Tag: loving ourselves

For Valentine’s Day–Give your heart the love it deserves!

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Rock the beat, and give your heart some tender loving care! Here is a link for a 5 minute meditation to open your heart from Louise Hay:

http://www.louisehay.com/powerful-5-minute-meditation-to-open-your-heart/

Have a wonderful Valentine’s “week!” Take a little time daily to love and treat yourself, you deserve it!

Namaste!

Joan

OTHER WEBSITE:  https://joanszoneblogalicious.wordpress.com/
FACEBOOK PAGE: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Joan-Ellen-Gage/158895910832925
JOAN’S BOOKS:
EMBRACING YOUR INNER CHEERLEADER: http://www.amazon.com/Embracing-Your-Inner-Cheerleader-ebook/dp/B0086WW7AA/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&
qid=1340641839&sr=8-1&keywords=Embracing+Your+Inner+Cheerleader
STRANGER IN A STRANGE SKIN: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/95140
WATER RUNNING DOWNHILL, ROSE EDITION: http://www.amazon.com/Water-Running-Downhill-Words-Empowerment/dp/0692571965/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1447021563&sr=1-1&keywords=water+running+downhill%2C+words+of+empowerment%2C+rose+edition
A Redhead Looks at 60: http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss/189-7867874-1973650?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=a+redhead+looks+at+60
©All creative works by Joan Ellen Gage are her exclusive property, and Joan maintains the legal rights to them.

POST HOSPICE

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I feel that I have been in an instructional class to learn how to die.  Watching and waiting for the changes that are outlined in the syllabus, and there is a syllabus.  A small blue book that tells you what to look for through end stage. 

The staff enlightening each day, pointing out when something has changed, however minor it may seem.  All these changes add up, the transformation finally complete.

Just as you have convinced yourself that,no, it could last a bit longer, you are suddenly confronted with the reality.  It has happened. 

Everyone is a little surprised by the abruptness.  We are all gripped with emotion.  We feel great sadness, but there is a touch of joy.  It says: “you are released from pain, from bondage.  Go, fly away, you are free”!

There is more, of course, the question, “what do we do now”, directed to the RN, who cannot answer.  Eventually, we move, we make minor decisions, we embrace, we go home.

But, we are changed forever by what we have seen.  We know, we will see this again, we will be this.  It is undeniable.  It is humanity.

Amen

Joan

Here is a poem for Charlie:

RESOLVING TO KEEP JOY IN YOUR HEART IN 2014

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                                                                                                     Winter 2014
Welcome Friends!

Here we are again at the start of a new year. As we look ahead and wonder where 2014 will take us, we should take a personal inventory and remind ourselves of our inner goals.
As my journey into midlife has now stretched into my 60’s, I often reach out to other women in conversations regarding our experiences and expectations.  I find it wonderful to be in the camaraderie of women “of a certain age”.  We have much to teach each other.
Interestingly, I find that for me, personally, just talking about what I am going through and bouncing these roadblocks and annoyances off of friends is cathartic.  I do some of my best problem solving when I am telling a good friend about events in my life.  I don’t think that is unusual, but normal for womankind.  Somehow just verbalizing in this kind of situation, is enough to get the ball rolling toward a solution.
This past year has been a strange one for me.  I’ve been in a kind of limbo, as I have had surgeries, and have not worked.  I don’t like not having an income.  Earning a wage is a wonderful thing. Women often feel that if they are not one of the “bread winners” in the household, that they do not have equal power in some decisions.  Having one’s own money definitely lends itself to more freedoms.
So it’s a bit of a low ego/esteem problem at times.  As long as I can contribute in other ways to the household, that helps a lot.  Whether or now I return to work remains to be seen for a few months.
One of my goals this year is to lose a few pounds, (now there’s a New Year’s resolution that you never hear-hah!) so as of tomorrow, I am planning on restricting my diet for a while.  Additionally, I am going to get back at the writing.  I have a book that needs completing.
What I would really like to do is to get done with physical therapy and develop a schedule where I can find quiet time, meditate, and do the aforementioned writing, etc.
This year I want us all to believe in ourselves, give each of us the love and consideration that we all need, and resolve to keep joy in our hearts.  Remember that we are worth this and more!
Blessings and Happy New Year!  Here is a poem for us for New Years.
Ciao!
Joan

NEW YEAR’S PROMISE

I stood under the mistletoe

Alone, contemplating, nostalgic for

That romance we expect, that is deserved

And we know we are entitled to

At least that’s what we’ve been

Brought up to believe

And then it struck me

Is not the greatest love the love that we

Feel in our hearts for ourselves?

That accepting, self-forgiving love

We all deserve from within

Take a moment to feel that

To drink it in; it is not vanity

It is the knowledge that

We are safe, and that we trust

Ourselves to lead us to joy

Hold that in your heart

And never let it go

Welcome your new year

Be loved, be yourself

 

"Gilding or Re-building" the Lily?

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How lovely these Amaryllis are, proudly holding up their heads. They are like young women, adorned with colorful garments.
I love being the age I am; I do not like the aging part. These days I am spending more time “gilding” the lily. Just holding those wilting “petals” up requires a good diet with supplements, enough sleep (this is often lacking!), lots of exercise, investing in some good skin-care products, and lastly, make-up.
I was very fortunate in my youth, as I had good skin. I tried makeup, however, it just melted off in the Florida heat. So, I rarely used any powder or liquid makeup. I think that alone was an important factor in the clarity of my skin.
Now, past mid-fifty, I am applying makeup more and more often. The complexion seems a bit blotchy no matter what I do. Also, since I wear a mask when I work, this doesn’t help. Masks create heat and, yes, I am always sweating!
Reconciling oneself to their aging profile is not easy. These things do happen slowly, and that helps. But, self-esteem is sometimes compromised, as we feel good when we know we look good. Maybe I have to give up magnifying mirrors? They are so NOT our friends!
I guess the face-lift and/or other surgery (AKA “re-building the lily”) is a possibility. I think I am too much of a coward to go through with that; knives scare me! Furthermore, I’m not sure I can afford these procedures. Perhaps a laser peel? Hmmmm.
Unfortunately, society is not kind to the aging woman. Men are allowed to age “gracefully”, their graying hair is “sexy”etc, etc. Women are reduced to hags. It’s the American way, and it is a crock!
Let’s band together and give each other the support we need to just love our aging selves. We are beautiful, through and through–we should know this!
Here is a poem from the upcoming book, which I tentatively renamed Embracing Your Inner Hippie! Have an outstanding week!

Fountain of Spoof

First come the little
“Smile” lines by the eyes
After a while, lines deepen
And are followed by brow-furrows
Complemented with “marionette” lines
On each side of the mouth
[I swear that is what those “in the know”
Are calling them!]

Our first defense consists of lotions
And creams that we literally slather
On our skin; most of these products
Don’t do much, or live up to our expectations
I personally will attest to this
Still, I continue to try the latest and greatest
(Within budget) hoping for a mini-miracle or
At least some hint of positive progress

I guess I’ll settle for maintenance
i.e try to stay where I’m at
Rather than trying to reverse the
Hands of time on the “wrinkle clock”
We certainly need to smile more
Nothing looks better on us!
Let’s work on keeping our chins up
Even if we have to pull ’em up and tie them there!