Welcome to October, Dear Friend,
If you are feeling overwhelmed or anxious, you are not alone. Yesterday, it all came to a crashing halt. I actually made myself sick thinking about all of the negatives coming from so many sectors. I headed to bed early and slept off the worry headache.
This morning, I apologized to my husband for being grouchy yesterday. His empathy made me feel a whole lot better. We chatted at breakfast about positive things in our lives. Then I went outside to do the morning chores. I stopped to admire the leaves on the aronia bush aka black chokecherry bush. You can see one of the last berries hanging onto the bush. It reminded me of the jelly I had made with aronia berries this summer.
The aronia berries are high in vitamin C and antioxidants. They are rather bitter and strong. By combining the juice from this year's aronia berry harvest with some canned juice from last year's gooseberries--along with plenty of sugar--they produced a delightful and beautiful jelly for the breakfast toast. Together, the flavors are delicious! .
Here's a picture of what's left of the last jar of jelly.
I realize the world is much more complex than berry bushes. It's tough to stay positive. Life is a gift, but it still can be hard to navigate the daily grind.
Here are three suggestions for self-care:
1. Give yourself a break
Focus on the beauty of the fall season. Allow yourself time to notice the changing leaves and colors. Kansas offers trees, bushes, late flowers, fields and grasses to appreciate. Watch a squirrel bury a walnut.
2. Eat fruits and vegetables
Along with delicious Kansas meats, eggs and cheeses, throw in some veggies and fruits. Fresh apples, pears, squash, sweet potatoes, pumpkins, carrots and on goes the list. A friend baked a beautiful carrot cake with coarsely grated fresh carrots. The flecks of orange brightened every slice!
3. Rest
Nobody has time to rest, I get it. But Take the Time to rest. 10 minute power naps, short snoozes, maybe go to bed a half hour earlier, stop screen time earlier in the evening. . . It does a body good.
Like the aronia berries and the gooseberries, together we can make a sweeter life together. Really together.
I love this line by C.S. Lewis in Mere Christianity:
"Do not waste time bothering whether you 'love' your neighbor; act as if you did. As soon as we do this we find one of the great secrets. When you are behaving as if you loved someone, you will presently come to love him."
Know you are valuable and loved. You bring good to this world. Thank you.
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