Aria’s Dream

On the first day God created Heaven and Earth. God chose Heaven as his home and made it a beautiful paradise. God then created the Cherubs. These beautiful birdlike creatures have wings to help them watch over land and sea. The Cherubs continually praise, love and guard over God to show their delight. 

Among this chosen group of Angels is Aria. Aria loved her home. She especially enjoyed flying through the myriad of green spaces, the vineyards that graced the mountains with her gossamer wings that glimmered in the sunlight. There were many gardens with flowers of all colors and varieties. As the rains would come Aria would marvel how they would perk up.

As flocks of birds sang peaceful tunes orchestrated by Angels, Aria’s melodious voice could be heard throughout the Kingdom.

Rivers house fish of all sizes… from the tiniest to the largest. They loved Aria and would jump with joy when she would visit. 

She also watched as the animals roamed the forests enjoying Heaven’s gifts and glory.

But Aria had a dream. She desperately ached to experience life on Earth. Aria continued to be faithful, served God and prayed patiently for her dream to come true. Aria would often go to God and plead to become human. God would tell Aria that the time for her had not yet come, and she must allow be patient. Patience was not an attribute that  Aria possessed.

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Each day souls entered the Kingdom of Heaven. They came from every tribe and nation. Here they would find eternal rest. The Cherubs and Angels were there to welcome them and to provide comfort and peace as they transitioned into their new life.

Each soul is given a choice to go on to their Heavenly reward or to be a Guardian Angel to stay and watch over those left behind to make sure they grow in …faith, hope and love.!  Humans, we can often feel their presence.

When that is accomplished, these souls join their loved ones that passed before and were anxiously waiting to be reunited.

Aria enjoyed watching humans interacting. She would often follow some throughout their lives. Aria longed to experience life as she would hear from the Angels tell of their experiences on Earth.

Aria awoke one morning, and she heard a strange sound. It was the sound of two

heartbeats. She felt for her wings and found they replaced with arms. She jumped for joy in her mother’s womb. Then she heard a voice crying in pain. Her mother was giving birth. Aria cried for joy as she took her first breath as a human. Her parents were overjoyed and decided to name their new baby, Aria.

Aria’s dream had come true.

One cannot grieve if there is no love. During these trying times many are suffering.   Grief has no boundaries. It can happen to anyone at anytime and can affect anyone going through a life changing situation.

Most consider the grieving only for those who have loved a loved one. There are many occurances that can be just as devastating.

 Divorce is another huge loss and it might not be the one who filed, who is grieving the most. Marriages are one of the most important commitments one can make.  There are circumstances that occur in a marriage that make living with their mate impossible.  One of the most common is abuse.  Abuse may not always be physical in nature but being abused mentally can be even more tragic.  The sad part about mental abuse is that the abuser does not realize how their actions can be so harmful to their spouse.  A women suffering from postpartum depression does not realize how her behavior affects those around her.  In many cases, she refuses help as she does not realize the illness she is suffering.

An Unfavorable Diagnoses as finding either yourself or one close to you has been told they have a medical condition that is incurable.  How do you relate to others that are close to you that your life or your condition may cause your imminent death?  One of the most heartbreaking is the diagnosis of Alzheimer Disease.  The person is alive, but they have lost their mental capacity.   To watch a loved one suffer with Cancer – or another life and the effects that the treatments have on the patient, can cause grief. 

Natural Disasters cause many to lose their houses and in many cases these people are displaced for many months. There are some that find they have to leave the cities that have been their homes, leaving behind families, friends and communities – especially their spiritual community.

Loss of job also finds many in a place that takes away their security.  Covid displaced many since the governmental restrictions made it impossible for many businesses to stay in operation.  Many others have lost jobs because of companies restructuring.

These are just a few of life changing situations that can cause grief, the list is unending.

The good news is there is help for those who want to be helped.  GriefShare is a Ministry offered by many faith communities all over the world. You can find one closest to you at www.GriefShare.org.
GriefShare is mostly for those suffering grief through death or divorce.

Stephen Ministers can also be found in communities across the country.  Stephen Ministry offers a proven and effective way to organize, equip, and supervise a team of congregation members—called  Stephen Ministers—to provide high-quality, one-to-one, Christ-centered care to people in the congregation and the community experiencing life difficulties.  To find one in your area contact them at (314) 428-2600. Many Churches in the Baton Rouge area have Stephen Ministers and I am sure in your area too. You can also check out their web site at http://www.stephenministries.org  for materials that could be helpful to the grieving.

I have found many books by Alan D. Wolfelt. PH/D that offer support for most any type of grief. He also has a website at  www.centerforloss.com  that offers daily meditations and can be helpful in getting through a difficult day

There are many other organizations and faith communities that provide help for the grieving.  One might check by Goggling- Grief help near me for other sources.  I pray you find the right one for you or for someone you know in need.

Who’s the Fairest, of them all?

Who or what do you see when you look in the mirror each morning?  Who you see, is who you are.  Beauty comes from within.  It comes from the love we have for ourselves.  It comes from our smile. It comes from how we react to the inconveniences we each have to endure.  It truly shows how we perceive ourselves. The mirror does not show us our real age.

Many of us as we hit our golden age, we look in the mirror and see someone who is worn and ragged. We do not see the love we bring to others. That wrinkled smile and grayness in our hair is part of our beauty. It tells us our life has meaning. (I must admit that my hairdresser will not be losing me as a customer anytime soon.  The gray is still hidden under the dye.)

I think back as a teenager and my lack of confidence as I am ADHD.I never excelled in school, but when I looked in the mirror I saw a person with little self-esteem.  It took me many years to realize that my affliction was actually a gift from God.  I value the friends that looked beyond my imperfection and loved still love me. Yes some are still a part of my life and others have entered into the Heavenly Gates. I value the friends I have made over the years- they as well as my family are my blessings.

Many who have the resources to retire are afraid for not having a purpose.  That can be a very scary feeling for me. A little over five years ago I decided at age 69 and having been a Realtor for 36 years.  Even though I had remarried after being widowed for 10 years, my 3 adult children had moved away.  Most of my friends had family to visit and grandchildren to enjoy.  Larry my husband and I like to travel and I am an avid Bridge player, but I wanted more out of life and a way to give back to my community.

A friend recommended I join our local Chamber of Commerce – The Baton Rouge Area Chamber or BRAC.  Probably my best move ever.   My friend also told me about a group he belonged to inside of BRAC. The Ambassador Club – a group of 35, I found this intriguing.  They would visit other chamber groups in the neighboring Parishes (in Louisiana we have Parishes instead of Counties), act as Greeters at the BRAC meetings recruit businesses to join BRAC.

I made friends with the lady who was head of the group and basically begged her to invite me to be a part.  She finally after a couple of months and a space came open, I was invited to become a member.

I also learned that BRAC offered a Leadership Program. My challenge was to get accepted into the program that was limited to 35 members.  The application process was very detailed and needed recommendation from members of their Alumni Association.  I remembered a friend’s son was very active with BRAC and part of the Leadership group and headed the selection process.  I called and asked him if he would please review my application.

 I was so excited to receive my letter of acceptance. The program lasted 9 months. We had a 2 day opening retreat where we got to know each other.  Now at age 65, I was the oldest in the group by at least 20 years.  The group was comprised mainly young professionals who either owned their own companies or were sent by their companies.  My age did not matter as they embraced me as an equal. My first request was for them to call me Dee and not Miss Dee.

At our first meeting was a 2 day retreat where we got to know each other and learn about what our year would offer.  During the year we visited schools, hospitals, prisons, museums and the Port of Baton Rouge.  The days started at 9 and ended at 4.  After a few our session we were invited to attend gatherings with some of the Alumni.

The last session was also a 2-day session.  We stayed at  a plantation several miles away.  One of the tasks we had to complete, was to walk across a narrow board past each member to get to the other side. Remember there were 35 in our group.  I was having a difficult time, but each person was there to assist me.  I had to complete this task in order to graduate – as I was told- Hmm.

Probably one of the proudest days of my life was becoming a graduate of the Class of 2012. Today I am a member of the Alumni Association of Leadership Baton Rouge and encourage others who I feel could benefit from the experience.

As a follow up, I have been President of 2 prestigious groups in by area, having chaired 3 galas and having served on several boards.

Since the Pandemic, most of the groups I have belonged to have not met in over a year. I look forward to the time it will be safe for us to again meet.

My husband and I are looking forward to resuming our travels, first to visit my son and his family in California. We have also scheduled both a Caribbean Cruise and an Alaskan Cruise for 2022 in hopes that with the new Covid vaccines, life can come to some normalcy.

It was a year ago today – March 1, 2020 that Larry and I flew to Fort Lauderdale to board the beautiful Celebrity Reflection on an 11 night Ultimate Caribbean Cruise from March 2 – March 12^th.

We always like to arrive a day early and it was most fortunate that my daughter Jennifer Thomas was attending a Johnson & Johnson Convention in Miami. We were able to meet for a delightful breakfast and were making plans to get together with her family for Easter. Little did we know it would be the last time we would be able to be together in 2020.

There were rumblings about a pandemic, but we were not concerned.

We met a couple – Matt Hickman and his beautiful wife Jill from Newfoundland, Canada.  It seems they made friends with many of the crew and have stayed in touch with them.  They found through this source that no person aboard the ship for that cruise had been afflicted with the Corona 19 virus.  Kind of a miracle as many on our cruise had been on a Mardi Gras Cruise that stopped in New Orleans. We talked to no one who ventured off the ship.

All cruises that were scheduled to leave on or after March 13^th were cancelled.

We returned home late on March 12^th to find we would be quarantined for at least the next 2 weeks.

Larry and I both love to travel but are happy that we have our health and happiness.

 I am lucky to have my daughter Pam and her family in New Orleans, but rarely able to see them. Jennifer and her family are planning a visit at Easter and we hopefully we will be able to spend time with Evan in his family in Altadena, CA this summer.

My dream is to have all my family together sometime this year and with this prevalence of the new Covid vaccines, I see that possibility.

For the past 4 + weeks, as I have been recovering from surgery due to a torn rotator cuff, my ability to do much more than watch movies or sports events, is limited. Yet I find myself missing my friends and family, as well as many clubs and activities I enjoy.  During this time I am trying to be of value to those are lonely or those just suffering, by calling and checking on them as many are still under some sort of quarantine.

Not everyone has the gift of that of a listening. Another word for listening is that of caring and sorry fully not everyone has that ability.  When you care of someone it brings meaning into your life as well as theirs.  

 Listening goes far beyond hearing, it involves paying attention to the actions of those you have contact. Their actions can tell you a lot about a person. 

As a once avid Bridge player (and hope to be again), it is vital that you listen carefully to the actions of your opponent if you want to win the game.  Life is no different!

During this most difficult time dealing with being socially distant and only leaving home when it is necessary, we want at least to be comfortable. Most find the best way to achieve comfort is in foods. 

I love to cook.  One of the things I love best about cooking is to smell the aroma of a favorite food cooking on the stove.  This pleasure seems to attract me most on days when it is cold, and those days when it is not just cold but rainy.  Not much else to do anyway. Too cold and rainy to take a walk or do much exercising. I am caught up with laundry, the closets now have a lack of clutter and my house is basically clean

The problem with cooking is that my favorite recipes are comfort foods.  The problem with comfort foods is they expand our bodies. 

Last Tuesday, the weather was cold and rainy so it was time to cook. I still had a ham bone in my freezer from New Years and a bag of white beans. What a perfect day to cook those beans.

Seeing as I was not thinking beans on Monday night, I did not soak the beans.  All that meant was my cooking would take up most of the day.

I have included my recipe and hope you will enjoy.

This morning I was complaining to Larry about our lack of coat hanger, after I received in the mail today a bargain I could not pass up – A shirt valued at $59.99 for $9.99. I could always use another green shirt. You must understand I love to shop. I can do as much damage on line as in the stores, but the item must be on sale.

Larry had this insane idea I might get rid of some of my clothes as not to but more coat hangers. How dare he? But maybe he was right for once. It is time to go through and donate some of my treasures. As I began my chore I thought I would start arranging my clothes by season. Being the middle of winter, I should start with my summer clothes. Too soon to get rid of anything I might need for winter. As I was going through and separating I would arrange by colors. I wondered if really need  ten short sleeve black shirts?  It is definitely time to donate.  My next chore will be going through my assortment of pants. The problem is they shrink like crazy and must try them on, especially bad this year with the pandemic.

The good news is spring will soon be arriving and of course will need more short sleeve black shirts.

The newest addition to my closet!