Hope on the Horizon

As you know, I've started a new job.  Not much to do there yet - and as I've said, while I like the work itself, the place itself is sort of dull.  No one talks to one another, and no music (not even on headphones) is allowed.  You can imagine how boring it might be for a new employee who's trying to find ways to occupy her time in between training sessions.

One activity I use to occupy my spare time is going into Microsoft Word and using the "translate" tool to translate random words into different languages.  Ever the linguist, I like to see how various languages are similar to/different from others.  So I sit there in the unbearable silence of my office and look up translations for whatever word pops into my head: tree, paper clip, stapler, keyboard, computer, carpet, jail, crazy, sad, happy, heart, sky, grow, courage, etc. 

Like I said, I like to see how the translations compare across the board.  Most of the time, the Germanic languages (German, Swedish, Danish, Finnish, Dutch, and even English, by the way...) are very similar to one another.  And the Romance languages (Spanish, French, Italian) are usually awfully close to each other.  Then there's Chinese, Korean, Russian, Thai, Greek, Czech... and more often than not I can't read them, but I still like to look at the pretty symbols :)

I love seeing how the words vary from one language to the next.  I was incredibly surprised when I looked up the word "horizon."  With the exception of the "symbol" languages like Chinese, Korean, etc., the translation of "horizon" is almost exactly the same in so many languaes.  See for yourself:

Greek: ὁρίζω" (horizō)
Afrikaans: horison
Danish: horisont
Spanish: horizonte
French: horizon
Hungarian: horizont
Lithuanian: horizontas
Norwegian: horisont
Portuguese: horizonte
Swedish: horisont
Brazilian: horizonte
German: der Horizont
Finnish: horisontti
Croatian: horizont
Italian: orizzonte
Latvian: horizonts
Dutch: horizon
Polish: horyzont
Romanian: orizont
Serbian: horizont

That "horizon" is pretty amazing, huh?  It got me thinking.

Think of some of the most beautiful paintings/photos you've seen.  Chances are, they feature a horizon.  To me, the horizon is one of the most beautiful symbols in this universe.  The horizon, no matter the time of day or the time of year, symbolizes the joining of two very different subjects into one perfect entity.  It matters not who you are or where you live, you can see it -- every human is able to see the very same sky meeting the very same earth in the horizon.  It separates the day and night, while at the same time bringing them together.  We see the sun set and the sun rise over the horizon -- it marks the end of one day gone, and the beginning of a brand new day.  The horizon is an amazing thing, and it's equally amazing for every human on earth.

We often refer to something "just over the horizon," meaning that something good is imminent -- maybe it's not going to happen immediately, but we can expect it soon.  Go ahead, look into the horizon -- you may have to squint, but look ahead.  The horizon is a symbol of hope.  The horizon is where the rocky, dirt-covered earth meets the infinite and beautiful sky.  Look into the horizon and I promise you'll see hope.  Something good is just ahead, even if you don't know what it might be.

Hug a Bunch

Today I got a hug.  No, today I got two hugs.  Actually, I got three hugs.  I'm dogsitting for my sister's dog (Cooper) this week, and he "gives hugs," which is pretty adorable.  Even more so if you happen to adore the dog himself (and I do).  I also watched my friend's 4-year-old daughter today - and she gave me a hug.  And then instructed her mom (my dear friend Sarah) to hug me.  Sarah and I are not big huggers, but we did as her little girl said and we hugged each other.

Any hug is a good hug - really just a genuine way to show that you care about someone.  Sometimes all you need is a hug.  For those of you who don't know, I've recently begun working at a new job for a totally different company.  And if you've been keeping up with my blogs, you know that I LOVED my previous job.  My new job is okay - I really like the work, but the atmosphere is sort of "blah" and there are days where I realize at 5:00 pm (quitting time!) that I haven't actually spoken to one person all day.  That said, it's on those days especially when I get home and realize that I just need a hug.  Today was one of those days.  And thankfully, I had Sarah, her daughter, and Cooper to hug me. 

As I was winding down this evening, I was standing in the living room, entranced by a scene in Hope Floats.  Before I knew it, tears were streaming down my face as I watched Birdie sitting on the bathroom floor, sobbing to her mother about how awful life was since Bill left.  And one quote especially caught my attention: "Sometimes it doesn't matter who or what or when or where the hugging happens.  Sometimes you just need a hug."

And how true that is.  Sometimes you just need a hug.  Maybe you need a hug, or maybe someone you know needs a hug.  Like Birdie says, it doesn't matter who or what or when or where it happens.  The best hugs are the unexpected ones - the ones that happen for no reason in particular.  Hug a little or hug a bunch.  Just hug someone you love.

Lumpy Carrot Syndrome

This past weekend, I went to visit my dad.  My father doesn't watch television, doesn't read, and doesn't really have many constructive hobbies (you know... like painting pottery, crocheting, woodburning).  He has a tendency to get bored.  One thing that keeps him occupied is his garden.  He's got a monstrous and fabulous garden.  And OH EM GEE... is he proud of it-- and for good reason.  He's got a huge stockpile of fresh lettuce, beets, green beans, peas, peppers galore, tomatoes (holy TOMATOES), carrots, potatoes, dill (yuck), corn, onions, green onions, etc. etc.  My sister Liz had instructed me to "make sure and bring some garden stuff back for us!"  Little did she know what she was getting herself into.  Needless to say, my dad packed up the entire trunk of my Starship with produce.  I brought it back to Liz's last night.  So much produce that it looked as though I had dropped the entire Kalamazoo Farmer's Market in her teeny kitchen. 



A photo doesn't even do these things justice...

 Included in my wekeend vegetable treasures was a bag full of carrots.  Not just any carrots... these were very special carrots.  Liz and I both commented on the "special" carrots.  They were lumpy and bumpy and growing parts and splitting off into two or three "legs."  When my dad first gave me the bag of carrots, I looked at them and said, "What are these?  Yams?"  He said no, they were carrots.  I commented on how strange they looked.  His response?  "You know, too often it seems that people just look at what something looks like.  They don't stop to think that the carrots might actually be good."  I thought about it-- yeah, he was right.  But THEN he went on (and for those of you who know my father, this won't sound like him... but I assure you, this is all him).  "That's a good lesson in life -- too often people just look at what's on the outside and they don't stop to think that something or someone might really be good on the inside."  Let me tell you, my father is a man of very few words.  Very rarely are those words philosophical, nurturing, or heartfelt.  As intelligent as he is, the guy's no Aristotle.  It's usually pretty cut-and-dried with him.  To hear his musings on life was a big surprise for me. 

And although his little life lesson in the garden was very short and simple, I've been thinking about it ever since.  He's right-- so often we look at someone or something and all we see is the exterior (I wrote about this in a prevous post-- and btw, the "Mr. Tattoos" I reference in that post has become somewhat of a good friend).  It's so easy to place judgment on others, isn't it?  And as much as I hate to admit it, I'm as guilty of it as anyone.  It seems so easy to look at someone's clothes, their circumstances, hairstyle, hobbies, whatever... and jump to some negative conclusion about them.  Maybe it's easy to look down on people when we feel like our lives are going perfectly.  However, when we've got our own issues to deal with (especially when they're pretty conspicuous issues), we're suddenly more aware of the stigmas that get placed on others, or the judgments that inevitably follow. 

I've been on both sides of the judgment, I'm sorry to say.  And while it often gives us some strange, unnecessarily wonderful power trip when we look down on others, to be on the receiving end of the judgments feels terrible.  No human has the right to feel like he or she is better than someone else.  Every single person (whether it's apparent or not) has his or her own demons to deal with.  And those demons make life ever more difficult.  It's when we're weak from fighting the demons that we need the most love-- and unfortunately, it's also when we're weak from fighting the demons that we're most vulnerable to judgment.  Everyone has their own "lumps and bumps" that might make them seem less desirable.  We've all found ourselves in poor situations, and despite how some people may appear, no one is perfect.  Some are "lumpier" than others, and it's those "lumpy" ones that could especially use some kindness.

No matter how "lumpy" we are, no matter how we got those "lumps," the following remain true: we're all human, we all have a heart, and we all need to be loved.  Sometimes the lumpy carrots are the sweetest carrots.  Embrace the lumpy carrots in your life.

Wherever the Wind Blows Me

Cooper, in all his nautical glory

This past weekend, I went out to the lake with my sister and her husband.  They have a boat (dubbed "The Penelope Cruise" by my sister and me), and one of my favorite things to do is head out onto the water with them and their dog, Cooper, who LOVES the water.

We went out on Sunday, but the weather wasn't necessarily ideal boating weather.  It was maybe 70 degrees, somewhat cloudy.  That said, we chose not to go swimming.  Instead, we drove the boat out to the middle of the lake and shut off the motor.  And after a lovely lunch of sandwiches, we were sleepy.  Donning our sweatshirts and sweatpants and wrapped in towels to stay warm, we decided to doze.  So we did just that.  I was manning the bow of the mighty vessel (a strong term, perhaps...), drifting in and out of sleep.  When I woke up, we were in a totally different part of the lake, headed toward a sandbar.  So my brother-in-law fired up "Penelope" and headed out to the middle of the lake again, where the engine was again shut off and our nautical naps continued. 

It was amazing how far we had drifted in such a short amount of time.  Wind is a pretty amazing thing.  We've learned to harness its power and use it as an amazing renewable energy source.  Wind can power huge equipment and large operations.  It can send ships all the way around the world-- and it's likely that wind brought your family to America at some point.  It can blow trees down in an angry storm, and it can take lives in an instant by demolishing homes and other buildings.  Wind has been known to blow cars off huge suspension bridges, and we've seen it injure/kill people by blowing things like concert stages right off the ground. 

Wind can be both a blessing and a curse, and very often its powerful gusts can come out of nowhere.  Too often, it seems, you look around after a windstorm and wonder how it all happened... where did this mess come from?  Or you wake up and look around after the wind has passed through and wonder how you got to where you are.  We've all experienced wind in our life.  Sometimes it can be a good thing, but other times it can blow you too far off course.  Life seems better when you've just got those warm, gentle breezes-- those pleasant happenings that are likely to move you just a smidge, without making it too difficult to get back to where you started.  When you experience the BIG gusts, though, it can definitely shake you up once you awake and realize just how far from home you are. 

Sometimes there's no way to control the gusts of wind in your life.  Sometimes you don't realize the wind is coming until it's already passing through, and sometimes the storm is completely over before you even realize there was a storm.  No matter what breezes or storms head your way, it's always possible to navigate your way back to where you started, back to where you're comfortable.  Every so often I wake up, look around, and I have to think about how I got there.  There are times I can see the spot where I began, and it doesn't take much effort to get back there.  There are other times, though, when I look around and nothing looks familiar- - it's all chaos.  That  place can be a terrifying place, and if you feel alone, it's even worse.  When I find myself there (and believe me, I do), I challenge myself to look around.  If I can make myself see far enough, I'll see my "lifeboat"-- my family/friends-- who are there to help me.  Even if they can't help me find the place where I started, they'll help me get back on my way.  And that way is always a little brighter when I'm not alone.

Here's wishing you warm and gentle breezes, as well as a loving lifeboat to transport you back to where you belong if you get blown too far off course.

My Haven



My family on vacation - 1990
(check out Liz's supercool perm!)



"The family is a haven in a heartless world." -- Christopher Lasch

I went to dinner with my cousin Jessi last night-- for the first time in over a year (and we live just miles from one another).  And yes, I'm ashamed about that last sentence.  We met at my favorite Mexican restaurant, where we were able to catch up over unlimited chips and salsa and the wonderful cheesy goodness of Mexican cuisine.  We had been sitting there and talking for over an hour.. and who walks in?  My sister and brother-in-law!   (yeah, this restaurant is THAT good)

My sister came over and sat with us for a bit.  She and Jessi talked about getting together to play on a local co-ed sports team, while I sat back (I'm terrified of playing sports that involve balls, so they both knew better than to invite me to play... I appreciate them looking out for my wellbeing).  I sat there and listened to them discuss the deathmatch that is volleyball, and I thought about how lucky I was.  Here I was, on a Wednesday night, away from home (no matter where I live, home will always be where I grew up).  But I had a belly full of beans and rice, and I was in the company of family.  Exactly what I needed.

Yes, I'm aware that so many of my posts reek of gratitude and resound with "how-sweet-life-is," but please bear with me for just one more.  I'm thankful for my family.

Life isn't always easy... though I'm sure you all know that.  I feel like I've run into more obstacles in 2011 than I thought were possible in one piddly year of life.  And while I've had friends there to support me along the way, my family has turned out to be the biggest comfort.  It makes me angry to think that there have been times this year when I've felt like I couldn't turn to my family for guidance, support, and love.  Someone once tried to tell me that there is no such thing as unconditional love, but that's false.  My family is proof of that. 

I have the most amazing mom and dad, sisters, and grandmas.  My brothers-in-law are exactly what I want for my sisters and for our family as a whole :)  My aunts, uncles, and cousins are wonderful.  And soon, when there are additions to my family (nieces/nephews), I imagine that those little monsters will only increase the love and happiness in my family. 

I get a phone call from someone in my family every day-- and I know that doesn't happen to everyone.  Yes, I get a phone call every day from at least one person who loves me and will love me no matter what.  And lately, I feel like I need that more and more.  Sometimes the world seems so cold and harsh... all these external forces don't seem to care about me or how I'm faring.  But no matter what, my family is my haven.  I can always find comfort in that.  I will always feel loved, and as long as I have my family, I will never be alone.  And for that, I'm very grateful.  My dear family, I love you so very much :)  More than words can say.