Wednesday, November 28, 2012

Pennies from Heaven

Regardless of your spiritual inclination, aside from those atheists among us, we all like to believe that our long gone loved ones are watching over us.  I'm not knocking the atheists out there, I think everyone should do what makes them feel good.  And it makes me feel good to think that my grandparents, great aunts and uncles, and great grandparents are watching over me.  The whole post might seem bizarre to some people, and if you think I'm crazy after reading this, that's ok with me.  I love you all anyway!

Almost everyone has heard the phrase "pennies from heaven" at some point.  (I didn't realize it was a song and a movie too!).  For anyone who hasn't heard of it, it can mean different things to different people.  Some people believe that angels are sending you blessings.  I don't believe that money is magically appearing, but I do believe that my loved ones might tap me on the shoulder, so to speak, and draw my attention to the loose change around me as a way of saying hi. And in my family, it isn't pennies, but dimes in particular that seem to pop up in weird places, and in weird ways.

A little back story:  My grandfather, Sal, passed away when my mother and aunt were very young.  My grandfather collected dimes unknown to other family  members.  Sometime after he passed, I believe it was my aunt that had a dream about dimes and it was involving the closet.  When my nani checked the closet, she found a box of dimes.  I don't think I got that story quite right, but either way, that seemed to be the start of the dimes in my family.

A few years ago, I started noticing dimes regularly.  My husband thought I was strange, reading too much into things, looking too hard for signs, etc, but he humored me until a particular incident.  I was standing in line in CVS drugstore, with an armful of items.  Looking around, everything was fairly still and I was a few people back from the only open register. There was rustling beside me, and I felt a tap on the shoulder from the 20 something man behind me in line.  As I turned around, he smiled at me.  He held out his hand and said "I found this dime, do you want it?"  I  look down at the dime, smiled back, and said "That's so nice, but you can keep it.".  This exchange made me smile for the rest of the day.  I found it odd that a stranger would offer me a dime at random, when there were other people in the line, and no one was visibly rummaging in their bags for payment.  At least if it was "Did you drop this?" I would have brushed it off as coincidence.  Even my skeptical husband had to admit that it was an unlikely event.

The other day, I was feeling a little down and I happened to find two dimes within an hour. My mood improved after the second one, because I felt like that was my nani's way of telling me there was no reason to feel crummy.  I think we all need a boost from time to time.  Keeping a positive attitude is something I strive to do. 

Choosing to be positive and having a grateful attitude is going to determine how you're going to live your life.
~Joel Osteen

Monday, November 19, 2012

Winter and incoming S.A.D.

 “I wonder if the snow loves the trees and fields, that it kisses them so gently? And then it covers them up snug, you know, with a white quilt; and perhaps it says "Go to sleep, darlings, till the summer comes again.”
Lewis Carroll, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland & Through the Looking-Glass
 
Fall feels like it is winding down, which fills me with melancholy and a pinch of dread.  I generally don't enjoy winter.  It's far too cold, dark, and wet for my comfort level.  I like staying home, wrapped up in an electric blanket on my sofa, reading a romance novel, and sipping tea, instead of venturing outside to do things like going to work, grocery shopping, posting mail, etc.  The desire to cocoon is particularly high when it gets dark at 4pm and if there is snow or rain in the air.  However, life goes on and items on my "to do" list must get accomplished eventually.

As a counselor by profession, I feel like my own mental health gets neglected at times.  It's extremely easy to get sucked in to your client's drama, and feel very emotionally attached to outcomes.  The burnout level is high with this profession.  Mental health is like physical health in a lot of ways....you do have to take care of it, maintain it, routinely do things that keep you feeling good.  For everyone, the details of how or what to do, are going to be different.  You just gotta figure out what works!

This year, I want to do things differently.  I have a plan for fending off winter seasonal affective disorder (S.A.D).
  • Wake up earlier.  Since it starts getting dark when I go to work around 4pm, I am much more productive if I get up around 8am and have a full day of daylight.
  • Get outside as much a possible.  On those days when it is sunny and slightly less frigid, being outside makes me feel good.  Even if its going for a quick walk around the block, filling the bird feeders, sweeping the walkway, or picking up twigs in the yard.
  • Eat healthier.  I don't like feeling fat and lethargic, even though I crave comfort foods more often during winter.  This year I want to eat less sweets, mashed potatoes, etc.  Thankfully, I don't bake much or buy a lot of junk food, and being gluten free will keep me mostly safe from temptation at holiday parties.
  • Drink lots of water.  One of the top causes of daytime fatigue is actually dehydration!  The more you know....
  • Stay productive.  As much I'd like to loaf all day and read romance novels, I still have to get work done and do things like dishes *shudder*.  I like making lists, but it's important to keep a daily list short enough that it doesn't feel overwhelming, AND you can realistically get most of it done.  Break down larger tasks into smaller bits (clean the whole house becomes vacuum living room, dust bedroom, clean toilet, etc.). And if I don't get to everything on the list, it moves to the top on the next day.  
  • Enjoy down time.  Be a little selfish and take time to do what you love, even when your plate is full and job or family pull you in all directions.  I must have the iPod in the car to blast on the way to client's homes.  When I get home from work, I take time to decompress by surfing the web or playing a game before I delve into evening chores.  When I'm laying in bed, I clear my head by playing word games or sodoku.  I need to be better at doing these things throughout the winter to keep my spirits high. 
Hopefully my plan will help me feeling like blogging more, among other things.  This month has been stressful and jam packed, and I feel like I've been moving at full speed since August.  I'm determined to take back the reins and make some mood boosting improvements before the holidays kick in full blast!

Two things to look forward to:  Seeing The Hobbit and Lincoln in the theaters! 

“People are just as happy as they make up their minds to be.”
Abraham Lincoln