Playing Poker...

When you pull up a chair and wait for the cards to be dealt, everyone feels anticipation! Once the cards are in your hand there’s no turning back. And so it goes with other games of chance – winning or losing is purely the luck of the draw.

I’ve been observing a couple whose commitment to their marriage is unflinching, and over the years they’ve  always played out the hand they’ve been dealt with attentiveness and awareness. It’s a second-time-around for both partners…so treasured and sweet.  The husband recently commented to his son – “your Mother had the best of me, Louise has the short straw”.  

Landmark achievements mark everyone’s life – every accomplishment that strengthens a person and makes them more capable is a testament to their character. This could apply to youth, anyone in the workforce, and other circumstances that can make or break one’s ambition to make things better.

Last evening, in a grocery store lineup, I met a former colleague from work days at the hospital many years ago.  Janice’s career reminded me of the old Virginia Slims™ advertising slogan, “you’ve come a long way, baby”!  She too has a friend whose partner is suffering with Alzheimer disease, and her comment to her friend was that “the hardest part is getting there”.

My own friend’s husband is “getting there”….to that inevitable place where his cognitive awareness and motor skills will be diminished to a level where he will feel less anxious, no longer frustrated, and in actuality – have the peace of dreamland.  And for my friend, forever faithful, she will find peace in knowing they played out the hands they were dealt…no piles of chips at their place, and no accumulation of winnings…but nonetheless Winners.

  It’s always the luck of the draw.

Pick up Sticks....

A battered looking coloured box caught my eye the other day – very nearly out of sight on a shelf of Gently Used items.  Looking closely, I discerned that the contents were the old-fashioned game of pick up sticks! Other popular games of yesteryear also shared the space, out of vogue now.

Pick-Up-Sticks could almost be considered as symbolic of the steps people have to complete in order to achieve their goals. At first, everything thrown up in the air and lands in a heap of this ‘n that. Then, with concentration, the first of many targets are collected and set aside -  without moving any of the others. One by one, specific sticks are gathered –  it’s a process of physical dexterity and mental acuity. If another stick is inadvertently affected, the player’s turn is over – as in business competition the player with the most sticks at the end is the winner.

In this modern age of electronic games and mind-boggling technologies, it should be of no surprise to readily identify the accomplishments of Inventors who played a thrilling game of pick up sticks!

Fossil Fuels...

My grandfather was a self-taught blue collar working man – who learned to read and write so that he could improve his lot in life, marry and support a family. When fellow workers would see “Old Steve” reading some printed material they too wanted to learn how.

Over several years of study, combined with work history, my Grandfather eventually became a Stationery Engineer; and was the first person to receive a retirement pension from the city where he lived.

Being a fireman, whether on the railway, in a coal burning factory, or perhaps a electrical generating station was not just a simple matter of shoveling more coal in the boiler. Think of the famous ship Titanic which had 29 boilers – each containing 3 furnaces…. collaboration and communication were essential to keep everything working in synch.

Times have since changed, but regardless of which methods we use, the essentials are always the underlying foundation of achievement. Individual thoughts, imagination and an enterprising spirit are often squelched in favour of “newer” or “more modern” theories.

Good intentions, purpose and focus on accomplishing what one sets their mind to do are three fossil requirements in use every day – keep stoking the fires of inspiration!

Scratching an itch...

I’ve been troubled for a few months now by the consequences of “dead end” relationships . The fate of young, or not- so-young  lovers who think they’ve got the world by the proverbial tail can be  a slippery downward skid; usually to the chagrin of family members who have been there, done that – possibly more than once - and for naught. 

It’s an undeniable truth that no-one can give advice, solicited or not – it just doesn’t make sense to even try, and there are no gains or brownie points to be accomplished. Everyone has to make their own way and learn, hopefully from youthful errors of their ways. The clincher here is that the “Old Ones” in the teepee have already learned their life’s lessons and hopefully are the better for it.  Myself included.

Yesterday I was at a ladies’ house party, in celebration of a colleague who has, since becoming a single mother, three years ago accomplished immeasurable strides. One of the guests – a married woman - commented that in her younger years, she never anticipated she would have to work so hard, now in her middle-age years, to just keep her head above water.

Sad but too true, even with a long term and loving partner, women are ultimately responsible for their own financial well-being. Who will tend your fire when it burns low?  Give your heads a shake you young sweet peas – when youth betrays you and your looks wither on the vine the one who will ultimately save you is you yourself!

Walk for Memories...

 

On Sunday, January 29^th, 2012, the annual Walk for Memories will take place in support of the Alzheimer Society. 

January is Alzheimer’s Month, so log on to http://www.walkformemories.ca to find a walk location near you. Support a Walker by making a pledge.

                                                                                           

This excerpt from the Alzheimer’s Association of Ontario says it all:

The Let’s Face It campaign, launched by the Alzheimer society offers more about dementia and the warning signs and you can download a Preparing for Your doctor’s Visit checklist. http://www.alzheimerletsfaceit.ca.

The Society offers Help for Today through programs and services for people living with dementia and Hope for Tomorrow by funding research to find the cause and the cure.

Starting New Traditions...

I was just reading in our local newspaper an article about the benefits to both caregivers and their loved ones if traditional holiday festivities are tempered by more simplicity and fewer commitments. People everywhere are overwhelmed and over-wrought..and these frustrations create, for the “loved one(s)”, a sense of anxiety that may not be not identifiable. For some households,  dementia has come uninvited and  everyday compromises are a fact of life.

As is the case with anyone whose finances may be so meager that there is simply not enough for the basics of living, a sense of helplessness and hopelessness can be pervasive. Solutions are just not recognizable and the feeling of being mired down is totally suffocating.  Caregivers who are also suffering the woes of coping know that even tidbits of relief are truly valuable.

Last evening, with the tree up and soft Christmas music playing,  my loved one was humming along to familiar carols and classics of yesteryear.  I had a couple of pillar candles, in tall glass cylinders, on the mantle – the atmosphere was peaceful and content. Out of the blue came a real zinger….an observation that “the catholics are lit up”!  It was absolutely a hilarious moment which will be treasured forever .

Don’t be a fool this Yule – do what you can,  enjoy what you have, and know that as the weeks ahead pass Springtime , with all its possibilities, will certainly bring fresh insights and outlooks . Love yourself, love your friends – however few or many they may number, and feel amazed again when you imagine jingle bells.

Hugging A Tree...

We’ve all heard and are familiar with the expression “Tree Hugger” in reference to someone who is environmentally aware and practices what they preach. And a commendable way of life indeed!

With the subject of nature in mind – the expression “hug a tree” is used in my family to invite young grandsons to participate in a rite of Spring, Summer, Fall and even Winter. Fun, exciting and easy enough for boys everywhere – sometimes to the chagrin of their very polite mamas whose toilet training methods may not include the great outdoors!

Today it is blustery and the skies are snow-filled with prediction of a stormy night ahead. Clients from the city have come to spend some time interviewing contractors for renovations they have in mind – and with the cottage already winterized there is no running water. The lady has been dancing for about an hour or so – but felt reluctant to drive to town in case she missed the arrival of an appointment!

Eventually, the lady was all danced out and it was suggested that she seek

 a spot out of the wind and find relief. The hilarity of the idea was simply too much – the giggles put pressure on her nether regions and the only solution was to, indeed, hug a tree!

One of many “firsts” in the Muskoka experience!! Yahoo!