Are there times you go through the day you wish you could convince yourself to “slow down”? There are times when we need to learn to be more patient. I need to practice this just as much as anybody else. I see “patients” all day and remind them why they are called “patients”. Many times, things take time. We don’t have an answer for everything right away. That goes for everything going on in our lives too. Things can seem very hectic, and you wonder why, or how, you are doing everything you are doing. We all have “dark moments” in our lives. You wonder if there is truly a reason, or a benefit. It is often these darkest moments that we are able to see the light!
Slow down! Be patient! Some days the “waters are rougher” than others. Those calms days help make up the difference. Those calms days are what help keep us going. But, it is the “rough days” that determine our character, and what we learn from those experiences!
I always have to keep reminding myself of the fact that great things take time. This was kind of a tough week for me. I don’t know why. It really should not have been any different than any other week. It just seemed like nothing was really going right. It is frustrating. You try to stay positive, and your “weird” comes out. Somehow, some way, we need to control our “weird”. Now, we are all going to have our moments. We just need to try to keep them to a minimum, and not be the typical.
That is why the sunsets are calming for me. I get to slow down and just take it in. You still have to contend with the weather. Some days are very calm, and some days are very “unsettling”. Be patient! Slow down!
Sarah took this picture of me last weekend when we were in Pierre for the Senior Games. Life truly is like taking pictures. You slow down, take in the scene, decide if you like it or not, look at it a different way, keep going until you are satisfied with what you have, then move on! Pretty straightforward, right? If only everything in life could be to that degree.
You never really know how that picture may truly turn out, just like you don’t know how things in life are going to turn out. You keep trying! Be patient! Slow down!
Things can also change quickly, if you are patient enough to hang around to find out. Sound familiar? Same holds true in life!
Be patient! Slow down! You have no idea what is coming but would venture to say for the majority of those times, the best is yet to come. But sometimes you have to go through the worst to get the best. Be patient! Sometimes you wish you could speed the clock up to see how things will end. We learn from those experiences though. That, and we are wishing our lives to go even faster than they already do. Be patient! Slow down! Keep moving everybody! Forward is progress!
It was the South Dakota Senior Games weekend in Pierre this Thursday-Saturday. Sarah and I both participated. Anybody 50 years of age and older is eligible.
A sample page of the itinerary–
You could participate in as many events as you wanted to. This is one page of Thursday events. The schedule is packed! It is a lot of fun because everyone there is cheering you on. Some are very serious competitors though, too. Once an athlete, always an athlete! Everything is split out in age categories, starting at 50, and split every 5 years. There were many strength training events: pushups, pull up bar, wall sit, plank, bench press, jump rope (who would have thought jump rope would be that tough, but I challenge anyone to do as many as you can in three minutes!) Here are pictures of us competing.
We, of course, got into running events as well. 1500 meters on the track, and then Saturday morning a 5K and 10K (combined, not separate!)
I guess we did pretty good, though. 16 events between the two of us. 16 medals–15 Gold, 1 Silver!
It was a lot of fun, but it was work. We got home Saturday afternoon and spent the rest of the weekend recovering. I guess we are getting older too! This competition is a great way to be staying active, even when we are getting older. There really is no excuse. There is something over the 3 days that somebody could compete in. Check out web site: South Dakota Senior Games. Many of the same people we competed against in events last year were there again this year. You start making friends, and everybody encourages each other. It truly is all about staying active regardless of your age. Use it or lose it! I have been saying this for years. We are already planning on making this a yearly tradition! Keep moving everybody!
Things are always happening–planned or not! It is those moments that are not planned that bring the most enjoyment. You were not expecting them, and they just happened. Life keeps changing, day to day, minute to minute. Learn to seize those moments, those opportunities, that come along, and enjoy them for all they are worth! My daughter Molly came this extended weekend, and brought my grandkids, Connor and Tessa. Tessa has been really opening her eyes now. She is 11 days old now. She had my heart immediately.
Connor was busy climbing over everything! He loves the Disney movie “Coco” and wants to watch it all of the time. He stops everything and becomes entranced every time it comes on.
We will have to have this movie in our back pocket and ready to go whenever he starts having a meltdown. Instant good mood and stops right where he is at! Hilarious!
It has been hot and humid these last few days, especially when it comes to running. Nothing zaps the energy out of you faster than heat and humidity. But it sure made for some very pretty sunrises!
I went out on a limb here recently. I had thought about entering some of my pictures into the State Fair, and I finally did it this year. My sister-in-law had sent some of the pictures of mine with the ribbons on them. I won 2 separate first place, and one for third place. I am thrilled to have won some! There were a lot of good pictures entered into the Fair. I think I may have to keep doing this. It makes me stay on my toes when I am looking for different things to take pictures of. Here are my 3 winners!
You always have to take time to slow down and relax too. Just sit and look at things around you. Take it all in. I was relaxing before a run on this next one. In run club we officially call this “Sit Club”! Everything is fast paced, and sometimes you really need to slow down.
The only thing that would have been better with this would have been a cup of coffee! And as I relearn again from my granddaughter, there are times when you just need to take the time to take a nap!
She just got done with her nap. Now wide-eyed and ready to go! In her case, eat! Eat, sleep, and be merry! Be active in between. Learn to slow down. Learn to observe and take in what is in front of you. Make the most of every day and enjoy it for what it is. Seize the moment, at the moment! Keep moving everybody!
Tessa Ann was born this Wednesday, August 8/23/23…4:27 PM. 8# 13oz, 21 inches long! And…what a cuddler!!!! We had to go see the next day, of course! Babies now a days…they have more hair than me! It is just not right! She will know me no matter what!
Grandma got to hold her first when we went. All smiles…both of them! We get to go see them again on Sunday, both our grandson Connor, and our new granddaughter Tessa! We can hardly wait!
Grandma Sarah got to feed her, and then of course, got to change her! Fair is fair…
I took over again after. I may be biased, but what a cutie!! My other daughter Megan went Friday for the rest of the weekend to help Molly and Tanner out with the kids. We are bringing meals tomorrow. We want to hold Tessa, but we are going to give extra hugs to Connor to make him be even more special now that he is the big brother!
We have been grinning ear to ear. I absolutely love being a grandparent! I have always said grandkids are like potato chips, you can’t have just one! I was never much for just a small bag…I always went for the large economy size bags! I have no doubt you will be seeing pictures and blog posts of Tessa as well as she grows up! Let’s keep making memories! Keep moving everybody!
How many times do you hear the line, “It was the right moment at the right time!” Was it due to luck? Was it due to hard work that finally paid off? Was it just a “random moment” that can’t be reproduced if you tried? Who knows! For the majority of those times, I like to think of it more as hard work that finally brought everything together. There may be a little “dash” of luck in there, but if you just wait for luck to occur, you will be waiting for a long time. There are many moments, especially with running, where everything just falls together, and nothing could go wrong on a certain run. Then the next time, absolutely nothing goes right. What changed? Too many variables to count!
You start off the day like any other day. You have a routine, and we all tend to try to stick to that routine. But as you all know, things can change…continuously. Sarah and I went out for a run a few weeks ago and was clear when we started. One mile into the run, the fog came. Now, we all know the weather can change. But our everyday life we think we have, or know of, a plan for the day, only to have things keep changing. The “fog” moves in, storms come, or the opposite can occur. We may be thinking something terrible may be coming because of how things at work may have been lately, only to have it turn into absolutely nothing, and the day could not have gone any better. Life is a roller coaster–hang on!
A morning view of the lake one day. Great reflections. You can just let your mind go with the possibilities that may come from the day. Later, a storm comes. Once it passed, the views were something I would have never seen before. These next pictures were truly being in the right place at the right time!
But was it truly being in the “right place at the right time”? Was it luck? I go out many times to go take pictures. I will be looking at what the sky is doing as it gets closer to sunset to decide if it is worth going out to take pictures. Some of it is luck. The other is knowing “what I want to be looking for”, and that, like everything, only comes with repetition. You keep learning from those moments. That knowledge helps to be in the “right place at the right time”!
Sometimes, it truly is just luck! I caught my grandson Connor and Sarah watching TV, and Sarah was acting like Connor. That was a random moment. We all have those. That is what makes life interesting, and fun. You can’t plan for those. They just happen. Just remember to pay attention enough to catch those moments as well.
Many of those moments truly come behind the scenes for how much work you put into things You get what you put in. Again, nothing comes easy. Hopefully those things you do work for come together at the right moment. Along the way, you will get to enjoy those random times as well of being in the “right place at the right time”.
And remember to sit back once in a while and just enjoy some relaxation, and a cup of coffee. Life is too fast paced to begin with. Take some moments to slow down. It might surprise you how many other “right moments at the right time” show up! Keep moving everybody!
