Things that help when life gets tough ...

Taking time and making time to read a good book...

Faces that make me smile ...

Remembering good times like the children in a 
Nepal orphanage who were so strong ....

This photo of the adorable little orphan always
 makes me smile; his spirit was/is so inspiring...

I was lucky. I had a happy childhood with parents who
stayed together and loved me very much.

I'm glad for my time with wild 'pets' ....

Meditating is life-saving these days; it helps me let go.
And letting go of what I cannot change is needed 
throughout each and every day. Sometimes 
I get very tired of the amount 
o f 'letting go'  I
must  do.  It
seems never
 ending.
But
I 
can't 
change that either!

One thing I'll share here,
that is number one in my top ten of life's immediate
challenges, is that my dear, dear daughter
needs a liver transplant. She was on the list but
was removed recently because she's too sick to make
it through surgery. We're  trying to get her nourished
 enough and strong enough to get back on the list. 
Add to that, some dark hearted souls around me 
(this is the gentlest way I can put it), 
who are so un-evolved and unaware. 
Their actions are hurting those I love, 
as well as me, yet circumstances 
prevent  me from stopping 
them. Sigh...

I cannot change others, but I can change how I react to unjust
behavior and unfair circumstances. Attitude is a powerful tool. 
The basics are key too. Getting enough sleep. Eating
the right things with a focus on getting all the
needed nutrition and not seeking
comfort through 
eating.
But 
it's not the 
time for deprivation either. I
make room for the occasional ice cream treat
or something special in small amounts. 
It's just especially important to work
on creating and maintaining 
balance at this time.
Some days are
better than
others.
A hot bath does wonders. And massages! Oh, wow! How I would love one 
every single day! I did my first ever chair massage at Wild Oats
the other day. It was entirely impromptu. I could only 
afford 15 minutes, but OMGosh ... it was so good. 
I let myself get lost as the knots 
were untangled. 
Do yourself
a big 
favor
and
go!

It also helps to hear from family and friends. And knowing tomorrow is another day, 
another chance for things to change, is helpful. I will not allow
anger to become a part of my life. It takes way too much
energy and it doesn't do any good. 
I just go straight to the pain
and try working through it. 
The sooner I do, the better. 
It's not a cake walk, but 
it keeps me moving. 
I think I'm moving 
forward.

One last thing, and it's a biggie, is how important my passions are in helping me push through these tough times. I indulge in one or more of my passions almost daily. For the past few months, I've been getting out most days (weather permitting) to walk and capture life through a lens. It's very soul feeding to me and I sure need a healthy soul to give me the strength to endure as my beautiful daughter struggles to live. I also need a tremendous amount of strength to accept the waves of injustice that constantly flow in my direction from a couple of seriously damaged people. (Sometimes I can go a couple days without the tears flowing.) Another passion is this website and the vehicle it is for my activism. It gives me a sense of purpose when so much around me doesn't make sense and seems to have no rhyme or reason.  

I'm sending peace and acceptance out into the world today. Email me if you're going through some turbulent times and need encouragement: betsy at livehonestly dot com or if you want to send some positive thoughts my way, I would welcome that.