A Joyous Perspective on Transitions: Improving the syntax of our lives.

Tonight at The Friday Night Thought Tale Hour with the Henderson's, I have decided it's time to go public about something that's been cooking at our house. I waited awhile, not because I thought we might backslide, but because I knew the longer I hesitated being public, the more conviction I would have. So now, after nearly 100 days, it's time pass along some of the ways we've made a transition that has revitalized the dormant in our lives, and frankly, kinda surprised us.

Just when you think you're comfortable...

I've really enjoyed reading the inspiring stories from the 'Semi-Colon Project', a group started by a brave young woman who lost her father to suicide. (more info here) I had heard of it, but only saw the tattoo, and I assumed it was just another trendy marker for the gen-xer's. But then one day, when I was brainstorming about a vision statement, I read the last line of their vision: "You are not alone. Your story isn't over yet." Wow. This was a quiet little message my subconscious had been feeding me since I turned 55 on January 1st.

It took a little while to ferment, and for the message to clarify itself. The best and lasting messages always do. I'm one of those people who doesn't mind the climb, but I'm really fine with camping on the plateau at the top. Chris is even less interested in the actual climb, so he's pretty good at keeping me satisfied with the level places in our life. But about a year ago, he started just cutting down on a few things, and the results really started to show.

Us, February.

And I was happy with that, I mean, women live longer than men, so he needs to be healthier than me, right? So I just cruised along, wearing stretchy clothes and just being grateful that I didn't have any illness attached to how much I weighed.
And then, we took a trip out to see the kids on the East Coast, and we flew, and I swore they had made the seats smaller - but they hadn't.
And I got down on the ground to play with my 2-year-old grandson, and I nearly could not get up to chase him.
And there was this commercial about surgical weight loss that said, "This is not the way I want my story to end..."

Me neither. Time for a semicolon.

I knew that I could 'lose weight', as I had done it many, many times before, but at this age, I needed it to be lasting, so I had to get to the root of why I had let this go. It really wasn't until sometime in March, as the anniversary of our son Seth's death approached in April, that I was able to find perspective. I realized that since his loss, I had pretty much just decided not to worry about what I ate or how it affected me. And this is where I can really relate to the message of the Semicolon Project. I needed a transition in my sentence. Same thought, new action.

The rest of my story, for those I love and me.

Us, June.

This post isn't about how to get healthier and lose weight. It's about preventing a few bad run on sentences from taking over the story of our life. We don't have to end the sentence with a sad little period, or worse the dreaded question mark. The "what if I only had...". Instead, we can make a daily decision to link ourselves to the positive message we want to be to the world around us. I found my motivation in the desire to live a fruitful life with my grandchildren, but yours will be unique to you. You just have to take some time to deconstruct your run on sentence, and insert the semicolon. You don't have to know exactly how you want it to sound or what it will mean today. You just have to support the thought with the right action. You'll be surprised just how much it impacts your freedom to be so much more in so many areas.

"Stay strong; Love endlessly; Change lives."

Tonight we are drinking a Pinot Noir called "Old Soul", toasting to transitions. Chris and I might be older; however, we still have a lot of soul. (see what I did there?<wink>) The kind that allow us to take happy memories along for the ride. Because making a change doesn't mean you have to stop being who you are, it just gives you the chance to improve your tomorrows. CHEERS, FRIENDS!