Weathered or Seasoned

Hello again....

I love looking at houses. My job takes me to people's homes in the county where I live. I am on the country and city roads 50 miles a day. I enjoy the drive most days. I especially like looking at the different houses that line the roads. I like to look at the overall design of the house, how it sits on the property, the lawn and landscaping. I imagine the age of the house and what the history of the house is or the stories of the people who have lived in the houses. Sometimes I get lucky and the person I am supposed to take care of happens to live in a house I find particularly interesting.

One aspect of the house I like to observe is the outside covering. Is it vinyl or cedar? Are there shingles or stucco? Is it weathered or worn? Some of the most interesting houses I've seen have cedar shingles that have faded in color as they aged. That in itself isn't a bad trait in a house. In fact, if the windows are in tact and the landscaping kept up the weathered look actually adds character to the house. And character is what defines the essence of the house.

In my life, I've had numerous opportunities to experience events that have caused me to become a bit...weathered. The rigors of life, marriage, children, and career make life interesting and full. Throw in a brain tumor diagnosis in your six year old son, a separation and eventual divorce four years later and starting over and you become the prime candidate for weathering on the outside. Lucky for me, I listened to my inner voice and used its guidance to turn the "weathering events" into "seasoning."

My inner voice, the inner feeling that validated that I was heading in the best direction for me (and my kids) gave me the ability to take the bumps and pot holes and turn them into a flavorful experience. I opened myself up to the possibilities that the problem or pain, the unknown or darkness, I was experiencing were actually beneficial. Self-reliance, new abilities, encouraging words from people, the inner knowing became wonderful seeds that grew and blossomed into fragrant lessons I carry with me to this day. Most of the time, I don't even realize that they are growing out of my essence until someone says flippantly, "Oh Donna, she's strong" or "Tell Donna about it, she'll figure something out." I get amazed by people's comments.

So I guess what I'm trying to say is that life will blow at you and batter you a bit. You may look worn and feel run down at times, but if you believe, have hope, you can weather the storms. You can let the storms of life build character around your structure or blow it apart. It's your choice. Maybe your shingles will fade on the outside but deep inside the storms water the seeds that add the spice, the seasoning, the stuff that makes your essence shine out of you. Be open to the journey. We owe it to ourselves...and the world.

Have hope,
Donna