by Sharon O | Apr 16, 2020 | Uncategorized
An idea to help you through this time that we are in.
I have often thought of the old fashioned way of handwriting letters again.
It is a way of returning to the old ‘ways’.
Not typed, or email but an actual hand written note or card.
I am a keeper of things, such as these notes and cards.
Ask my husband and he will tell you I have boxes of words written to me by others.
They are keep sakes that I cannot throw away.
Someone took their time and spent minutes of their day, thinking of me, of us and our friendship.
The gift of words is a connection. Within ourselves and with others.
It’s really hard to spend time with others right now since we are in a required restrictive rule around our land.
I so want to go to the beach, or find a lake, or sit in a restaurant with family or friends again.
I want to see and spend time with my grand kids and not have social distancing be the normal way.
When I think I cannot stay home another day, I have to remind myself what I have survived already.
Looking back on the 65 years of my life, some of those years were not that easy.
Even though times were hard growing up as a little girl; the resilience and fortitude that I learned through it all; prepared me for a time such as this.
I think it would be good and thought provoking to sit down with a pen and paper and write down the moments that we remember.
The times what were frustrating and difficult and how we made it out of those moments.
When we (me too) thought it would not end, we could not go further, we could not make it; and we did.
Write down everything. Don’t over plan the words; just write them.
It validates the inner strength we have within us.
I read another quote one time and I firmly believe it.
“The longest journey you will ever take is from your head to your heart.” Katy Perry from American Idol.
My heart tells me I am struggling somewhat with this ‘isolation’ time.
My head tells me that soon we can go places and once again be normal.
The journey becomes my choice on how I will choose to react.
An idea to help you through this time that we are in, is write it down.
Replace negative with positive and know that it’s going to be alright.
We are in this together. 
A lonely path going somewhere.
by Sharon O | Apr 10, 2020 | Uncategorized
The days between Good Friday and Easter were only three.
The followers of Jesus didn’t know what to do.
They had seen the glorious entry on Palm Sunday and they had seen the chaos and turmoil surrounding his death.
It was too much for them. They couldn’t understand and they couldn’t sit with the knowing that HE told them this would happen.
Peter said, “I will never deny you.” Yet when it came down to the pressure and self preservation of the moment. He did and he did it more than once.
We can understand the self preservation mode, we have seen it with this new virus that has attacked our land.
People buying unusual and crazy things, people making unwise choices.
Because for some people; there would be a cost if they did not, self preserve.
The followers of Jesus did the same.
I can’t even imagine what Mary felt like, and the women who loved Jesus.
The quiet… the waiting. The wondering. The deep sorrow breaking and shattering their hearts.
What is next? No one really knew.
Even His closest friends had no idea that HE would indeed be buried and HE would rise as HE was appointed to do.
I would imagine the followers also felt betrayed a little bit.
They never thought HE would actually be killed.
So much to process for them. So much to think about just as anyone who is in a grieving mode, remembering back on conversations and moments.
The days between Good Friday and Easter were a time of waiting, deep loss and misunderstanding.
We only have to wait for what is to come… for every one.
by Sharon O | Apr 3, 2020 | Uncategorized
The first week of April and I am remembering this time last year we were moving.
Our older home we lived in for nearly 25 years 2 story and it was becoming more of an issue with stairs.
We started to talk about moving, then we started to look at our options and then we started to work with a realtor.
The homes we saw were very nice, very fresh looking and single level.
We quickly became convinced that we should in fact put our home on the market and sell.
So we did that and it was on the market about a month; and we received and offer from a young couple.
This made our process even more of an urgent issue since we had a buyer and we had a contingent agreement that we needed to find suitable housing.
After many days of looking we finally found one in a senior development and for a very good price.
We prayed and asked for direction and we really do feel this little ‘small’ home is the right one for us.
It was a huge task to move.
We gave away or sold at least 10 pieces of furniture. Boxes of stuff were in a storage unit in the beginning and the single garage at the new place was full.
The couple who purchased our home was a first time buyer, and the lady who we purchased from was a senior moving to a care facility.
It was a win/win for everyone.
It’s been a process for sure during this first year.
The process of unpacking has taken a longer time than I thought it would.
Just this last week I have been going through old photo’s and old boxes of memories.
It is good to move slowly through this stuff.
Oh and now we are on a ‘quarantine’ because of the virus that is over everywhere.
It is a good time for digging through and in old boxes. Why not?
The first week of April and I am remembering that new things take place and new adventures await us someday.
For now, we will clean and unpack more until we are done and until the quarantine is over.
by Sharon O | Mar 17, 2020 | Uncategorized
Yesterday was our daughters birthday.
Hard to believe she is now age 42, where has time gone?
I remember so clearly the days when she was a tiny one, joining our family and completing it.
Our son was 3 years and 6 days older when she was born and he was ever so glad she didn’t interrupt his birthday.
In fact she came early.
I was having contractions all day long but I thought nothing of it.
I have a high pain tolerance and unlike my son’s birth I knew I was having surgery with her.
When I began to realize they were coming closer and more frequent; I remember waking my husband up in the middle of the night and saying to him, “we need to go.”
I had a ultrasound picture in my purse that had just been taken a day before and she was definitely in a breech position.
Her head was completely up and her bottom was down. Her back was to my front and her feet was against her head.
She was as the doctor called it, ‘snug as a bug in a rug.’
My mom arrived at the house and we rushed to the hospital.
I was really feeling it by then and letting the attendants know, she is breech.
They wheeled me in the elevator and told my husband the baby may be born in there.
It was a fast paced rush to get her and I to the point of surgery.
She was born at 5:13am and she was beautiful.
I looked pretty rough but mom’s often do look pretty worked over.
And you have to remember this was 42 years ago.
Not like it is nowadays where everything is more modern and smooth.
Our little baby Sarah was born.
Yesterday was our daughters birthday.
Her name means: Princess and her middle name is Kathleen: which means dear to my heart.
We had a son and now a daughter and we didn’t need anything else.
God blessed us and provided us with safe deliveries and healthy babies.
by Sharon O | Mar 13, 2020 | Uncategorized
The cancer journey continues long after the surgeries are over and the doctors appointments and radiation is done.
They gave me notice that the radiation stays in your system for some time and the fatigue will be with me for months.
I am not as bad as I was early on in the journey but I could still rest quite often and feel the need to nap.
It’s hard to stop and tell myself I need to nap, or rest or just be still.
Naps are not easy for me but I soon will learn to stop and rest as I need to, believe me, the body will let me know.
The after affects are definitely here, along with rashes and some pain and discomfort.
Kind of like the war is continuing.
Then we have a quarantine because of the virus that is creating great turmoil in our world.
I have to stay away from crowds as I am considered fragile in health since radiation.
It really doesn’t bother me as a ‘introvert’ by nature staying home is a gift, and a joy.
I don’t like to be around large crowds.
The biggest disappointment is the NBA cancelling the basketball games.
I am a huge fan of our Portland Trailblazers and now they are not playing.
What will I do with my time now? one can only watch so much HGTV shows.
Soon the spring weather will kick in and we can do a bit of walking.
Today it dusted very light snow in our area. Nothing sticking just a dusting in the air.
Crazy days with crazy weather.
The cancer journey continues and will continue up to six months to a year.
The residual will be with me: so I adapt and I move through each day and enjoy it.
As a gift from God. One more time.
