LISTEN TO NATURE....

Hello Boys n' Girls…you know it’s funny, but every time ….and I do mean EVERY time I begin my Gommy’s Goodies and I type ‘Hello Boys and Girls’….I have to backspace and fix it ‘cuz it always comes out BOUYS. But maybe that isn’t a mistake….because what I am wanting to share with you IS meant to ‘bouy’ up you for a bit. Anyway…..what I want to point to today is that I have always loved the quote that says, ‘People come into your lives for a Reason, a Season or a Lifetime’. When you think about that sentiment….you can probably think of people who have been in your life for all of those examples….some are still in your life, some people have left your life for a variety of reasons….and then there are the people you hope will never leave your life…..well, not for a looooong time anyway. But the reality is that not ALL people are supposed to stay in your life....all of the time. And the reason for that is that we all grow and change….and even family members may not always fit well in your life as they once did. Even ‘Blood’ doesn’t always make up what ‘family’ means.

The tricky little part is that we must know when to let go of the people or situations in our life that no longer give us enjoyment or pleasure. We must accept that not everyone is meant to ‘stay’ in our life. I was listening to a radio show yesterday and they were discussing how Friendships can turn into Friend-SHIFTS. The shift is because it isn’t feasible that we or anyone else stays the same forever. If we are doing it right…..we change;  hopefully for the better as we mature and learn how life works. For those who it seems may never mature….you probably don’t have anything in common with them any longer…..and it is time to cut the strings. These people will stay with other immature people because that is where they feel comfortable….just as you don’t feel comfortable with them any longer and move on. You know…the old ‘Birds of a Feather’ thingy. The further away from the spectrum we are from another ‘sort’ of person or personality….the less comfortable we feel. Or it may be as simple as you no longer have anything in common with someone as you once did. No worries….it doesn’t make that person ‘bad’…..it just makes that relationship irrelevant in your life now. If someone or something doesn’t bring happiness into your life any longer….just say no to it and/or them. Life is meant to bring joy and happiness….and you are in charge of who you let influence your own life.

This brings me to lessons we can learn from Nature. If we just observe how perfectly Nature operates…..and then apply it to our own lives, we can learn how to live effectively, enjoyably AND effortlessly. As to the ‘cutting off’ of what or who no longer is working in our lives any longer, we can look to Nature. In Nature, even though it is a part of the tree….the tree knows when to let go and allow its leaves to fall away and begin a new cycle. And trees are self-sufficient. If they receive the right amount of sunlight, soil nutrient and water….they will grow. And they grow without needing any amount of cheering on to grow and they don’t need an audience either. They don’t look at the other trees and think, ‘Oh…look at that Elm over there! It is prettier, taller and greener than me!’ Or, “Do all these leaves make me look fat?” What we can learn from the tress is that we should just always do our best and not be worried about anyone else and what THEY are doing. Everything will turn out ok if we mind our own business and wish well for everyone. ANNNNNNND be happy with who WE are and what WE have and stop worrying about what anyone else has or does. You know envy is one of the 7 Deadly Sins (the desire for others' traits, status, abilities, or situation). So stop that!!! OKAY?

Or how about the Sun? The Sun is not biased, it is NOT bigoted, and it shines on everyone. The Sun rises up every day....so you can say that the Sun is always a sure thing, i.e always reliable. Even if there are clouds or rain…..the Sun is still up there….just waiting to come out again and make everything all bright and sunny! The Sun doesn’t say, ‘I don’t feel like getting up today because I had a rip of a night last night.’ Or the Sun doesn’t say, ‘I don’t like the color of that persons’ skin…so I am not going to shine on him.’ I guess you could say then…that the lesson we can learn from the Sun is that we should all play nice together and share our sunshine! And realize also, that it doesn’t take anything away from you if the sun shines on everybody. And another thing to remember is that no matter what happens in our life…..the sun is going to come up tomorrow. It doesn’t stop coming up because ‘WE’ may think the world is over.

And how about how Nature is always changing? We can resist all we want about change….but as the late Congressman Bruce Barton said, "When you are through changing, you are through.” Ask the caterpillar who thought the world was over…..and then turned into a Butterfly. Sometimes we don’t realize what the Universe has in store for us if we are just willing to do a little changing. And if you are still waiting for something you want to come into your life….another good lesson from Nature is patience. As Ralph Waldo Emerson so beautifully pointed out, “Adopt the pace of Nature: Her secret is patience.”

And then there is the Snowflake. The Snowflake is so beautiful, yet it can also be deadly if we don’t have a place to stay warm and find shelter from the falling snow and coldness that comes with it. And there are also no two snowflakes that are alike, but that doesn’t make one snowflake any better than the other one. They are all beautiful in their own way. Lesson? We don’t all have to be the same to be beautiful. And another thing to learn from the Snowflake is that just because something is beautiful….doesn’t mean it can’t hurt you.

That’s it for today BOUYS n’ GURLS……try to use these lessons from Nature because Nature has been around a whole lot longer than we have been and will be here a very loooooong time after we are gone. You can do it…..Gommy is pulling for you. Hugs n' Mush- Gommy

Grands are Grand!

Hello peeps! It's been a while since I placed pen to paper.....er...fingers to keyboard. The reason is there have been lots and lots of fun times and holidays and getting together to with friends and family, that Goms hasn't wanted to tear myself away to write it down. But I HAVE posted many pictures.....cuz' after all....I am the Gomma-razzi!!

Something did come to mind in the last few days that I felt I just HAD to share with you though. While spending time with my little Grands.....it occured to me that....even though I am getting older, and with that comes a sort of invisibility....those little Grands still think Goms is pretty neat. My daughter mentioned just yesterday that it is like a Rock Star is visiting when they hear Gommy and Grandpa are coming over. And when there is a sporting event or a dance recital.....their little faces just light up when they know we are coming to cheer them on! And it is so nice to see them creak their little heads around to make sure we DID make it to their event.

The invisible part that I mentioned....is that as we grow older in this youth obsessed culture....the older you get....the less anyone 'sees' you, wants to see you or cares what your opinion is. Even the Ad Men only care about the 18-45 year olds opinions when they market their wares. But those little people.....ahhhhh.....they just want to BE with their Gommy and Grandpas and share every little piece of their life with them. They give gifts in the way of original art work to put on your refrigerator, they tell you about their day at school or where Mommy and Daddy took them last weekend. They want to make sure you see their exceptional skills at doing a cartwheel, 'reading' a book, coloring while staying inside the lines or how high they can jump. When you read them a book....they are mesmerized.  It's so much fun to read with a funny voice for each of the characters in the book and listen to their giggles....and then they make you feel as if you were an Academy Award winner for your performance in reading Good Night Moon. Where else in the world does anyone else EVER make you feel that you are so important? No where...that's where.

My little Grands don't ever notice the 'beauty spots' that have begun to appear on my hands and face. And whether I am all made up (as well as I can be made up these days) or I am dragging myself around as if I am circling the drain for the last time.....those little sweethearts think Goms hung the moon! I never find myself being bothered when they ask...."LOOK Gommy....I'm....(fill in the blank)." ....because I want to make sure they know that I think what they are doing is just as important as it actually is!!! How could you lose patience with the fifty-eleventh time they laugh when you pop a bubble you made with your bubble gum? Or find you hysterical when you share a knock-knock joke with them. And how about when I find an old Shirley Temple movie, Popeye the Sailor Cartoon or another Goldie Oldie on the computer and they are enchanted with this 'NEW' magic that Gommy is shaing with them?  It's the BEST!!!

I am often reminded that I didn't always think the fifty-eleventh time when my own children did something was so adorable....but I also didn't have the luxury back then of leaving when I wanted to either.  And back then, it was my full responsibility for the day in and day out of raising my own three children. Looking back though, I see how I may have been so busy with the day to day of living, that I missed the minute to minute of the little things that were so cute. I guess we do get do-overs because my 20/20 hindsight is allowing me to enjoy these times all the more. And when my little grands say thank you.....just for spending time with them...now THAT just melts a Gommys' heart.

Yep my friends.....never let an opportunity go by that you can spend with your little ones. They grow up soooo fast....and one day Gommy won't hold as much magic with them and the visits will be less and less often and when you do get a visit....there won't be the giggles and the excitement to see you. Although, I do have to admit....that when they grow up....you can still have a good relationship with them....even if it is a different sort of relationship. My older (adult) Grands and I have some pretty good side-splitting laughs when we get together that would not be 'Little Grand' appropriate. And one day, probably sooner than later......they will make Gommy a 'Great-Gommy'. Then they will get to learn all the Mommy/Gommy things for themselves. And the beat goes on......

These good times are ones to cherish...and they are fleeting with the passage of time. All Goms is saying is to enjoy it while it lasts. You can do it....Gommy is pulling for you!
Hugs & Mush, Gommy