Liz at The beach Hut came about because I was at a turning point , as so many of the wonderful people I meet and teach are. I often feel that there is a real.. there by the grace of God feeling to the stories I hear and the journeys we all take. Choices are made every day, every second. Whether to get up, go out, make the phone call, cross the road to speak to the person who slightly scares us, stand up for ourselves, go for the smallest challenge, let alone the biggest dreams, and there is nobody who can say that they honestly haven’t had those moments. I have, I do, quite regularly if I’m truly honest with you..
Because being in pain, being different, being and feeling a bit rubbish, comparing ourselves to other people and being at the mercy of others to have help or assistance can feel rubbish, and embarrassing and humiliating . And it is easier, to take the path of least resistance, to curl away , to hide, to limit the obstacles and to protect ourselves with what we know, and limit the mark we make on the universe. Being less valuable is a perception you feed.
Cant walk? Try a segway!!
Heres’s the thing . The bigger the mark you make on the world the more potential for other people to share your skills and your experience. Your fellow travellers absorbing the parts of you, your heart has forgotten to reach.. The more scars you have the more you can bring to the table.
This is only my story. I love hearing other people’s stories. Never dismiss anyone on your path. They are your own personal quest characters, maybe there to teach you something, share a valuable lesson or for you to help them. Look at them closer.. spot the wizards and gremlins and pixies?
I’m sitting on a plane right now, next to an 81 year old lady. She was stuck with me and mini me in the wheelchair access section of the airport, waiting for the plane. We got talking about bravery, and choices we make. Recently she had a major heart attack. Jean was frightened to travel anymore, scared it would happen again. Next time it might not be on the way to the bingo. But she’s doing it anyway, getting whatever help she needs en route , choosing poolside over Jeremy Kyle. Go Jean !!!
Being unable to do something can offer a way of trying it differently, accepting that people might be there to make that process a bit easier, if we can accept their kindness without judgement. It gets easier . If you are reading this and temporarily or newly incapacitated.. You aren’t alone or suddenly worthless. it’s no fun losing some of your independence. But you are still you. And having support at an airport so you can snorkel in Majorca, is probably a good enough trade off.
It’s a journey through gratitude to peace , via acceptance, guilt, fear, anger and sadness . All of which will come and go and all highly understandable. You might look at my journey and pity me for not working as a teacher any longer, in a career I trained hard to do. Please don’t ! All the experiences and amazing children I met along the way are nestled in my memory brain boxes and I now have room for more of what my real life is for.. Creating, and building a space for you…
There were moments yesterday abandoned off a coach with no way of carrying suitcases to a multi story hotel , no help as promised on booking and having had no sleep, that my internal feathers were more than slightly ruffled.. but remember, these are moments, and rare and they pass. We pinched a wheelchair from the janitor and have become portable pool divas.. This morning my eight year old had a melt down because she was fed up with the wheelchair. Fair enough. But then she realised that it could actually not only get us to the aquapark, but carry a lilo, me, several beach bags and her trusted Maisie.. it was a different story. xxxx
What a wonderful blog Liz. Whatever we do, whatever happens, life is a rollercoaster but its all an adventure and its up to each one of us how great life’s adventure is going to be. And lots of laughter helps us on the way.
Have a fantastic holiday Liz.
Thankyou for sharing this Liz. …….. I was at an event today in Edinburgh at our church, sitting with a friend stitching knitted squares into blankets, and listening to a chap giving a really inspiring talk on remarkable women (and ordinary women who had done remarkable things!)….. the theme running through it all was of queen Esther who had the opportunity to save her people and was asked by Mordecai “Who knoweth whether thou art come…..for such a time as this?” ……… and we were invited to relate this to ourselves with our comings and goings as you describe, and how we can help, and sometimes be helped by, others.
Thank you for your example to so many of us xx