Beginning

Beginnings are usually scary and endings are usually sad, but it’s the middle that counts. You have to remember this when you find yourself at the beginning.”   ~ Sandra Bullock I used to be afraid of beginning new things, but truth be told, I actually look foward to beginning anew these days.   Sure, there is an element of the unknown, and plenty of opportunities for second-guessing oneself abound.   Still, there is something exuberant about walking into the “unknown” and learning new things.  Call me a perpetual student, but if I am not able to learn something new constantly I feel a more than a little stagnant.   Every day there is something to be learned, something to take with me and potentially expand upon. This is an especially exciting time for me, as I prepare to begin graduate school.  I will begin working on my Master’s Degree in Social Work this fall.  I am looking forward to this new chapter in my life and for the opportunity to further develop my skills and education as a social worker. I’ve been working in long term care for over 10 years.  It is my desire to become more adept in the field of geriatric social work and possibly explore the area of grief and bereavement counseling.  I truly enjoy working with the elderly and have learned so much about myself, relationships and the world we live in through my years in this field. Join me here, as I reflect on my journey and experiences from the social work field, from school and from my daily interactions.

Lazy Day List

Feeling: Somewhat refreshed | Hearing: The rain

Today is the perfect lazy Sunday.

For the last couple of hours I have been listening to the rain pitter-patter outside the window, scatter down the gutter, and drip drop off the roof.  I am home alone with my three cats and life is serene at the moment.

For the last several days, I was wired…frustrated…scared….preoccupied and on the verge of snapping.  Last night I had a difficult time getting to sleep again, I was so restless and consumed with thoughts about my job, my parents,  their home and living arrangements, my responsibilities to them and to my family in general…I could not clear my mind for 10 seconds.  I ended up getting out of bed and retreating to the couch with George, the kitty who recently underwent bladder surgery, and watched some tv.  I dozed at some point, maybe around 2:30am…finally I went back to bed at about 4:30.

Strangely I am not so tired today…at least not so far.  I am still sipping my coffee, taking my time and feeling a little more positive than I have been lately.   Why is it that things always look better in the daylight?  Last night I was tossing and turning, fretting over this and that and feeling so out of control of my life…and when I awoke this morning, while  I am still not certain of many things,  I am more comfortable with this uncertainty today than I was yesterday.

This is the kind of day I love….no true obligations…I don’t have to be anywhere or necessarily “do” anything.  I can just be with myself.  Enjoy the quiet of the house.  Think and reflect, create and make plans.  Be lazy, stay in my PJ’s, relish the return to a more balanced frame of mind.

I am starting a list here…

“Things to enjoy on a lazy day….”

Have breakfast in bed

Cuddle the cats.  Kiss their foreheads.  Rub that spot behind their ears.

Work on a crossword puzzle or any kind of puzzle, word game, trivia game, riddle, etc.

Walk in silence.  Preferably through a forest or wooded area.

Listen to the chattering of birds.

Write in my journal.  Write poetry.  Write creatively. Write abstractly.   Write something every hour.  Write with a new, funky pen.  Write with crayons, pencils, gel pens, markers…use lots of color.

Make tea sandwiches and brew some English Breakfast or herbal tea for brunch.

Dust the bookshelves.

Listen to classical music all afternoon. 

Sit in a sunny spot.

Create a new mantra.  Use it regularly.

Shamelessly nap.

Wear something fleecey.

Make soup.

Eat ice cream.

Document/record  new insights that come to me.

Read all the magazines that have piled up. 

Sort through, cleanse,  and meditate on the various stones/gems in my collection.

Read the comics.  Clip out especially poingant ones.

Make homemade sauce.  Let it simmer for hours.   Relish the scent.

Read old favorite children’s books.

Research a topic online/at a library, etc.

Wear new, colorful socks.

Make popcorn.

Get a massage.

Eat left-overs for dinner.

Do yoga.

Listen to CD’s at random.

Bake a cake, pie, or bread.

Breathe deeply.

Dance and sing.  Sing and dance.

Learn to be my own counselor.

Light a candle for someone or for myself.

Let things unfold in their own time.