Ageless Passions by Karen Putz

Tag: life

  • Breathe

    Breathe.

    Have you ever found yourself going through life so fast that you’re holding your breath?  That’s how I found myself last week after six days of travel, eye surgery and running kids here and there.  I flew to Florida, came home, went to the doc, and then off to Milwaukee for the HLAA conference. I came home to news that my mom had gotten into a car accident–she ended up in a ditch with the wheel off and the front end totaled–and thankfully ok.    On Sunday, the boys went in two different directions to two different camps.  By the time we dropped the last kid off, we realized we weren’t going to make it to the family dinner an hour and half away.

    Breathe.

    I received a letter this week from Ron, a high school friend of mine. He is a retired Navy deep sea diver.  He is teaching me the mechanics about scuba diving in his letters and we plan to go scuba diving next year.  One of the most important things to remember when underwater is simply this:

    Breathe.

    Because you know what happens when you hold your breath underwater while scuba diving?  The pressure increases and if it increases too much at one point, the lungs go “ka-boom.”

    Breathe.

    A new friend reminded me of this.  As I sat at the car rental place waiting for Joe to pick me up, I quieted my mind and focused on breathing.  How easy it is to forget that simple thing that gives us energy and sustains our bodies.

    I thought back to Steven’s birth.  I learned about hypnobirthing while I was pregnant and taught myself the technique.  It involves putting yourself in a special place, deep breathing, affirmations and changing your attitude and thought process.   Fourteen hours of labor, while intense at times, was a calm experience thanks to this approach.  I realized that I used it last week at the doctor’s office, and the minute that the procedure was over, I went back into “spinning life” mode, racing home to finish up work.

    Breathe.

    A friend of mine asked me how to achieve more balance in life.  I busted out laughing.  I’m the last person to ask for that advice, I told her.  Ask me in thirty years.

    But you know what?  The answer is really simple one, as my new friend reminds me:

    Breathe.

    And remember to love yourself and others in the process.  Because that’s what life is all about.  Nothing else matters.

  • Life on Spin Cycle

    I looked at my calendar the other day and sighed. The entire summer is booked solid between work, conferences, travel and the kid’s activities.  When the kids were little, summer used to stretch out before us like an idle odyssey. I remember when the biggest event of the day was dragging out the swimming pool and filling it up for the toddlers to splash in. My neighbors, Barb and Denise, would bring their kids over and we’d sit in the backyard and chat for hours. Some days, we would order pizza and sit out and talk until the bugs drove us inside.

    Barb moved away to California and the kids are now teens. Denise and I both work from home, so we try and grab a gab session here and there, but our visits are far too few lately.

    I don’t know how this happened, but life has ramped up to spin cycle. 

    Like a washing machine, it started out so slowly that I almost didn’t notice it.  I picked up one part-time job, then a full-time job– added a book club, another women’s group, a couple of writing assignments and then volunteer work. To top it off, I started writing a book.

     

    And like the washing machine, I found myself smack dab in the middle of spin cycle and wondering how to hit the “off” button.  The problem with going around and around in a circle is that you can’t stop yourself. You’re spinning so fast that you’re glued to the walls of the machine. The thing is, if you don’t get out of spin cycle, eventually something is going to wear out and stop working. 

    I stuck my hand out recently to try and stop the spin. Sitting in my inbox was an invitation to a committee that three years I ago, I would have jumped at to be involved in.  After a lot of thought, I graciously said no and actually felt good about it. I also said no to some volunteer activities and some other requests for my time.

    Unfortunately, my calendar is still booked for the summer and there isn’t much I can do about what I’ve committed to. Work has to be done, the kids have to be driven here or there, and there’s the graduations and weddings to attend.  Fortunately, I’ve booked in some fun, some barefooting and some enjoyable writing.

    Now I just have to figure out how to slow the spin down to a gentle tumble.