It has been a crazy two weeks from traveling to VA, getting settled at home, friends arriving from the UK, and our kids being busier than I thought. Why does summer seem to sprint while winter crawls on? In the midst of laundry, cooking and all things to the backyard, I watched our sweet Meadow grow long legs. Lauren this week said that Meadow looks like a deer.

How she is full of life and continues to teach me life lessons. While I spend so much time with her hoping that she is getting closer to being potty-trained, I find myself watching her in amazement. I think we can learn so much from how she responds to her environment teaching us a calmer path forward. Here are some observations of Meadow’s teachings. How can she help me live with chronic disease feeling full of life and not afraid?

Meadow’s Teachings

1. Meadow’s gets a collar – people and life might put a new collar on you – you struggle with it – jump around and fight but eventually you go with it and find happiness and play still wherever you go. Meadow spent 5 minutes challenging the collar and then she just went with it. She makes the collar look great and keep on going being curious everywhere she goes.
2. The hose – some might look at a hose as just for drinking or watering but Meadow finds fun in catching and snapping at the water. So cute and funny – you can’t help but laugh and smile at the excitement she shows with water coming out as an adventure and amusement.
3. Picking up sticks – well she loves to eat the yard especially sticks and roots. When one stick is taken from her or she drops it, she is on the hunt for the next one. Not frustrated, she moves on quickly – soon to find another one not too far away. She never gives up as so many more options abound with each step. We are blessed to have so many resources.
4. Cuddles and belly rubs – being with people and animals is important. A tug on Legos tail, a chase of Tallulah, or belly rubs and hugs from the kids, Meadow is happy enjoying life one day at a time. Being in the present moment and enjoying that second for whatever it may bring. Sometimes it is an awesome treat but other times it is just a head rub when we walk by. She appreciates life and never stops wagging her tail. This past weekend, I walked with 2 dear friends. We chatted afterwards for almost 2 hours. It was so nice to be laughing with them and just there. A true blessing is friendship and just being present with each word said.
5. Playing in the rain – Rain will fall and get us wet but it is better to play than not. It tends to thunder and rain a lot in Florida so you never know when a passing shower might come. She looks up and tries to take a bite of the rain. Quickly moving on, she finds dry patches where she can to play with her sticks and doesn’t let her stop. When one path closes, she often finds a new way to go. She doesn’t want to get fully wet but she goes with it if she has to.
6. Weeds – Meadow loves the weeds as much as she loves the flowers. Often we look at weeds and cringe . Maybe the weeds are better than we think? Maybe we have not looked closely enough at the benefits of the weeds. So, I stopped to look at the waterdrops on the marigolds. How many of us stop to take a look to see the waterdrops. My picture shows you how many drops of water are there while it rains. Not one drop is the same but equally amazing.
7. Moths – In the grass, we have many moths and hornets. As Meadow runs through the yard, it springs to life with them flying everywhere. She chases them in all directions excited to see which way they will go. Never a doubt going forward, she goes from one to the next hoping to make a catch. We must live life springing forward chasing a path with gusto.

As I look back over the last 10 days, I quickly become frustrated that I didn’t set time aside to blog, work in the backyard or cook some of my favorite recipes. I can ponder over the reasons why and start listing them to make me feel better or I can simply start again. I know this is something that I enjoy and it is a fun way to talk to others about how we can have a great trip on this journey called life. I must adapt just as my body adapts to a new normal with a chronic disease, how the household adapts to 5 teens as sweet friends from the UK are staying with us, adapt to changing weather from blistering sun to rain, and just adapt to life. I remember that I told myself last week to embrace life so here I go again with the same start – embrace life like Meadow shows me each day. Love unconditionally, help others and be a force of change for the better. We got this and everyone has the chance to start again. Thus, I keep going with the blog. As the rain falls this afternoon, the science teacher in me thanks the water cycle for taking care of the garden this afternoon. We have so many blessings in a single day to a single hour or even a minute. Meadow doesn’t live outside of the present moment and I too want to be present. Whether during exercise knowing that it is the now that hurts. Breathe through and we all got this.

This moment is where you are meant to be so don’t look too far ahead as you will miss where you are. Even the weeds have something to teach you.