jo burgess hannon

fit for today, fit for life

Making a list and checking it twice

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This time of year we can get caught up in shopping, wrapping, baking and cooking.  As I spoke to a close friend on the phone, I glanced at my list on the counter and realized that it did not really matter.  She wasn’t distraught over a president-elect, nor distraught over whether or not she finished her treat platters. Her only concern, days before Christmas, was for a family member who had checked into the hospital.

My heart aches for her, for her family.  The outlook is good, yet I can only imagine how their world has been rocked; how this season, life is going to look different from years past.

Being present over presents, that is the gift I am going to try and give to the people in my life. And I might just throw my list away  in a drawer and check it twice after the weekend is over.

Merry Christmas to you all!

Taking Inventory

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Have you ever been down that rabbit hole where one task leads to another and then another and you’ve forgotten what you were there for in the first place?

I found myself this week up in our garage attic, going though a box of pictures and letters I had saved when cleaning out my mom’s things. It wasn’t intentional. I was simply taking something to long-term storage. Before I could put the item on the shelf I had to move a few boxes around. That’s when I found the old tax boxes that said, “destroy in 2016”, “destroy in 2015”, “destroy in 2014”. So I pulled those off the shelf. Then there was this open box with old-fashioned photos in cardboard sleeves from the 40’s and 50’s and file folders labeled in my mom’s handwriting with her tax files. She had saved the instruction booklets for each year, too. Remember those?

 

taxboxes
I wonder if the 2007 box is still in the attic.

 

I hit the pause button and started reading a letter from a brother my mom had saved and now I was saving. That’s kind of a weird thought; because I am SURE my daughter would have no use for this envelope if she were cleaning out my things. At the bottom of the paper, below his signature, was a note that said, “The gum is for Jo Ann.” Ah, sweet. But time for only a bit of sentiment as it was crossed out with a big scribble. What, did he chew it himself?

 

timsletter

Anyway, having had 5 memorial services in as many months  is maybe what led me back to those boxes from Mom. She has been gone for 3 years. When she died suddenly and we were cleaning out her home I was the one that ended up with the photos, letters and cards she had saved. Initially, I culled through piles on my dining room table, mailing some back to family members. Some went into the recycle. Some I just couldn’t, just couldn’t make a decision on. And I put it all away, up high in the garage where I didn’t have look at it, much.

I made decisions on a few more items this week, pushing the rest back on shelf.

In the midst of a lot of grief and national turmoil over the election of a new president, what I know for sure is that today is important. People are important. I need to love them fiercely while I can.

Oh, and dear brother, a box is coming your way.

 

 

 

Tick Tock

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As Honey’s alarm went off this November morning the bedroom was pitch dark. I had been sound asleep and was convinced it was earlier than normal. I was shocked to see it was 7:15am.  Usually, by this time of day, I have brewed a cup of coffee and am deep into catching up on all the latest news my iPad offers. You know, reading the important stuff like my favorite decorating or fashion blog. I even commented that it felt WAY earlier and Honey said solemnly, “like 5:00am. ”

The question is not will we go through change, but will we grow through change.
John Maxwell

This post might fall into the category of “you know you are getting old when…” As time marches I am more aware that I need to allow myself the right to shift my outlook, change my ways. In fact, even encourage myself to explore fresh ideas.

Now I long for daylight savings to get here a little quicker.  NO! I love the light of late afternoon.  Don’t make the skies any darker and sooner.  Repeal the daylight savings program.  These past thoughts are pushed aside: I must be getting old to crave more light in the morning hours. (Then again, maybe the pre-dawn brain haze was just a sugar hangover from Halloween.)

I must be getting old, or at least older. Yikes.  So I’m going to try to remember this simple lesson: life is always changing and I can change, too.

 

What’s your plan?

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file cabinet

Have you heard the phrase “If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail’? I used to think this mantra was original to my father in law, who for years sent every family member an inspirational letter encouraging goal setting.  A google search gives credit to Benjamin Franklin.  Who knew? Well, probably my father in law.

With Halloween right around the corner, I daily remind myself to stick to the plan.  Yep, having consumed WAY too many miniature candy bars in the past I realized I needed to confront my weakness for itty bitty Snickers bars.  And single servings of Peanut M & M’s. And Twix. And Kit Kat. I’m not sure why these littles are so delicious: I can walk by a full size bar without a glance. They seem to be the perfect combo of everything I like.

halloween-1994-1
How did my little Husky turn into a Coug graduate?

 

When those annual letters would arrive, a hand addressed envelope mailed separately to each person, mine would sometimes sit for days, sometimes it was eagerly opened, sometimes it was weeks before I read the contents.  I knew enclosed would be a call to action, a call to plan and I wanted to be in the right mindset.

I have found myself this time of year putting all my favorite Halloween candies in my cart, telling myself I will save them for the knock on the door and the shout of “trick or treat!!!” I want to ignore my inner voice, the voice of reason, reminding me I can’t eat just one. Some years a trip a buy more has been needed: all the good stuff gone before anyone in costume had a chance to make it to the front porch. Anybody been THERE?

Failing to plan is a plan to fail.  Oh, how those empty candy wrappers can expose that.

The strategy that has worked for me is pretty simple.  I wait until the last possible minute to bring the bags home.  Then they get stored out in the garage, up high, out of sight.  The first few years I only purchased the flavors I did not like because I knew I would open the bag.  You know, like gum drops. Seriously, those might would go stale in my house.

How about you? How do you avoid consuming hundreds of extra calories this time of year?

letter

Thanks Gary Hannon for always encouraging reflection and action.