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Rev Your Engines

Jeanna GLeave a comment

I was always up for action as a kid. Luckily for me, so were the kids who lived across the street: Hide-and-Seek during the day, Ghosts in the Graveyard at night, building tree forts in the summer and igloos in winter, or hunting for hermit crabs at the shore or blackberries at the park. 

Their stepdad liked to play with automobiles, and he let us race his go-karts around the field, and tagalong to Riverside Park to watch the stock car races where he worked on a pit crew. 

I just discovered a speedway exists in the county where I live, so my friends and I took our kids down one Friday night to watch the races. What I quickly remembered is you don’t just watch a car race, you feel it. The vibrations, the sounds, the smells are all so intense that you can’t focus on anything else. I wasn’t out there racing a car (even though I’d love to give that a try!), but I still felt like I was a part of the action.

I may not play like I used to, but I still like to explore what’s out there that can get my engine revving. 

What Doesn’t Kill You…

Jeanna G1 Comment

When I was little, I loved having the attention of my older brothers. They’re 11 and 12 years older, so they had many other interests aside from playtime with their baby sister. Needless to say, whenever I got their attention, I was up for anything…and I mean anything. 

A common activity was being timed on how fast I could do things for them. “Go get me a soda! I’ll time you!”

Or when we’d play hide and seek and they’d stuff me under the couch cushions and sit on me and act like they didn’t know where I was. 

Then there was that time Jon tore up the neighbor’s yard on his dirt bike while I was riding piggyback. 

Or that time they both got tired of babysitting, so they threw me in the backseat of the car for a joyride. They pulled so many donuts in a cul-de-sac that I’m still unable to get on carnival rides. 

But my favorite activity was playing Monster with Joe. The story line was always that he was the Monster, like as in Frankenstein’s, and someone was always trying to take away his Dolly (yours truly), so he had to keep me away from the bad guys. He’d whip me around in circles by one arm and then let go. I’d fly and roll across the yard and then run back for more. 

Now I know what you must be thinking… You wish you had brothers like mine, don’t you? 

Give Yourself a Timeout

Jeanna GLeave a comment

When we were kids and did something wrong, we’d get a timeout. “Go sit over there and think about what you did wrong. You can come back when you know how to act right.” Oftentimes I am so busy taking care of other things and people that I forget to take care of myself. Sure I eat and shower and whatnot, but am I also nurturing my social, spiritual, and emotional wellness? Am I taking the time to remember who I am and to honor myself by doing what I truly enjoy?

As a kid, I loved being outside. There was so much to take in, so much to feel and wonder about. My daughter and I went on vacation to a lake house with our friends this past weekend. Together we floated in the lake, warmed by the sun and cooled by the water, talking and laughing, rolling over the wake sent our way by the passing boats. The sky stirred our imaginations as we watched the clouds morph into different shapes, wondered about the low-flying helicopters, pretended to be birdwatchers who knew the difference between an egret and a heron, oohed over the distant fireworks, and were mesmerized by the full moon rising and the way its reflection reached across the water to touch us. We breathed the fresh air and felt a close affinity for the world around us. I played, it made me happy, and now I feel recharged and ready for whatever’s next.

Do you forget who you are sometimes, too? It’s time to be your own wellness coach, so blow the whistle and give yourself a timeout! What do you miss doing? Think about it and then go act right!