The Flowers In My Life's Garden

The flowers in my life's garden are my family and friends.

I know I speak of them often. But I continue to learn new lessons in Life and I pass them on as a token of my love and appreciation to the people that bless my days. Not just any old Monday when come home tired and want to blah, blah, blah on the phone. Not a month from now when we're still saying "we need to set a date to get together". 

But at a time when I'm struck down after a surgery and truly need help. 

In March I had both knees replaced and I have to admit - I'm an impatient patient! 

I was house bound, stuck in bed for hours on end and four walls did not suit me well. Pain medication had the side effect of making me cry at the change of a tv channel and I did not like it. My son Todd would talk to me with humor and patience and I will be forever grateful for those calls. My cousin Linda came to visit and as my sister of the heart, just said and gabbed with me about summer coming and the beach. Our favorite time together.

Friends called, send cards, texted, emailed. Neighbors stopped in. My sweet son Matt and his wife Connie sent me the most beautiful scarf from Thailand. My Mom called every day and gave me pep talks about the patience of healing. I prayed alone, I prayed holding the hands of some very good friends. 

Not one of my friends hesitated when it came to offering a ride to the doctor's. Yogurt arrived, fruit appeared in the refrig., flowers bloomed all over!

Finally, I'll get to the point....

What I learned in this time of healing, when I had to depend on others so very much, was true friendship. Selfless friendship. The kind that will always make me endeavor to be a better person in a deeper more meaningful way to others. Because it wasn't about what was easy for them, it was what they could do for me. 

They laid in bed with me and watched tv because I couldn't get up and down the stairs. They flipped through magazines or read next to me to take up a lonely hour of my day. One even helped me off the darn toilet when my two legs wouldn't seem to cooperate at the same time!  My kids brought Easter dinner to the house, cleaned up and left a huge feeling of  "I love you Mom" behind.

And this is just a drop in the bucket as to how blessed I feel about the beautiful people in 

my Life's garden of 

friendship!   Mom* Jennifer

Picking Up The Pieces............

Threads Of Life... Sometimes Life Unravels And You Tie It With A Bow!

You know me and my stories, sagas, whatever you want to call them...but I always hope it will inspire someone, I vent, I get this surge of relief, spirit, joy. And I am so very grateful to God and the loving people in my life. The Bloggers "Chatty Crone" & "Pondside" take a moment in their blogging business to make sweet comments when I write something new and I thank you!
Last September I left a very bad situation, a dangerous marriage that was not healthy. It's been a year of growth in so many ways.

I walked away from shattered and right

into to the arms of new hope.

I think about my dogs "Autumn" and "Spice" and my 3 Cats
"Jasmine", "Thomas" and "Elaine" and
I'm more at peace after having to leave them behind.

I visited my my parents in Florida,

visited family everywhere

counted my blessings

swam

swam some more

counted my blessing again

worked as a job coach

made my greeting cards

went to Savannah and my beloved

Jersey shore

saw places and places

reflected

and I can say it's truly been better than I ever expected.

Lesson Learned:

Humility

1. (noun) humility
the state or quality of being humble; freedom from pride and arrogance; lowliness of mind; a modest estimate of one's own worth; a sense of one's own unworthiness through imperfection and sinfulness; self-abasement; humbleness
2. (noun) humility
an act of submission or courtesy

hu·mil·i·ty

[ hyoo míllətee ]

modesty or respectfulness: the quality of being modest or respectful
[ 13th century. Via French < Latin humilitas < humilis (see humble) ]
Thesaurus
NOUN


Synonyms: self-effacement, unpretentiousness, humbleness, modesty, meekness, shyness

How did I learn this you might ask? I worked with a young lady that has Cerebral Palsy as a Job Coach. She has volunteered at a local hospital making visitor passes for over 13 years, five days a week from 9 am until 2 pm. Everything she does takes effort. She goes through her day having a difficult time walking, talking, swallowing. She sings in a chorus, swims, takes Pilates, exercise class, craft classes and more. She has strength, courage, humor, patience.

I learned from Linda that I have been given such gifts in my life, Linda was a gift God gave me to enable me to see just how very blessed I am.  Jennifer

Colossians 3:12-13

New International Version (NIV)
12 Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 13 Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.