ENDINGS CAN BE NEW BEGINNINGS

Recently, I've been feeling blue. I guess it all began when I was watching my two youngest grandchildren (boys) graduating from their respective nursery school programs. They are now on their way to kindergarten in the fall. Then, we celebrated my eldest grandson's twelfth birthday, right before he and his (almost) ten year old brother departed for sleep away camp. The grandchildren who are too young to attend sleep away now leave the house at 8 a.m and return at 5 p.m. All good things, right? Especially, for the parents who get a bit of a break for the next several weeks. It makes me a little sad though-I miss them! I recall when each of these kids started Nursery and were hanging onto their parents and shedding a tear. Or, was that their parents who were crying?! In fact, I remember leaving my mom for kindergarten and how clingy I was; and of course I remember my two little daughters doing the same. There were plenty of tears and worries coming from both the children and the parents. But, as we all know, by the end of Nursery school, the kids are proud and happy and excited to move on. I am reminded as I age, that we don't have forever. Change is constant-nothing stays the same. Our children grow up, go to school, go to college, move out, get jobs, and often have their own families. Letting go is hard-it all goes by so quickly! Rabbi Leder, former Senior Rabbi of Wilshire Boulevard Temple in L.A. says, " that all of life involves separation; every departure is an arrival; and finally, that endings can also bring new beginnings." All of this is so true, but sometimes it's hard to let go and allow your loved ones to move on. We all love the comfortable and familiar, but we must be able to continue to grow. However, it's a bit of a conundrum. If you are lucky enough to have your health, and have your spouse, your children, your grandchildren, and your parents around; it can be hard to create the proper balance. One needs to focus on what stage of life you are in now, and examine what you priorities should be. If you care about someone, tell them and show them. Don't push it to the backburner for another day. My parents are no longer alive, and often my thoughts haunt me. Was I a loving daughter? Did I do enough for them while they were here? Did they feel loved and appreciated? Could I have done more? But, thankfully, my husband, children, and grandchildren ARE here! So I try to find the balance of giving them space and showing them how much I cherish them. How can you show your love? Keep in mind it's different for each relationship. Different strokes for different folks. And for my children and grandchildren, the same issues plague me-do I do enough? Do I show them how much I love them? Do they appreciate me as much as I do them? How can we show the ones we love how much we care? Some Acts of Love I think are crucial: 1) Words of Affirmation 2)Spending Quality Time (put your phones away-focus on one another) 3)Acts of service(do the laundry, shop for groceries, clean a room, drive a carpool, babysit, take the garbage out, do the dishes, run errands, check in on them) 4)Grand Gestures-treat them to something special: a nice meal, a special few hours together, a great trip, a piece of jewelry or art, a sporting event or concert) and 5) Physical Touch. Don't wait! "SHOWER THE PEOPLE YOU LOVE WITH LOVE, SHOW THEM THE WAY YOU FEEL, THINGS ARE GONNA WORK OUT FINE, IF YOU ONLY WILL." (JAMES TAYLOR) Remember, the quote from my favorite movie: "LIFE MOVES PRETTY FAST. IF YOU DON'T STOP AND LOOK AROUND ONCE IN A WHILE, YOU COULD MISS IT." (FERRIS BUELLER) Enjoy the summer! PEACE OUT-ONE B