jo burgess hannon

fit for today, fit for life

The starting line and more questions

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Ever since I was a little kid, participating in end of school year races,  officially called Field Day, I wanted to win.  Somewhere there was (is?) a photo of me on my 10th birthday, my mom had baked 4 sheet cakes and made me this giant birthday cake for all the 4, 5, and 6 graders.  It was embarrassing and awesome all at once. I won a lot of ribbons sprinting.  I was probably good at it because most of childhood included hours chasing, and running from, my brothers.

Question 1: Ever spent hours down THAT rabbit hole searching for the one perfect picture, only to surface hours later empty handed, head swimming in the past?

Question 2: Turning double nickels this last spring,   I find sometimes it is hard to admit that I don’t have answers to all the questions I hear internally and externally. Is it a personality trait or stubbornness or just human nature?

And still, there is a starting line.  I find myself over and over again, right toe forward smudged into the chalk line drawn in the grass, shoulders leaning forward waiting for the beginning, only to realize that I am always at the beginning.  Right here, right now I have a new start. I am anxious and nervous to remind myself, “I am a beginner. This is a new situation with the individuals in front of me, it is ok that I don’t have answers to the questions swirling in my head. There is always room for a new 1st time.”

I can be a beginner.

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How large is your life?

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I am feeling a little sentimental today as my short-lived term as a grandma has come to a close. Don’t get too excited. It’s not my daughter who blessed my life with young ones. Nope, it was a pair of chickadees. I had mamma bird build a nest in the flowerpot right outside my kitchen window. It was kind of surprising as I am often around my patio taking care of the garden, watering the pots, deadheading flowers and generally keeping the yard tidy. Gardening is one of my great pleasures. I can spend hours outside moving from one small project to another.

I thought I had scared her off as I was checking every few hours to see the progress. It’s fascinating to watch a bird carry sticks and grass twice their body size and then to watch those bits of debris turn into a round 4-inch deep nest built among my geraniums.

There might be a lesson or two I can learn from this little bird. I admire her tenacity to get the job done, her ability to make something special out of something discarded. Over the course of two weeks she sat on those eggs keeping them warm. The hours of boredom she must have endured. What patience she showed. I have trouble sitting still for 10 minutes. Side note: my first yoga class was torture, as I had to lay still and silent on my mat.

The birds have already flown the nest. They have been well fed, protected and are ready to be on their own. I think my last peek was the final push they needed. Mamma rousted them all up and, in a flurry as my shadow darkened her home,  out mamma and her 3 offspring came, flying into the surrounding trees. I raced into the house to announce our birdies were flying. Honey and I watched as they clacked loudly and flew from lawn chair to branch, to fence. They haven’t been back. In the course of 3 weeks a house was built, used to raise a family and abandoned for a life larger.

Though it may take a lifetime, what kind of home will you build with the resources you have? And, don’t be afraid to ask for help. There is always someone in your life that probably can’t wait to lend you a hand. Just ask Honey: he spent time each day making sure our little outdoor family had fresh worms within easy reach.

PS: if you happen to be in our backyard over the next few weeks look out for the student drivers. They are a little shaky on their new wings.

 

071016newbirdie

 

 

Who’s drum do you march to?

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What is your Indian name?
What is your Indian name?

2016

I don’t have the habit of writing 2016 yet. Some years it has taken several weeks to remember to write the correct year. I used to make more mistakes when I was writing several checks a week. With computers and bill pay I don’t often have to actually write out the date anymore. Anyway, I thought with a new year upon us I would take some time to highlight an article I recently read called 12 Things You Don’t Owe Anyone.

The question is posed, “So do you remember who you were before the world told you who you had to be?”

Being the youngest of a big family, I learned early how to stand up for myself and I have always felt that I was bold, decisive, opinionated, in charge of my life. (I was in my late 20’s before I realized these traits could bring both good and bad.) However, I slowly starting grasping that my life had become a series of choices based on what I thought everyone else expected of me. I have always said I am a good copier.  Show me what someone else has created and I can usually figure out how to make a duplicate.  I was living each day to please family, friends, business partners.

When I saw the question Marc Chernov wrote, “so do you remember who you were before the world told you who you had to be?” I understood what he was asking. The struggle was real trying to remember whom I represented. In fact I was forgetting this: I needed to best represent myself.

What I wish for you in this year of 2016 is for you to live your best you. Maybe a statement or two from Marc’s article will resonate and inspire you to move forward.

Are you a list maker?

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sticky notes with random lists

I make a lot of lists.  I have packs of sticky notes in the kitchen, on my bathroom counter, at my desk.  When a thought strikes, I grab a pen. When I have a task to complete, it ends up on a sticky note. Sometimes in the middle of the night I have to write down my thoughts or I can’t go back to sleep. I think it is because I am visual; once I see it I can visualize my to-do list.  Otherwise, I am constantly trying to re-create the scene where the thought occurred.  Have you ever done that? You know, walked back to the kitchen to remember what you needed to get from the garage?

Maybe because it is November and people are posting 30 days of gratitude that this list came to mind.  Maybe it is because my people are important. I found a sticky and starting writing quick, one word descriptions of my girlfriends.  It was easy. Their gifts & generosity are abundant, yet one word came quickly to mind for each; time, possessions, money, home, spirit.

Are you generous with time?  Getting together with friends is a priority. You’re generally first to initiate and make the plan happen.
Are you generous with your things? You are the type who loans out what someone needs, offering your possessions for others to use.
Are you generous with money? You are the one who donates readily when asked to give to fundraisers & non-profit groups. You are quick to say yes when asked to sponsor a friend’s fundraising efforts.
Are you generous with your home? You easily offer to host a get together. You put together a spontaneous party with friends and family at your house.
Are you generous with food? You love to cook and can pull a snack or a meal together in no time. You take cold lemonade to the gardener, ask the window washer if you can make him a sandwich.
Are you generous with kind words? Your friends always leave the conversation feeling good. You are quick to encourage and uplift.

What one word would your friends use to describe you?