~LOVE vs HATE~

I've been plagued with a problem for quite some time now, and haven't known how to view it, or how to respond. I've tried various tactics and none of them have worked towards bringing me any sort of inner-peace until last night. Now that the initial sting and anger has passed, I've made a decision to just keep on loving, as that is what my heart is feeling.

The hurt is still there, consuming me night and day---caused by the depth of this emotion called 'caring', 'compassion', & 'empathy'.

{To be compassionate means to be aware of and sympathetic to the suffering of others. To be empathetic means to be able to notice the subtle verbal and non-verbal signals people give off that let you know what they need or want.

Compassionate, empathetic people are able to really listen to and understand the experiences that other people describe.

Their willingness to put their own concerns away for a while and to really witness and experience others' experiences is universally appreciated as a genuine and precious gift which decreases loneliness, bonds people together (creating stronger, deeper relationships), and enhances self-esteem and self-worth for both relationship partners.}

In my current situation, I can truly understand what is occurring, even though I may not understand why.

I decided to do a little digging on the internet to see what I'd find about such a phenomenon as LOVE vs HATE---and how there's a fine line between the two.

Living LOVE in the NOW, allows us to experience Joy now and continue to produce it until we have so much that we simply want to share it. By sharing it, we encourage others to feel Joy and for them to leave behind their negative emotions and glide forward into a self-empowering future. Living love now means being optimistic in that reality is faced, problems are acknowledged, solutions are sought and found, and harmony is maintained or extended to bring Joy. Living love means being humble and self-aware enough to acknowledge one's life as a miracle, one's place in the universe as miniscule, one's influence on others as great as their's can be on us. Truth becomes understanding that is relevant. Love is its own JUSTICE.

Living HATE in the NOW, prevents us from experiencing Joy and concentrates our energy on being distant, apart, rejected, needy, insufficient, anxious, fearful, and aggressive. We have nothing to share with others, only something to take. We want to take their time with our self-obsessed talk. We want to take their energy with their attempts to rescue us. We want to take their sympathy to make us feel important. We want to take their involvement, to make them equal in guilt and shame. We want to take their hopefulness and reverence and project our anger and pain into them. We threaten them with inflamed words and blame their fear filled reaction on the enemy we have identified as our excuse for self-righteousness. We will make our target "pay" for making us feel less than we would like to be.

Those who choose to Hate live in a fantasy that reality should give them what they want and that others should ignore their disrespect, their inconsistencies, their irresponsibility, their stubbornness to repeat errors, their willingness to victimize and become victims of their own actions. Hate means being proud enough to play god with the meaning of the actions of others, and, deceive and manipulate others to do what we want done. We seek to dominate one or more others by depriving them of their Rights. Truth becomes the rationalizations and fantasies that we use to deny reality. Hate is born in real and imagined injustice and feeds upon unresolved justice to construct greater injustices against others.

There is nothing to be won by being vindictive or venomous, due to built up resentment, and lack of joy or inner-peace. I understand the fears, confusion, and interference that often affect a person's mindset or belief system when one allows outside influences to overtake the heart. Gossip breeds doubt, insecurities, and can lead to hate.

I know where my heart is, and what it feels. No matter what happens next, or where life is leading me, I choose to be the Lover in the equation. I will not deny thyself of this healing and comforting pleasure. 

May you all receive the ability to love, with compassion and limitless empathy; create healing and comforting relationships in your lives; and be brave enough to choose the path of forgiveness and acceptance.

~May is Arthritis Awareness Month~

http://www.arthritis.org/

ARTHRITIS AWARENESS MONTH

10 Little Known Facts About Arthritis 
(from website)

While arthritis has been plaguing man since the dawn of time, there are many things about the disease of which most people are unaware.  From how it got its name to the economic toll it takes on our country, here’s a look at the top ten most interesting, little known facts about arthritis.

1. Arthritis is far from a new disease.  In fact, many researchers believe it has been a part of civilization since the beginning of time, even affecting dinosaurs millions of years ago.  Researchers also believe that skeletal remains from humans living around 4500 B.C. show signs of the disease.
2. Did you know that the word arthritis literally means joint inflammation?  That’s right, the word arthritis comes from the Greek words for joint (arthro) and inflammation (-itis).
3. There are over 100 forms of arthritis, including little talked about diseases like Kawasaki disease, which involves inflammation of the blood vessels, and Sweet's syndrome, which is a skin condition marked by fever and painful skin lesions. 
4. Were you aware that arthritis is the most common cause of disability in the United States?  According to the CDC, arthritis and rheumatic conditions cost the U.S. economy $128 billion annually and result in 44 million outpatient visits and 9,367 deaths each year.
5. Movement is one of the best treatment options for arthritis and can help most people prevent the onset of the disease in the first place. The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) reports that strong evidence indicates both endurance and resistance types of exercise provide considerable disease-specific benefits for persons with osteoarthritis (OA) and other rheumatic conditions.
6. Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis and is a chronic disease that affects some 27 million Americans. OA is characterized by the breakdown of cartilage, which can cause stiffness and pain.
7. There are two types of OA – primary and secondary. Primary osteoarthritis is generally associated with aging and the "wear and tear" of life. The older you are, the more likely you are to have some degree of primary osteoarthritis. Secondary osteoarthritis, in contrast, tends to develop relatively early in life, typically 10 or more years after a specific cause, such as an injury or obesity.
8. Did you know that children get arthritis too?  Nearly 300,000 children in the United States are living with juvenile arthritis.  Juvenile arthritis (JA) refers to any form of arthritis or an arthritis-related condition that develops in children or teenagers who are less than 18 years of age.
9. Juvenile arthritis is one of the most common chronic childhood conditions, occurring nearly as often as insulin-dependent juvenile diabetes.  The most common form of arthritis in children is juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA), which has two peaks of onset: between 1 and 3 years of age and between 8 and 12 years of age.
10. Arthritis is more common among women (24.9%) than men (18.1%), and girls are twice as likely to develop juvenile rheumatoid arthritis as boys.

Arthritis Conditions and Treatments information available at this link (click here)

Arthritis in Women

The term "arthritis" encompasses more than 100 diseases and conditions that affect joints, the surrounding tissues and other connective tissues. Arthritis can cause mild to severe pain in the joints, as well as joint tenderness and swelling. Approximately 46 million Americans have some type of arthritis or related condition.

The various forms of arthritis and related conditions can affect anyone, no matter what your race, gender or age. However, it is especially important for women to be educated about these diseases since they affect women at a much higher rate than men. Sixty percent of all people who have arthritis are female, and several of the more common forms are more prevalent in women.

Osteoarthritis, also known as degenerative joint disease or OA, is the most common form of arthritis. Of the nearly 27 million Americans who have osteoarthritis  approximately 16 million are women. Women usually develop OA after age 40. It causes damage to cartilage and bones, causing joint pain, swelling, stiffness and loss of function. Learn more about OA.

Fibromyalgia is a syndrome characterized by widespread musculoskeletal pain. It is associated with generalized muscular pain and fatigue, loss of sleep, stiffness and sometimes depression and/or anxiety. Fibromyalgia is a form of soft tissue or muscular rheumatism, which means no joint deformity occurs. An estimated 3.7 million Americans have fibromyalgia; the figure may actually be higher since some of its symptoms may be found in other conditions such as chronic fatigue syndrome (which is also more common in women). Learn more about fibromyalgia.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) usually strikes women between the ages of 25 to 50, but can occur in children. RA is a systemic disease that can affect the entire body. An abnormality in the body's immune system causes it to work improperly, leading to inflammation in the lining of the joints and other internal organs. Chronic inflammation can lead to deterioration, pain and limited movement. Approximately 1.3 million American adults have RA, with women outnumbering men 2.5-to-1. Learn more about RA. Learn about how to live with RA from the editors of Arthritis Today.

Lupus (systemic lupus erythematosus) is an inflammatory disease that may affect the joints, skin, kidneys and other parts of the body. Almost 240,000 Americans -- 90 percent of whom are women -- have this arthritis-related condition. It usually affects women of childbearing age and is more common among African American women than Caucasian women. Some studies indicate that it may also be more common among Asian and Latino populations. Learn more about lupus.

Osteoporosis is a disease whose name literally means "bone that is porous." It causes bones to lose mass and become brittle, which can lead to rounded shoulders, loss of height and painful fractures. It affects approximately 28 million Americans; four of every five people affected are women. Postmenopausal women and those with small or then frame, a family history of osteoporosis and habits such as smoking and drinking are at higher risk for osteoporosis. People who have inflammatory arthritis (such as RA) and who take glucocorticoid medications also have an increased risk of developing the disease. Learn more about osteoporosis.

Many other arthritis-related conditions and connective tissue disorders also affect more women than men. Raynaud's phenomenon, scleroderma, Sjögren's syndrome and polymyalgia rheumatica are just a few conditions that may not be as prevalent as others described in this section, but are still health problems that should be treated in conjunction with an experienced health-care team. 

For more information about Arthritis Awareness Month, please visit this link:  
http://www.arthritis.org/arthritis-awareness-month.php 

~MAY Awareness~

~Each month various organizations and foundations join together to campaign for a variety of AWARENESS Projects.  The month of May has begun, and here is a list of campaigns which are currently under way:

May is National Skin Cancer Awareness Month
(taken from the blog)

May starts National Skin Cancer/Melanoma Awareness Month campaign. Skin cancer is one of the most common types of cancer, with over one million people diagnosed each year!

Fast Facts About Skin Cancer

• Skin cancer and melanoma account for about 50% of all types of cancers diagnosed combined.
• Skin cancer is one of the more preventable types of cancer.
• More than 90% of skin cancer is causes by excessive exposure to the sun.
• Each hour, 1 person dies from skin cancer.

For more information about Skin Cancer, please visit this link:   
http://cancer.about.com/od/skincancermelanoma/a/skincanceraware.htm 

May is ASTHMA AWARENESS MONTH
(taken from the site)

Asthma is a serious, life-threatening respiratory disease that affects over 20 million Americans. Rates of asthma have risen sharply over the past thirty years, particularly among children ages 5 to 14 (read more Facts about Asthma)

In response to the growing asthma problem, EPA created a national, multifaceted asthma education and outreach program to share information about environmental factors — found indoors and outdoors — that trigger asthma. Although there is no cure, asthma can be controlled through medical treatment and management of environmental asthma triggers.

EPA's goal is to reduce exposure to indoor asthma triggers and improve the quality of life for 6.5 million people by 2012. 

For more information about asthma, please visit this link:   http://www.ginasthma.com/

May is MS AWARENESS MONTH 
(from the site)

The MS Society of Canada marks the month of May as MS Awareness Month. Across the country, our collective aim is to increase awareness about multiple sclerosis; inform the public about the MS Society’s services and mission; and to engage new and existing supporters in our efforts to end MS.

Read all 31 facts about multiple sclerosis and the MS Society for MS Awareness Month.

May is SPEECH & HEARING AWARENESS MONTH
(from the site)

May is Speech and Hearing Awareness Month, the one month in the year when thousands of professionals involved with the treatment of speech, language and hearing disorders come together to participate in a public awareness campaign that encourages early detection and prevention of communication disorders, and seeks to increase the public's sensitivity to the challenges faced by individuals experiencing them.

CASLPA Swallowing Awareness Day ~ May 9, 2011

Untreated feeding and swallowing disorders, also known as dysphagia, can cause serious health issues, child and family stress, social difficulties, and even life-threatening situations.
As part of a Swallowing Awareness Day initiative, CASLPA has developed a series of resources, available in both official languages, on youth/adult
and infant/child swallowing. Each package of materials includes a swallowing fact sheet, a swallowing issue checklist and an informational article.

As the days progress, I will come back and share more of May's AWARENESS CAMPAIGNS.  I'll be keeping you all in my thoughts and prayers, and send out strength & comfort to all xxoo

~Carpe Diem ~ Seize the Day~

~ Day 3 of NaBloPoMo

Today is a grey day.  The skies are grey.....my mood is grey.....my thoughts and feelings are various shades of grey.

The snow is finally all gone and the grass is finally turning a bright hue of green.  The daffodils and hyacinth are popping up and there are robins hopping around looking for worms and bits of twigs and straw to make their nests.  Signs of new life are everywhere.

I feel like I have too many pokers in the fire right now.  So much to do, so little motivation to get started.  This dreary weather and rainy days don't help much.  Where are the warm temps of spring?  Please Mr. Sunshine----shine down on me!

The list of tasks seems endless.

• First and foremost----DUMP RUNS!  My yard looks like a bad episode of Sanford & Son.  Seriously, it's nuts! 
• I want to organize my home and finish some demolition jobs to open everything up and let the light and heat circulate.  
• I'm in the process of setting up my (almost) 13-yr old with his own room and giving him some independence and privacy that all new teens crave so much.  
• I need to repair my 'less-than-a-yr-old' fence that my neighbours kids took so much pleasure in destroying by any means necessary.
• I really want to focus on getting my gardens back into tip-top shape, and I want to plant vegetables again.  I love being able to watch it all grow, then go out and pick the fresh veggies for dinner.  There's really nothing like it.
• I want to fill my rooms with vases of fresh-cut flowers from my yard.  This is something I haven't done in years.

What has stopped me?

I've felt so emotionally overwhelmed by everything.  The thoughts and feelings became burdensome and difficult to lay aside and carry on with 'business as usual'.  I lost my focus and my drive.  I needed to take a 'timeout' and catch my breath.  Existence was my only goal.

I spent the last year working very hard at finding myself again.  I've struggled with identity loss for what seems like forever, and I did it alone.  I had to lay aside some relationships and just do this for ME.  I knew that I was risking losing those people that I valued, but it was necessary and I don't regret a moment of it.  The way I see it, if I'm worth anything to anyone, then those people will stand behind me and encourage my goals and accept my faults patiently.

I've had this idea in my mind of who and what I am, but placing it all strategically and making full use of these notions to the best of my ability has evaded me.  It isn't easy, and no one has the right to judge until they've spent a day in my life.  The heartache seemed endless......I'd lost so much in such a brief period of time.

Today, I stand proud, with my head held high.  I am a survivor.  I am a mother.  I am an independent woman that leans on no one financially to help me get ahead.  Needing to talk to someone isn't a weakness.  We all need to reach out and verbalize our 'stuff'.  It's healthy and necessary for successful healing.  I find no shame in doing so.

Did I make mistakes during a vulnerable time in my life?  Maybe........

Will I do it again..........Maybe.......

Will I get through it all successfully with grace and dignity intact?...........

ABSOLUTELY!  That's a promise.  I am focused and ready for anything and everything.

Tomorrow is another day, and I look forward to it, each and every single day.  There's a world of endless possibilities in every sunset and sunrise......Carpe Diem.  Seize the Day.

~Today is International Babylost Mother's Day~

http://internationalbabylostmothersday.blogspot.com/

Today is International Babylost Mother's Day.  The following exert is from the blog: 

"United in grief, we find love and strength.

IBMD recognizes babylost women all over the world as mothers. Just because a woman loses her baby does not mean that she is not a mother anymore. She will be a mother for the rest of her life.

On the first Sunday in May we come together to celebrate our connection, our children and our hope for the future. IBMD is a day for love, peace, remembrance and recognition.

If you know a babylost woman why not tell her today that she is a beautiful mother by sending here one of our flowers from The Rainbow Flower Gallery."~International Babylost Mother's Day

~sampling of flowers from The Rainbow Flower Gallery~

 Today I send out comforting hugs, and prayers of peace, to all grieving Mother's around the world xxoo