Hit in the Head with the Proverbial 2 x 4

I got some rough news last night.  My mom’s cancer is back.  This morning, at 3:30 am, I found myself curled up on my sofa, drinking a cup of coffee, staring out the window at the rain, having the largest pity party this side of the Mason-Dixon Line.  Last August (2010) mom was diagnosed with Stage 3, non-small cell, inoperable, lung cancer.  She had been cancer free for 9 months.  Last Thursday she went in for her one year check up.  We were so sure she was fine, cocky, certain there were no issues.  That was, until last night.  Last night the doctor said – there is some swelling, it’s not good.  We need to do more tests, but normally, swelling means the cancer has returned.  You are probably going to need another two bouts of chemotherapy (which means she’ll lose her hair again, she’ll get sick again, she’ll go through it all over again).  And because it’s in the same location – no radiation therapy.  Of course, at this point a lot is up in the air.  But you don’t “hear” that part, you hear cancer and it’s back.  That’s all you hear.  Your worst case scenario fills in the remainder.

So, I’m sitting on my sofa, having a pity party.  Making myself late for work and, honestly, not really caring.  I’m thinking how the doctor told her she has 6-18 months.  I’m thinking I don’t want to move off the sofa and go into work and go about my daily routine and act like life is fine, because right now, I’ve been thrown for a loop and my life is anything but fine.

Then something amazing happened.  And this is why I’m sharing this.  One of my friends sent me love and light sometime around 6:00 am.  And I know exactly who it was, I’m sure she does as well.  And she hit me over the head with a proverbial baseball bat.  She isn’t aware of the impact she had on me.  The “light” turned on.  Better late than never, right?

So listen closely – I have some words of wisdom to share with you.  I learned a lesson that should have been so obvious, but when you are feeling sorry for yourself nothing is this obvious.

Last August I didn’t think I’d have my mom for Thanksgiving 2010. Let alone Christmas.  But she went through her radiation and chemo – cancer was gone.  We had a lot to be thankful for last year.  How easy it is to forget.  So now I’m sitting there throwing a pity party because she may not be here, what, next Thanksgiving or Christmas (2012) – or maybe the one after that?  Seriously?  And I’m thinking how I don’t have anything to be thankful for this Thanksgiving and Christmas.  

Wait, here comes the baseball bat – I have something very much to be thankful for – my mom is here.  I had last Thanksgiving, last Christmas with her.  I have this Thanksgiving and this Christmas with her.  No one ever promised us that we would be here for any amount of time – no one promises us forever.  And for all I know, I could be gone in 6 months.

So, that said – I stopped feeling sorry for myself.  I have today, I had yesterday – nothing else is promised us.  And now I am thankful for what I have now and I will take tomorrow as it comes!  

That was the light I was sent this morning. And for that, I am eternally grateful. 

I need to thank everyone for the love, light and prayers.  Even for the smack alongside my head this morning.  I needed it and I appreciate it more than words.

All of you out there, struggling with the things life throws at you, please take my sentiments to heart.  Life is too short to worry about tomorrow – enjoy today!

Keep your head up, keep your faith and know you always have today!  

Blessed Be.
Chelle

Samhain – All Hallows Eve – Halloween

As we get closer to that time of year when cute little ghosties and ghoulies come ringing our door bells looking for yummy candy the religious world wraps itself into a tizzy yet again.  Year after year you hear all the stories of the churches that have issues with Halloween, of the pastors telling their congregation to not allow their children to go, of the poor kids that feel left out because all of their friends at school get to dress up and go door to door, receiving yummy treats, but they don’t get to participate.

If you look back, year after year, since I was a child (and I’m sure long before that), this debate has not changed.  The sides are the same, the outcome is always a sad little boy or girl sitting at home with the porch lights out wishing they could be out there with their friends – that sad little boy or girl who will turn into the obnoxious teenager that will in turn TP your yard if your lights are off on Halloween just to get back their missed childhood.

I find it difficult to see how respecting the dead is a bad thing.  The majority of our holidays have come from a pagan calendar, this is a fact.

My question is do you know the real reasons behind dressing up and handing out candy/sweets?  No?  Do you know how it all got started?  Do you know who started it?  No? 

 

How can you make an educated decision on what is best for your family if you don’t even have all the facts?  I asked a few people I know (some who do and some who don’t have an issue with this holiday) if they knew how it came about.  One person knew, only one.  But every one of them had an opinion on the holiday itself.  Funny how we make all these decisions in life without having all the facts.  I, personally, live on facts.  If you want me to make a decision, lay it out for me, then give me time to research the facts.  I’ll make an educated decision for you when I have the facts.  That being said, here are some of the facts that most people don’t seem to know about Samhain – All Hallows Eve - Halloween.

All-Hallows Eve started as a Celtic festival about 2000 years ago.

It was a time to mark the end of summer and the beginning of winter (winter is what they considered the time of death).  On October 31^st they thought the veil between the worlds to be thinner because it is the time between the end of life and the beginning of death.  This is when they thought the spirits of their ancestors that had passed over could visit them.

Technically it was the end of the Celtic calendar, marking the beginning of a new year.

They dressed up, not in our traditional costumes but, in animal hides, heads and other disguises in order to protect themselves from the spirits that would harm them.  They thought it would trick the spirits into thinking they were not living humans.

Later it is said we set out sweets and food by the front of our houses so the roaming spirits would take the food offered and not come into our homes and harm us.  This is the tradition of handing out sweets.

Ok, that is probably enough for you to think about for now.  Honestly, how many of you knew those facts and judge the holiday accordingly?

My opinion of the holiday doesn’t matter – what matters is that you can now say you are somewhat educated on the beginnings of Samhain, All Hallows Eve, Halloween.

Blessed Be  and Happy Samhain, All Hallows Eve, Halloween ya’ll.

Blessings of a Full Moon

“In everything natural there is something marvelous.” — Aristotle

Tonight is a full moon.  My Pappy always taught me that you want to plant flowers and vegetables after the final full moon in May.  It is something that was handed down from his parents and a rule of thumb I have always gone by.  So, I believe tomorrow I’ll be planting my flowers.

I feel so content during a full moon.  I set my stones out to recharge, I sit by the window and gaze at the beauty that hangs in the sky.  There is nothing more amazing to me, nothing that puts me in awe more than watching the moon phases, maybe with the exception of a full harvest moon.  It brings peace into my heart and a smile onto my lips.

This evening I have some healing candles that need to be blessed by the moon and some crystals I’d like to charge.  But for the most part, I think I’d just like to sit outside and gaze at the moon, seeing the face of the Greek goddess Hecate and feeling her peace wash over me.

I hope you will take a moment to stand outside tonight and gaze up at the sky.  Allow the moon’s rays and the feeling of peace to wash over you.

Merry Meet, Merry Part and Merry Meet Again.

Blessed Be

Practical Magic for the Practical Woman

I lost my blog.  Apparently during the “issues” with the blog site mine got lost in the shuffle.  So I’m going to put it back up.  I did not save my ramblings, so all my words of wisdom are gone.  Oh bother.

Let’s start over.

I always thought blogs were rather self indulgent.  I may be correct, but I’ve decided to post one anyway.  If that makes me a little self indulgent, so be it.  

I know Practical Magic for the Practical Woman may seem like an odd name for a blog, you may be asking yourself what it means.  So let me tell you what Practical Magic means to me.

Practical Magic is simple – it’s the every day magic that we so often take for granted.  It’s the beauty in the dragonfly that flits by as you are sitting outside enjoying your lunch and a good book.  It’s the smell of rain on a warm summer day.  It’s running through puddles with your loved one and dancing in the rain.  It’s the way your heart beats just a little too fast and the butterflies seem to jump into your belly when the person you love calls, even after being together for 10 years.  Practical Magic is just that – the magic that is in every day, so many little things.

The world passes us by so quickly, it is so easy to miss the beauty in it.  There are so many songs, books, poems and quotes out there that deal with this.  But what seems to be lacking, in my opinion, is the magic.

So, I’m going to ask you to think of something today for me.  Think of that one magical thing that happened to you today.  That one thing that put a smile on your face and laughter in your heart.  That one thing that made your day, that made you be able to say – wow, life is beautiful, life is magical.

That is practical magic.

Merry Meet, Merry Part and Merry Meet Again
Blessed Be