Prayer or maybe just showing up?

PRAYER

Feas Forever!
Barbara, Anna, Kim, & Kristie

May today there be peace within you.

May you trust God that you are exactly where you are meant to be.

May you not forget the infinite possibilities that are born of FAITH.

May you use those gifts that you have received,

And pass on the LOVE that has been given to you.

May you be content knowing that you are a CHILD of God.

Let HIS presence settle into your bones, BREATHE IN, BREATHE OUT.

And allow your soul the Freedom to sing, dance and to bask in the sun.

It is there for each and every one of you ; )

One of my BFFs from High School sent me this Prayer, in an email in May of 2000. My life was at a crossroads. I was single, finishing up my Master's Degree in Health Information Administration at MUSC and nothing was tying me down, except a silly one year old Golden Retriever pup, named Maggie May. I was trying to figure out which direction I was supposed to go. I was thinking of either heading back to the Tarheel State, maybe towards Research Triangle Park, or whether I would stay in Charleston, the HOLY city, where I felt like my heart had finally come home.

I said this Prayer at least twice a day (excellent timing for teeth brushing!) maybe more, I did alot of BREATHING IN and BREATHING OUT.

My boss apparently got wind that I was thinking of heading North after Graduation, so she made me a job offer, I could not refuse. That sealed it! Charleston became HOME in May of 2000. Life was GOOD!

I did alot of sailing that Summer - I LOVED it - Exhilarating! I bought a "Grown-up" house with a fenced in back yard for my Fuzzy Faced "Child." Soon, I fell in love, got married and we were blessed with an amazing child. We faced some significant losses in our lives. I learned about obedience. Obedience for me is FAITH when you can't see, hear or even feel God's presence in your life. Maybe because of my love for music, I started listening to our local Christian Radio station, HIS Radio 100.5 Even when I didn't feel it, the lyrics spoke to me and were somehow changing me from the inside out. I learned you have to show up, you move forward. I learned what Forgiveness really means and how sometimes you just have to "Do it Anyway."

FORGIVENESS by Mother Teresa

In Her Home for Children, Calcutta, India

People are often unreasonable, irrational, and self-centered. Forgive them anyway.
If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives. Be kind anyway.
If you are successful, you will win some unfaithful friends and some genuine enemies. Succeed anyway.
If you are honest and sincere people may deceive you.
Be honest and sincere anyway.
What you spend years creating, others could destroy overnight. Create anyway.
If you find serenity and happiness, some may be jealous.
Be happy anyway.
The good you do today, will often be forgotten.
Do good anyway.
Give the best you have, and it will never be enough.
Give your best anyway.
In the final analysis, it is between you and God. It was never between you and them anyway.

Mother's Day of 2011 was delightful. We were settling into our new home. My nasty Mom-Mobile received a bath with detailing inside and out, as requested. It really is the simple things! ; ) I received a Holy Cow Yoga Gift Certificate and a few other nice surprises. Life was Good!

One week later it felt like everything in my delightful life was now a BIG "?" Humbling. All the things I was so sure about the week before were now different: love, life, family, home, career, honesty, relationships, commitment, faith, future, trust, dreams, goals, etc., EVERYTHING!

So, I pulled this prayer out again today. Or maybe it found me!?!? ; ) It's a good one anytime, but especially uplifting when you feel like you're at a crossroads in life, or when you have more questions than you know how to answer. It's a reminder of our FAITH, even when we don't think we have it ourselves. It's a reminder that it's not about us - it's the JOURNEY, the winding road, even the roller coasters, growing, learning, obstacles we need to overcome, friends along the way, always there exactly when we need them the most, shining OUR Light! We are all gifted, we are all LOVED, we are ALL Children of God and we are ALL connected. You gotta get up, get out - sing & dance (or jump or whine or lean on your friends or LAUGH Out LOUD) and get some Sonshine - it is OUR Birthright! ; )



Photo by Heather Anderson



Mommy & Me - Wining & Whining - Kim, Sara & Karin



Alyssa's BFF, Piper, LEANING - 2008

I also had to include this photo of a 13 year Cicada - even with all the craziness going on in my life, I have been totally captivated by these little creatures this Summer. Maybe it's just because they showed up? Apparently, they burrow deep into the ground and stay there, only surfacing every 13 years. When I heard they would be showing up this Spring. I wanted to find one, so I could take it to my Preschool and show the little children a creature that only surfaces every 13 years. Maybe make a memory? - See a bug they would not see again until they were Teenagers, in High School. Fascinating! This year, I found two - one on my tire in the driveway, trying to camouflage himself about a month ago and one today. I almost stepped on her, when I walked out of the house. She was pretty still, sitting on the sidewalk, and the ants were curious, maybe something was wrong with her? So I jumped at this opportunity to take lots of photos ; ) When I was done, I put her on a leaf and put her up higher on one of our Indian Hawthorn bushes. When I checked on her later today she was not where I put her - hopefully, I will see her again in 13 years. I'm counting on it! ; )

Magic, in a young girl's heart . . . and yes, Laundry

So today was Alyssa's first day of Magic Camp and I think she really liked it. She could not wait to get home and show me the tricks she had learned, she would not stop practicing them, I had to beg her to get ready to go swimming with The Boys. It's good to see her smile and laugh and be pleased with her accomplishments. She's funny, she wants me to try and figure out how the tricks work and I don't want to. I love surprises and still believe in MAGIC and I don't want to know. I love the amazement and mystery, especially when she's the magician. She impressed me with the sophistication of the ones she learned today. She is getting prepared for a Major Performance at the Beach and she knows that Poppy and Uncle Brad will figure them out, if she's not careful. We're working on her costume for a Magic Show on Friday when all the children at the Camp will perform their new tricks for an audience of Moms & Dads - "Ladies and Gentlemen!"

Today I am also, strangely enough, thankful for LAUNDRY - yes, it has finally happened! : ) Today, I am thankful for you, AW, and the many, many discussions we have had about the most mundane, never ending, chore of all chores, LAUNDRY. So, AW, next time I see you, I am gonna hug your neck and thank you for praying for me, because I know (by the fact that I am finally thankful for laundry) that your prayers are working! : ) Thank you friend, we do know about laundry!

So the next time you have to do your laundry, here are few things you can be thankful for. I am thankful that I am doing our laundry inside an air conditioned home. It is currently 94.7 degrees outside, here in the Holy City, with a forecast of highs in the upper 90's. HOT! I am thankful that I can wash our clothes inside my home and I do not have to drive or walk to a creek or laundry mat or a dungeon basement where someone might take my clothes if I do not maintain a constant vigilance over them. At a minimum, they might take them out of the washer and/or dryer and throw them on the dirty floor. It's hard to believe that people in our blessed nation will actually steal half dry underwear! Wow - the things you learn in college! : ) I am thankful doing laundry does not depend on how many quarters I have or whether or not the Change Machine is working. I am thankful that our once abandoned kitty, Hunter, loves to help me do laundry - he is definitely my best laundry assistant, he's the playful, silent type! : ) I am thankful that my child is still small and that folding her clothes tells her that I love her, even though she does not know that yet. She will one day - she told me today, driving home from magic camp, that she wants 4 children, just like Mrs. Susan. But she has it all figured out, she is going to have 2 girls first, that way they will help her raise the 2 boys, she will have next. Alyssa with 4 kids, that will be a sight to behold! : )

And sweet, sweet, Mrs. Susan, I am so thankful for you today. You have been down this long, strange road as well and you truly know how to be so incredibly helpful to me. You call and you come get her. She loves you and all those Boys and we miss you! Especially since we do not see you as often as we did when our back yards connected. Thank you for giving me a few minutes of sanity today, so I could do this Blog and get this out. We will play cards and come to your parties again soon. Some of the best times of our last few years have been at your home. How you do it, I'll never know, but I am so thankful that we are friends : )

I am also thankful that today I have been able to stop and think and feel and breathe. There really is an order and sequence and structure to this universe and when you have, even just a few minutes, and know how to see, it becomes so clear. When no one tells you when to stop, or what to think, or how to feel, or when to breathe. You really can do all these things on your own and not only that, it's better that way : ) Maybe, I have just not been alone enough in the past ten years. What a long, strange trip, this journey has been and continues to be! : )

I also rarely do laundry when I don't think about my brother Brad's dear friend, Nelson. It's hard to think about Nelson without smiling because he is just that funny! He was trying to inspire me about laundry when Brad and I were living on Tradd Street, could that have been 13 years ago? Jeez! He would come over to use our washer & dryer. He would talk about how great it was that the machines did all the work, and you didn't even have to think about it. Just put your dirty clothes in, push a button and out they come - clean! Same for the dryer, clothes in - push button - out - all done! I was perplexed that someone as smart as Nelson could be so enthusiastic about a washer & dryer, a pretty old one at best. 

Sorry - but I have to regress again - Bread & Butter - so, 13 years ago, I guess, Brad is driving like a maniac, as usual, in Downtown Charleston and is about to take out a few Tourists. Nelson exclaims, with one hand on the roof: "Brad, be careful! Don't run over the Tourists! They're our Bread & Butter!" I forgot to mention that Nelson is from Hemmingway, SC - there is just no way to express how poetic it is to hear someone from Hemmingway say: "Bread & Butter!" (Laugh)! I never go Downtown without thinking about our "Bread & Butter" and how fortunate we are to live in this beautiful city. A city people from other places, all over the world, spend their hard-earned money to visit, for such a brief amount of time.

And, I also can not regress about Nelson without stopping to laugh a little about "Cirrhosis of the River" - Brad and Nelson's "boat" - was it a John boat - on a good day? Or a dark night? : ) I will never forget Brad's Rehearsal Dinner in Chapel Hill and Nelson reading his soliloquy to "Ole Cirrhosis." It almost brings tears to my eyes now, the good kind, I promise! We really need to see if we can get a copy of that literary tribute from somewhere. Except, I think it was impromptu on a dinner napkin in about 5 minutes - he is just that smart and funny. I guess you would expect that from a Davidson Valedictorian. Thank you, Nelson, for all the many laughs through the years, your wonderful Hemmingway accent and for your recent help - I hope we see you and your precious family soon! : )

So, thanks, God, for the tons of laundry I am doing today. I am loving it - Ha! It is a glorious distraction and way to stay busy, while You work in my life. Thank You for funny, loving, prayerful, supportive friends and family. I give You the Glory! : )

So, if you are still reading this, sorry-ugh! And if you are still not inspired enough to get up and do some laundry, here's one more - You can be thankful that you are not experiencing things in your life that will lead you to do a SUPER LONG Blog Post on LAUNDRY! : ) Gotta go, I think my clothes are done! : )

Aquarium Visit

On our LAST day of Christmas Break we took our girl to the Aquarium. Her treat for being so brave and getting her H1N1 Flu shot at school, without even crying.

Just like the ads say she was up close and personal with marine life, such as sea urchins, crabs, starfish and baby sting rays in the touch tank.

And really up close with the Loggerhead turtle in the Big tank.

A fun time was had by all, even with the FREEZING temperatures. Do we look cold or what?!?!?

Good Food with Old Friends

Finally - Drew gets a blog! this past week we had two great meals with old friends of Drew's. We started off meeting Paul's family for dinner at Shem Creek Bar and Grill (Does this make you hungry, Uncle Brad?!?).

Drew and Paul have been friends since they were teenagers, so good to catch up!

Married and one child later . . .

Paul, Maryam, and one of the cutest babies ever, Wade!

Lovely sunset on Shem Creek . . .

Next, black beans and rice a week later at Vickery's - what a healthy eating boy!

Kevin Kipler (KK), Drew, Wade and Paul, more friends, more good Lowcountry food!

Everyone has a camera . . .

And why not?

Shrimp boats on Shem Creek.

And what blog would be complete without a photo or mention of Alyssa? Here she is examining the sidewalk artwork, one of my favorite things about Vickery's. Although I have to recommend the Portabella Mushroom Sandwich - it was delicious!

New Link - Charleston Daily Photo

Thanks to the Charleston City Paper's 2009 "Best of" Awards we found a new link that posts a daily Charleston photo. I've posted a link to it on our blog with our Favorite Websites so we can check it frequently. I also found this on there and it made me smile, enjoy . . .



You know you are from Charleston, S.C. if....

The smell of a marsh makes you homesick.

You eat rice with every meal.

You don't understand cities that have to keep electing new mayors.

You've mowed your lawn on Christmas.

You've killed a cockroach with your bare hand.

Unless a cockroach is bigger than your hand, it's just a baby - no big deal.

The construction signs say "Let 'Em Work, Let 'Em Live"

You've seriously considered climbing on top of the Coburg Cow to take a picture.

You have a picture of the Coburg Cow decorated for Christmas.

It is not a shopping cart, it is a buggy.

You get excited when you see a guy selling boiled peanuts out the back of a pickup.

You know not to pick up the orange "Half Rubbers with flags" that are found in the puddles on downtown streets.

People actually grow and eat okra.

You know exactly when high tide is - even if you don't own a boat.

You've driven over all the Cooper River Bridges.

You have tripped over the bricks downtown.

The SC Aquarium is boring to you because you went there too many times.

You hold the door behind you for the next person.

You know that there is an island near Edisto called "monkey island" and that there are real monkeys on it.

You know not to go down Harbor View Road at 5 o'clock

School is cancelled for it being too cold.

You love going to watch the fireworks on July 4th and New Years.

You know what the washout is.

You break out your warmest winter coat when it gets below 60 degrees.

A robbery or a fire downtown reported on the news is no new thing.

You know what a Piggly Wiggly is and you frequently shop there.

You know that high tide and downtown don’t mix.

You find 100 degrees Fahrenheit is "a little warm."

A carbonated soft drink isn't a soda, cola or pop ... it's a Coke, regardless of brand or flavor. For example: "What kinda coke you want?"

Sweet tea is appropriate for all meals.

Oyster Roasts happen every weekend during fall and winter.

You wear sandals in the winter.

You hate it when all of the swings are taken at the Water Front Park.

When the draw bridges are up and you're stuck in traffic you simply think "What a wonderful place to live!"


Yours?

Posted by Joan Perry; Sidewalk Curator