have been able to care for many people around me-although not nearly as much as I'd like to. Some nights as I fall into bed at midnight or much, much later, I wonder what more I could have done. And as I lay there in the dark where sleep is elusive, but thoughts are intrusive, a few answers come to mind. 

I am human. Utterly, one hundred percent human. While I love it that I have a body that works despite its many ailments, I know it can only do so much. Loving late nights and early mornings does not help that issue. Life is hard. Wonderful, but hard.I get tired and burnt out. I have concerns of my own. So again. I can only do so much before I become incapacitated and then am of no use to anyone. But oh, I would love to be one of those people that can "run and not be weary." Maybe someday. For now, I just have to do the best I can. And hope my love is felt by anyone within my reach. And exuberance for living. That too!

I have also, especially in recent years, realized and embraced the fact that seasons of life are really a thing! It's not just a song, or a scripture. It is a real life enigma. Seasons of good and seasons of bad. Seasons of peace and seasons of turmoil. There have been years of my life that have been dedicated to serving outside of my home, but then times where my family had to be at the forefront. I have loved spans of time when we've been free to travel and explore, but remember the days of small children and sickness, homework, and tight belts. I have loved being able to offer service, meals, cards, and love, but have also had opportunities to be the recipient of these things when I have had need. Seasons with people and places, opportunities, joys and sorrows.  And they inevitably change.

Sometimes I mourn some of these seasons passing and morphing into other things. I yearn for the past, and sadly, sometimes, want to skip to the future. I realize the danger in both, So I try to focus on the season at hand in my own life; doing what I can, when I can, and maybe jumping on a chance when I find one. 

When it comes down to it, these cute little acronyms  have become quite the cheerleaders for my life. They inspire me and motivate me. They get me out of my comfort zone and help me to see beyond my boundaries and reach for something more-something new. I have experienced things I never would have without these special sets of letters. They have helped me LIVE. And I am grateful.

#beachweather   @beachweather

#fearofmissingout     #youonlyliveonce    #dinosaursinthemud       #imissyouamy

This entry is dedicated to Amy Echard Otto who loved life to the fullest and never missed out on living or loving. I love and miss you my beautiful friend!

PHENOMENAL

 

PHENOMENAL

Do do, do do do. Phenomenal. Do do do do. Phenomenal. Do do do do do, do do do, do.........

Sorry. Every time I hear that word, my brain inserts this song. I promise Muppets are not the reason I am blogging today-although, wasn't that a fun, if weird, trip down memory lane?

Phenomenal. That's a strong word. A BIG word. A fun word. I love using it to describe so many things. People, Experiences. Places. Feelings. Situations. Performances. Acts of kindness, bravery, and heroism. It is a wonderful word to describe immense things. 

I have experienced many phenomenal things in my life, which I think is a pretty awesome thing to be able to say. I am a very middle of the road person, so being able to say phenomenal things happen to me shows me I have been very blessed. 

I have been blessed with phenomenal, incredible children-both by blood and by love. Ones that were borne from my body, and ones I have claimed as mine because of the bonds we so deeply share. They are all beautiful-inside and out, are brilliant, kind, talented, and loving. Best of all, I get to call them mine-at least for the time they are here on earth, borrowed from Heaven.  Because of them, I have been blessed with countless amazing people who have come into my life to either benefit the growth of my children, or blessed all of our lives with their gifts and talents. I have villages who have gathered around my children and helped them become who they are. It's amazing. 

I have witnessed phenomenal, incredible, faith-building miracles of biblical proportions in my life and the lives of those around me. Like-"the tumor has disappeared" kind. Or "there's not a trace of cancer" kind. The "she's been rear-ended by two cars at freeway speed and is walking away" kind. The "she's made it through a living Hell but is an incredible person in spite of it" kind. And then there's the "look at the blue on that dragonfly" kind, and the "oh my gosh, I found a dime" kind. I see miracles large and small every single day.  It's astounding. 

I have visited phenomenal places in the world-everywhere from my back yard with the beautiful Ben Lomond Peak to the rocky, windy shores of the Oregon Coast to the calming, see all the way to the bottom of the ocean waters of the Caribbean to the golden tree filled hills of West Virginia. There are jaw dropping, beautiful places in this world. I have only seen a handful of them, but that doesn't diminish their wonder. I hope to see many, many more before the end of my life. 

Palm trees in Las Vegas

Maho Beach on St Maarten

Golden hills of West Virginia

Haystack Rock in Cannon Beach, OR

Ben Lomond Peak right here in Utah

I have been blessed with a phenomenal job. Sometimes it is taxing on every level, but there is ALWAYS good in each day-even if it's just a short conversation with a child or a run in with the great people I work with. It is fulfilling, if challenging for me. I love being Miss Heather and I wouldn't trade it for the world. People ask me when I am going to retire and I tell them I won't leave until they kick me out. Truthfully, I want to leave while things are good and before I am too tired, but I have at least 30 more years in me, so we're good! I am grateful every day to feel goodness and to leave a mark of goodness myself while I'm at it. 

I could go on about the phenomenal workings of the world, but I was going through my memories this morning before a really long day, and came across one that just struck my heart. I wrote it 4 years ago and I still feel this way. There had been an incredible lightning storm the night before and there were pictures that had been  on KSL's page that were breathtaking. Now, I am a sucker for a good storm. You give me lightning and thunder and I am a happy camper. Many of my fondest memories are centered around huge lightshows in the sky. When I was a youngster-around ages 7 and 8- we lived in West Virginia for a stint. We had some great friends who had a back porch that hung over a creek. I remember watching some of the most fantastic storms out there. We just all sat in wonder at the lightning flashes that lit up the sky for hours on end, and the ruckus of the thunder bumpers that all but knocked us out of our chairs. GLORIOUS! God puts on a great show. I still get so excited to see flashes in the sky or hear a big boom of thunder shake the atmosphere. I know people who are just petrified of these weather patterns, and I get it, but to me they signify something so divine. Here is the post from the weather page:

And here is what I wrote about it. It actually made me cry.

"When the world seems crazy and unstable, this kind of weather gives me a 

peace that nothing else can. Shows there's someone (thing, entity, take your pick) that is bigger than me and has it all under control. Only something heavenly and 

all knowing could create beauty like this! The storm actually gives me the calm. 

8-3-18"

I need to remember this feeling. All too often, when I am heartsick or worried, or just plain stressed out, knowing God is there is the key to my peace. Feeling something He created makes me know HE IS THERE. Those flashes of light that tear through the sky and those rumbles of thunder that feel like the sky will crack open show me that it's all up to Him and all will be well. There may be a little havoc induced and some unsteadiness in the wake, but in the end there is the calm. The strength that comes with each storm shows me the strength that is there to gird me up. PHENOMENAL. And I am grateful! 

Wait for it.....

VOLUME UP!!!!!!!!!

Never Ending Story

I promised myself I would blog at least once every month of the summer. I'm having trouble settling on a topic. But a promise is a promise. 

I could blog about the craziness of the world, the state of the economy, the unrest in human-kind, the uncertainty in acquiring our basic needs, or the sense of being in an alternate reality almost every day anymore. But instead, I will write about the honor, resiliency, steadfastness, bravery, generosity, and benevolence I still see in the world. The good things that still happen. That miracles that still occur. The valiant acts that transpire in any given moment. The good that still exits.

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Oh, the news would want you to believe otherwise. Those who look to interrupt our peaceful existence want you to lose hope. Those who work to propagate evil would want you to believe light has been snuffed out and only darkness remains in our future. I vehemently contest this sentiment, although I admit to being sucked into the propaganda every now and again. Even then, all I have to do is look at my circle-my village-and I know that light exists and there will always be good somewhere in the world. 

To say I love my village sounds small and trite. It doesn't even begin to cover the myriad and depth of emotions I have for my people. My people have loved me through good times and bad. They have believed in me when I didn't believe in myself. They rush to my side when I am falsely accused. They see the best in me. They will not have my name besmirched, but will champion me at every turn, and give me perspective along the way. My village knows me. My village knows I love them. My village knows I would do anything for them as well. My village is spread out-from the center of my household to the edges of my neighborhood to the far reaches of every state, and even across several countries. Some of my village is even in heaven.  EACH person plays an integral part in my life and has achieved purpose just by being. Yup-you got that right. You can play a role in someone else's life just by existing. And from there, the opportunities are wide open-the chances to help, save, nurture, and cheer. My village takes advantage of that fact and then some. You see, not only are they there for me, but for an infinite number of other people as well. I cannot give enough thanks to every single individual who has crossed my path; the ones that have come and gone, the ones I have yet to meet, and the constants who stay in my life in one form or another-your presence has been felt, done good, changed my life for the better, and brought miracles to me that I could get in no other way. Thank you. I love you. More than I can ever convey. But this post isn't just about me. 

I realize the title of my blog has yet to come into play. I don't know if you ever had the chance to see the classic 80's movie "The Never Ending Story", but if you haven't, it's worth the hour and 32 minutes it takes to watch it. It's cheesy, yes, but full of amazing things like bravery, trial, triumph, heroes, persistence, and my personal favorite: Falcor, the Luck Dragon! More in a moment....

I can't describe how desperately I want one of these!!!

Last weekend I sat in the most beautiful little city in Idaho. We chanced upon it last year and went up to see the "Best Fireworks Show This Side of the Mississippi". We were not disappointed last year, and found ourselves there once again to witness the magic. 

I LOVE AMERICA. I cannot stress this enough. I love my land.  I am patriotic, I was BORN THAT WAY. I bleed red, white, and blue. I LOVE my country. I love what my country is supposed to stand for. I love Liberty. I love being a land of opportunity. I love it that it is up to each person-no matter their circumstance-to take those opportunities and use them, or even make their own, and that anyone who works hard will find some form of success. I love it that we are a melting pot. I love the variety in our land. And I love the idea of being One Nation Under God. If your God is different from my God, we are still supposed to be one nation. I hope we get there someday. Nevertheless, I appreciate more than I can put into words the sacrifices our forefathers, our leaders who truly stand for America, our military, our communities, our workforces and our families have made to help us establish and keep this land that we love. May we never let it go. 

On the gorgeous drive up to Idaho, I marveled at the beauty of vast, wide open spaces, blue skies, and clouds to die for. I reflected on the opportunity I had a few days earlier to go help my mother and her friends in a cause that is dear to my heart and should be one that the world puts great focus on. Operation Underground Railroad  (https://www.ourrescue.org/) is a non-profit entity that raises money and awareness for human trafficking, and provides rescue, rehabilitation and resources for those who have been through this horrific, abominable ordeal. I can't even imagine the destruction being trafficked causes a soul. Well, my dearly departed father had a habit of collecting. Not on a small scale but on a grander scale than many can imagine. One of his items was model cars. Well over 7000 of them. Guess what? When he passed, do you want to know who got to deal with all those cars? My sweet mother. And the rest of us, but it has mostly fallen squarely on her shoulders and it has been overwhelming to say the least. The undertaking of cataloging alone is mind-boggling and time-consuming. Finally my mom got to a point that she felt something different had to be done. She has some friends who run the O.U.R. group in her area, and decided-after speaking with each of her daughters-to sell the cars and donate the proceeds*every penny*to O.U.R. Of course we agreed, and we all feel my dad is smiling upon this endeavor from heaven. Long story short, a few days before our venture to Idaho, I found myself with an open day where I could go show support and help run a booth at an event in Cache Valley. I can't describe the peace and goodness and light I received as I did this. (Honestly I hardly did a thing other than talk to customers and rearrange cars, but it was an amazing feeling.) On one side of our booth was the official O.U.R. booth with info, resources, and merchandise for this cause. We were in the middle, and on the other side of us were the amazing couple who run the DBSA (Depression and Bipolar-Support Alliance     https://www.dbsalliance.org/support/chapters-and-support-groups/find-a-support-group/?state=UT ) support groups in Cache Valley. Can you think of a better set-up? 

Kelly and Jan 

Kip and Kathy

My Dad-the collector

My beautiful, patient mom

At any rate, I was still thinking about this wonderful experience I had when we walked into the venue we had come for and saw the astounding amount of people, goodwill, patriotism, variety, togetherness and community. We were all there to celebrate one thing. America. The founding of it, the protection of it, the diversity in it, the blessing of it. I sat there in amazement as tears streamed down my face and I witnessed the tribute to America that was so generously provided to us. It dawned on me that there is always light. Always good. A never ending story of it. Yup. There's the tie-in. As long as ONE person shares that good, and shines the light so others can see, the story will never end. That feeling enveloped me and wrapped me in a beautiful cocoon of contentment that I have carried with me into this week-even with the endless barrage of disheartening stories that assault our senses every day. The cocoon isn't as strong as it was that night, but my village will bring reinforcements of goodness and light-like they always do, and I will be grateful! 

And a dime to boot!

For more information on the best fireworks show I have ever seen go to https://www.freedomcelebration.com/                     Seriously-the whole show was one huge grand finale!   Thanks to Melaleuca!!!!!