Tuesday This and That

When you spend your life doing what you love to do, you are nourishing your Soul. It matters not what you do, only that you love whatever you happen to do. Some of the happiest people I've known have been nannies, gardeners, and housekeepers. They put their hearts into their work, and they used the work itself as a vehicle to nourish their Souls. I've known other people with more prestigious professions who absolutely hated their jobs. What good is it to be a doctor or a professional if you do not genuinely love what you do? Working in a job you do not love does nothing to nourish your Soul.

Elisabeth Kuebler-Ross

My goodness. I cannot believe it is Tuesday already. I'm finding that as I grow older long weekends aren't so long anymore, or perhaps, it really is that I am  burning out. Believe me when I tell you that I love what I do. Counseling is my chosen profession, but this lack of boundaries is getting the best of me. The above photo shows our seating arrangement at our work space.  My seat is the chair to the right. Notice the short barrier which insures that we are all sitting out there in the open. The bosses believe in the 'open door' policy, but I'd say this is a bit much, wouldn't you?  And, at least, the bosses have doors. Sometimes I am bombarded by so many clients at the same time, my head starts to spin.  

So, how was everyone's Memorial Day?  I had a quiet day with hubby.  Made some potato salad, corn on the cob, hot dogs, and barbecued ribs and chicken.  Cookout food made in the house.  The weather was miserably hot and humid.  Makes having a cold feel, oh, so much worse.  Makes one feel hot, sticky, weak, and stuffed up...just plain miserable.  I hate to complain, but isn't it too early for this?

Later in the evening I honored my ancestors by visiting via 'Find a Grave' and putting flags on their graves and a moment of silence.  I've so many who fought in the wars.   Memorial Day was originally called Decoration Day, and the holiday traces back to the early 1860s, when the daughters of an Army Captain decorated a Civil War soldier's grave with Spring flowers. Since that time, it has evolved to a day to honor 'all' soldiers.

Tragically, the Civil War was one that pitted cousin against cousin, brother against brother, and father against son. Families were divided, and many never did heal their differences. I'm sure if one digs deep into their ancestry enough, one will find an example in their family. I know I found it with my Walton ancestry from Morris County, New Jersey. Family who had fought side-by-side in the Revolutionary War were now separated--some remained in Morris County, others re-located to New Orleans. Grandsons of the originals fought in the Confederate Army and fought against their Northern roots. One cousin even became a Colonel and was given a hero's funeral. Genealogy is amazing. I've a copy of a pardon signed by Abraham Lincoln.

And even more amazing is that I recently found out that about 17 years ago I lived right across the street from the cemetery where my paternal grandfather's family is buried. Even more surprising was when I found out that my mom's maternal great grandparents had their farm right down the block from our home.  And, the old Walton burial ground was not more than a mile away.  If only ours had been a closer family.  So much information, so many stories lost which is why I am so determined that my boys will know their roots, both sides.  As badly as my ex and his family treated me, they were the father and grandparents of my children, and my boys deserve to know their history. After all, family is what it is all about.  And, with that, I'd like to share the following with you.

Parents belong to the world of the past; children belong to the world

of the future. Both share the world of the present, but neither can enter

or fully understand the other's world and time. It is easier to communicate

across miles than across years. We meet and laugh awhile;

we separate and grieve awhile. And then we remember.

Joseph A. Bauer