8 Word Miracle Mantra: “Everything can be EZ or at least EZier.”
Anne Sermons
Gillis
August 5, 2022 It’s been a hot and relatively slow-paced summer. Thomas and Reynolds, my grand twins, planted sunflowers, marigolds, and zinnias in pots, from seeds in our yard. Many were later transferred to the yard, and the flowers have done well. It takes work to keep them watered because of the
heat, and much strategic planning to outsmart the insects that munch on my tender plants. I planted two grasshopper eaten, barely alive plants in the compost and they are now about five feet tall. It seems that,
with all the insects in the compost pile, the zinnia predators either left, were eaten, or they chose to snack on something else. I water some plants twice a day. I cannot watch a withered plant remain dry. Reynolds
planted an apple tree from a seed and it’s now more than three feet tall. He cannot imagine all I do to keep that tree alive. Aphids, grasshoppers - every tiny critter wants a bite. Soapy water and neem oil to the rescue. The tree is in a pot, and it will stay there until spring. Then it will go in the back yard. The boys do love those plants. They planted them all from seeds. We had a mockingbird nest in the back shrubbery that yielded four babies. They grew up, and, along with their mother, held court in the back yard. I bought a suet feeder, and they loved it. I bought a bird bath, and then they started eating my tomatoes. “After all I did for you!” Of course, they did not know they weren’t supposed to
drink my tomatoes. I read that they drink the fluid in the tomatoes. The easy solution, said the experts, was to put a fountain in their bird bath to attract them. I purchased a solar fountain, and we now have a water feature in the back. But then those fickle mockingbirds abandoned their plush environment, and I haven’t seen them since they moved away. My grandmother, Mama Keel, was an expert gardener. I said when I got old, I was going to be like her. Now I wonder if she had as much fun as I thought she did. Just another note – for years she planted poppies in the vacant lot beside her home. A reporter did an article on her and put a picture of the poppies in the newspaper. Not long after that, the
police showed up and made her destroy all the poppies. So sad. I supposed she had to shut down her opium lab too. KIDDING! The boys have had sailing lessons, nature training of sorts, surfing lessons, and building
lessons this summer. Living near the ocean has its perks, and they loved learning so many things. And that’s it for the Anne report. And remember, “Everything can be EZ or at least
EZier.”
Know Your Limits A few weeks ago, I tore the meniscus above my left knee. At first, I could not walk, but eventually I regained the use of my leg. Yet, rather than test the limit, I choose to limit the use of my knee. I set a limit because I did not want a repeat injury. Certain yoga postures are now out! Wayne Dyer spoke of a time when he ran and jumped a relatively low fence. His wife looked horrified. “Wayne, you are 60 years old. That was dangerous.” He instantly realized
that she spoke the truth. Even though his mind was ageless, his body had its limits. It’s important, as we age, to pay homage to our bodies. Whether we want to admit it or not, our bodies will probably (I know there are exceptions) become more limited as we age. Some people, especially fundamentalist positive thinkers, will try to persuade us that there are no limits. I think they mean well, but they often forget that some limits have their benefits. While “The sky is the limit” is a great phrase of liberation, it need not apply to every situation. After all, William Shatner went to space at age 90, but there are not many 90-year-olds who could make that trip. Limits are slippery. While we need to know our limits as we age, some people limit things that don’t need limits. We don’t need to limit our creativity or our sense of belonging. We must continue to move our bodies, even when we are 100 years old. Good rest, exercise, and mental stimulation are necessary at any age.
Too often people give up on life and park themselves in front of their computer, phone, or television and just fade from existence. They limit their relationship with life. Some limits help us: they keep us safe, but others deaden our existence
and overshadow what might be a wonderful experience: life itself. Those are the old beliefs that keep us mired in the past and faithful to our irrational thinking. They stamp out our creativity and slowly kill our relationships. It is never too late
to explore our limits. When we don’t know our limits, we put our bodies and our souls in jeopardy. Though I can’t provide answers, I can mention some questions we might ask each day in order to examine our helpful and harmful limits. - What do I need to do today to feed my soul?
- What can I do today to keep my body fit?
- Have I given up on my good, or can I count on myself to discover the good
that surrounds me today?
- How can I serve others today?
- What self-criticism do I need to heal? What can I do to heal this aspect of my limited thinking?
- What practices am I willing to do to train myself to stay present to myself and others?
Life is often
thought of as a journey. If it is a journey, we need to see the limits that keep us stuck on life’s trajectory and the ones that move us in the direction of emotional freedom, imagination, and harmony. Life is amazing, and, when used correctly, limits help us move in a meaningful direction. Remember: when we discover our relationships to limits, our lives become EZier and EZier. See you next time. Anne Check Out My Books |
