-Enigma-

Lovely to hear from you @oceangirl Sounds like the volunteer work is really enhancing your life and have found your niche - what you are good at. This is fantastic my friend - you would be an asset to any type of work you chose but I am so glad you have found something that fulfills and makes you happy. Sounds like life is on the up and up - enjoy it my friend as you deserve no less. Always thinking of you ❤️💜❤️💜🌹xx

Hi again @Former-Member

It is very hard to put oneself first when they have never been the chance to see that it's a possibility - even a good idea - and I read how so many women do not see this and I wonder how I have come to the point that I do see this

Maybe it was that I was pushed to the very end of my resources - no one cared for me - it might have been the case that I would sense that seeing as no one else cared then I wasn't worth it - but I think that neither of my children was easy to get - and therefore I had to put myself first to bring them through the dark years - and of course - it is so obvious that we need to put our children first when they are young and helpless - and to do that we have to work out that poor Henry can't fix the hole in the bucket until Eliza sees the problem (There's a hole in the bucket Eliza Eliza - there's a hole in the bucket Eliza - a hole!)

This little story shows that Eliza is so wrong but it is also cryptic and life is cryptic too.

Thanks for your feedback OTE - your daughter would no doubt insist that she is of legal age and so it follows - she is an adult and has to take the consequences of her behaviour - it's her behaviour and her choice and her consequences and my dear friend - this is not easy - Tough Love is tough on all concerned - but worth it - we can find ourselves in that muddle

Tomorrow I am travelling - hard to believe this is the case - because I tend to sleep in I will not go to bed tonight - soon I will have a shower and make myself comfortable in one arm chair with my feet up on the other one - everything packed and ready to leave when the taxi comes - because I travel Business Class I can have breakfast in the lounge at the airport.

This is so exciting

Dec

Hi @Former-Member

I really like what you have written to @Maggie here - I relate a lot to the Biblical references

I think there is a difference between religion and spirituality - I feel the word "religion" means more of being in the system of the church - which I have no quarrel with myself - "spiritual" means more an untutored way of having a deep inner life - in my opinion both are okay - both are valid

Personally I am a Person of the Book - a Christian - but there are good and less-than-good people everywhere - some spiritual people caught up with a different side of life also

But I consider this - I never can deny my Christianity but that's okay - I might be wrong - everyone is entitled to their belief system whatever it is

Dec

It is great to hear from you too @Former-Member. Thank you for your kind words, it means a lot to me coming from you. I really enjoyed my day at the zoo and interacting with the visitors and helping out were I can. I am having a blood test tomorrow morning and I have my gym appointment in the afternoon. Wishing you all the best too, more joy and peace in your life. I think as we can get older we appreciate the simple things in life- sunrise and sunsets. Thinking of you always too

Hi @oceangirl

I am glad you had a good day at the zoo - I agree that we appreciate the simple but marvellous things more as we get older - perhaps sunrises and sunsets remind us of the cyclical nature of life

All the best tomorrow and for your blood test and your gym - and thanks for your imput - I have read a little of what you have written lately - I appreciate what you write

Dec

Hi @oceangirl Ive been darting backwards and forwards on the forum, reading and thinking.

You are right, depression puts a halt on everything. I find the thought patterns are crippling. The self sabotage, or are they voices from the past, whatever, they stop us in our tracks. But we keep moving when we can, that's all we can do.

Yes the religious life was a tough choice, but there were rewards also. Yes there is a feeling in those places, a connection of humanity and almighty. I met some wonderful people and some strange.

Hi @Owlunar

Thank you for your kind words, I appreciate your presence too. You seem to be a lady who has a lovely way of communicating with others. I do read your posts but I have struggled to keep up with the volume of posts. How have you been going?

@Former-Member I'm hitting wrong buttons here, @oceangirl sorry, you must be confused with my reply,,I was replying to @Former-Member. I might leave this tonight, my mind is muddled. Sleep well.

@Owlunar I replied to you earlier, but I seem to have lost it somehow. I know you are leaving early in the morning. I hope your trip goes really well.

Thanks @oceangirl

I actually enjoy writing here and it is good to know that it comes over as I intend it too

I missed a few days last week - I had the "Everyone in Australia had it" virus - even my GP seems to have had it - or has it - I guess a medical clinic is a really good place to breed bugs -

I am okay now - and you are right - the sheer volume of material written here makes it impossibe to keep up with everyone - even if we keep ourselves to a few people as I do

We have had cold weather in Melbourne - but the days are noticibly longer already - and this is something I always like - and in the morning and the evening the birds are busy as well

Dec