This Too Shall Pass

As a newly single mother, I often times have bad days. Sometimes these days leave me feeling depressed, hopeless, and questioning myself on whether I’m making the right choices. Two active little boys is often times like raising chaos. They are like whirling, twirling little tornadoes that are always on the go, and bickering with each other over the smallest of things, from son up til son down!

My oldest son is quiet, very intelligent, and lately has the sarcasm to match, which really makes me laugh a lot. He is kind, and most days can be found with his nose in a book. My youngest however, takes after me. He’s very artistic, nurturing and very kind. But on the flip side he can be very stubborn, and he really likes testing limits.

For years he always has given his older brother a hard time. He likes to test limits, and particularly everyone’s patience. This is not a sporadic thing, this happens EVERY SINGLE DAY! His brother always gives in to him, and it breaks my heart. I’m hoping this is just a stage he is going through, but it happens so frequently that it’s frustrating for everyone.

A couple weeks ago, I woke up so distraught and feeling hopeless. I was so frustrated because the previous night, my son was having one of these moments, and was harassing his older brother. I went to bed crying and woke up crying and frustrated as the arguing between themselves continued. I needed a little peace, so I went outside sobbing to sit on my little side porch. As I sat on the stoop, I wept for a few minutes when something in my peripheral caught my attention. As I turned and looked, sitting right beside me was a Mourning Dove. It was just sitting patiently as I sobbed! I sat there for a few minutes until peace and a feeling of serenity washed over me! It was like she was there for comfort, when I needed a friend!

I had my phone with me so I snapped a photo, and yet she still stayed. A few minutes later the boys came out to talk to me, and behind them the door slammed. Yet she was still there! She stayed with me for approximately a half hour in which she even let me go inside to get my good camera for a better photo! Here is the photos that I captured!

 After I was calm, she finally flew up in the tree for a few minutes watching me, until she finally flew away. I know that she was there for a purpose and the message from her was instantly clear. No matter what you are going through, “this too shall pass!”

I’m planning on framing this photo and having it in my home as a reminder during difficult times. She would be considered an example of a “Messenger Spirit Animal.” Messenger Spirit Animals are the animals that come in your life to give you a message, and once you learned their lesson or message, they then leave. I plan to go over the different types of Spirit Animals in a later post.

Have you ever had an experience with an animal that taught you a lesson?

Just in the past two days, I’ve had two different animals give me the same very important message, and I can’t wait to share them with you in tomorrow’s post!

In the meantime! Get out and explore nature, listen to the sounds, closely watch their habits and behavior! Besides being peaceful, you’ll really learn a lot! And always remember THIS TOO SHALL PASS!

Peace, Love, and Positive Energy,

Ruth Ann

 

 

Full Moon Release

This evening’s full moon will be an excellent opportunity to perform a Full Moon Release. This moon’s name is “The Full Buck Moon.” The Full Buck Moon symbolizes the time of the year when male deer start to grow their antlers. Other names for tonight’s full moon are: Full Thunder Moon, and Full Hay Moon.

The full moon gives us the opportunity to release emotions, attitudes, behaviors, etc.  A good way to do this is to perform a Full Moon Release.

To prepare for this release write down things that you would like to release on a strip of paper. An example could be: “Negative thoughts about myself.”  Make sure you have matches available as well as container which is fireproof. I use an old cake pan that I picked up at a Thrift Store.  Go outside and prepare for the Full Moon Release. You can also have a candle burning, but this isn’t a necessity. Please use caution when performing this release and have water near by as a precaution.

You can meditate for a few minutes if you’d like, basking in the comforting glow of the Full Moon. Feel the moon’s comforting hold on your body. Thank the moon and the universe for all that it gives us. When you are ready for the release, you can read each one aloud, or to yourself, and then set it on fire in your chosen container. Feel the release of the emotion and/or thought as it leaves your body. After each one is released, thank the moon and the universe for all that it has to offer us.

Next you can dispose of the ashes by burying them in the soil. Whatever method you decide on will work because this is a release and disposing of them releases it all into the Universe. Just make sure that these ashes remain outside, we’ve released them, and do not want those emotions, behaviors, and thoughts hanging around in our home, which is our sacred place. After the release is complete, make sure that you wash your hands. Both fire and water are very symbolic. Fire symbolizes the burning of the old, and water cleanses and purifies us.

Another thing I like to do during a full moon is to cleanse and energize (charge) my rocks and crystals. You can do this either by placing them on a windowsill, or by putting them out in the moonlight on a soft towel or blanket. Just be careful that they don’t get wet, as some stones can deteriorate in water.

So go out tonight and sit in the full moon, meditate, and feel inspired!

Peace, love, and positive energy,

Ruth Ann

 

An Epiphany

Did you ever have one of those Epiphany Moments, the ones where the clouds part and the sun shines down? And if you listen closely you can hear the angels sing….well not really! But it’s one of those profound moments where everything just clicks! I had that moment yesterday while standing in the parking lot of Barnes and Noble (of all places). My youngest son was at a sleepover so this gave me ample time to have some quality one-on-one time with my oldest. We had a nice dinner where we discussed his love of reading and math, and then we went over to the bookstore to get the latest series that he is currently reading called “Warrior Cats.”

As we are standing in the parking lot I notice a vanity license plate that read: “LFZ BN GD.”
My son, who is almost 11-years-old, is extremely smart and very philosophical, and I was very drained from the conversation that we had over dinner. I said: “ok smarty pants, decipher that one”. I knew that the “BN GD” meant “BEEN GOOD,” but for the life of me I could not comprehend the first word. He quickly shouts: “Life’s Been Good!”

I took a photo of the license plate (which was out-of-state) so I’m not sharing any personal information, nor will I share the photo, but as a side note, I took the photo because I believe that there are signs and moments that we are meant to experience. And I’ll file it away in my “Coincidence Journal” (which I will talk about in another post).

My son with his quick whit and sarcasm said: “It couldn’t have been that great of a life, they’re driving a Honda!” Can you hear the angels singing? I sure can! At that moment I realized the key parenting lesson that I had left out when raising my kids…..GRATTITUDE!!!!!! I mean I didn’t totally leave it out, he just wasn’t getting the concept. A Toyota in my opinion is a great car, and any car that is safe and can get you from point A to point B is a great car. Why doesn’t my child understand this?! How did I miss this section in the parenting manual?!

After our trip we came home and played a card game, and when I went to bed I started thinking about that moment. As parents, their father and I, instilled many positive values, and I’m so proud of my our sons for being Empathic, Kind, and Mindful. But where did I go wrong as a parent?

Let’s go back a little. And yes I will take the parenting blame and shame on this one. I was a stay-at-home mom, lived in a nice house, and had a passion for shopping and when I say passion a better description would be an addiction! I had everything I had ever wanted, and thought it was the material “things” that made me happy. At this point I had been through years of severe depression, anxiety, and to top it off I had chronic pain. No doubt the chronic pain was caused in part by the depression and stress, but it was just getting worse. What stress you may wonder? Well I believe the stress was from the underlying cause of not being happy! I truly wasn’t happy, I thought I was, but I couldn’t find it. I tried searching for it, I tried buying it, but deep down inside (at that time) I hated myself. I didn’t hate anyone around me, but inside I felt emptiness. I tried filling the void through shopping excessively, but I still couldn’t love myself. I’m an artist and photographer and I was truly happy and truly proud of myself when I was enjoying those hobbies, but the depression most times kept me from creating; as I bought more and more art supplies.

While I will not divulge much of my personal life on a blog, for the most part it’ll be about my journey, I’ll give you a quick little background. Almost a year ago I decided one day it was time to just leave that life. I had no real valid reason, nor a plan. I was taken care of well, and I had a hard working husband who was a great father. I left to seek happiness, my dreams, and my bliss. Side note: I think we are all meant to go through certain events, good and bad, and to learn valuable lessons in life. And while I haven’t learned all that I was meant to learn yet, I’m a slow work in progress.

So, I moved into a tiny two bedroom cramped apartment and didn’t have room for 90% of my belongings. It was through that process that I discovered that it wasn’t “things” that made me happy like I had thought. I discovered that I didn’t need “things” to enjoy my life and to function. We only need the basics to survive. And I soon discovered that it’s the people that you surround yourself with and moments that make you happy inside! I’m finally learning to LIVE in the moment, VIEW it’s vibrant colors, FEEL the momement, ENJOY the taste, really live at that exact time and that exact place! And by doing that I can see my life becoming more enjoyable! Journal, sketch, take photos, because some of these moments need to be recorded. Just don’t let your creativity distract you, you want be in the moment, and you want to enjoy it!

So winding down this really long, but hopefully enjoyable blog post, I’ve come full circle with that Epiphany Moment or moment of realization. I have spoiled and given my kids everything they ever wanted because I thought that it made them happy. Yes, it made them happy for a short time, and then that toy would soon be discarded until they got the latest and greatest toy or gadget. I won’t say I totally derailed on the parenting train, because we always tried teaching them and making them aware of the fact that they are very fortunate because many others go without. But I guess we didn’t instill that value enough or make it clear. But the good thing about children, is that they are like little sponges, and will absorb what they see around them. Now is as good as ever to teach them this lesson, since I just left a full-time job, and am now strictly budgeting, so I can start my career and begin living my dreams! Yes, I’m always that spontaneous, but this time I have a plan! It’ll be rough for a few months, as I’m planning on taking my massage exam, but we’ll get through it and it will only take the basics to do so! In the meantime that 90% of things that I thought I needed, will be sold and donated so I am able financially to spend the summer with my boys enjoying life, enjoying their giggles, and studying for that important exam.

In the meantime, I am five years away from my oldest to learn the valuable lesson of being grateful, because he is definitely not going to be getting that Toyota when he gets his license, but I certainly hope that one day he’ll say that LFZ BN GD!

 

 

Daily Affirmations

If you are familiar with the Laws of Attraction then you know that “like equals like.” I totally believe this, I think that negativity breeds negativity. If you have a negative way of life then negativity will always gravitate towards you. These are where “Daily Affirmations” come in. Daily Affirmations are true positive statements about yourself that you can recite or have available to read. You can post these notes throughout your home as a reminder to be kind to yourself. Post-it notes work great for this little exercise. Place notes in common places such as bathroom mirrors or a coffee pot…places you’ll notice throughout the day.

The idea behind Daily Affirmations is that you can train your mind into a certain way of thinking. This is why making it a habit, and doing it daily will make it so effective.

It may feel funny at first saying these things to yourself, but you are worth it! You owe it to yourself! You cannot expect others to be kind to you, if you’re not first kind to yourself. 

It took me awhile to understand this theory, and the whole theory of self-care. While going through massage therapy school I realized that I cannot effectively help others if I don’t take care of myself first! Taking care of yourself isn’t just in the physical sense, but also mentally and emotionally. I will be sure to blog about many other self-care ideas in the future, but first give Daily Affirmations a try and see how much of a difference they can make in your life! Here are some examples:

• Today is going to be a great day, good things will come my way.
• I am strong, confident, and can accomplish what I set my mind to.
• I am blessed.
• I am loved.
• I take in calmness and let go the anxiety.
• I radiate joy and happiness.

And my little gift to you is a piece of art that I created, which you can print off and have nearby as a reminder of how truly awesome you are!

amazingaffirmation

Peace and Much Love,

Ruth Ann