I am fortunate, I know.

None of my family or close friends have lost someone to a war, past or present.

And though I detest war as a means of settling disagreements (I’m not in favor of any kind of violence against our fellow beings, human or otherwise), my heart goes out to the parents, children, partners, relatives, friends of those killed in the line of duty.

As the ads for Memorial Day sales swirl around us, I notice that this somber day has devolved to shopping status. Another holiday gone commercial (see also: Christmas, Easter, Fourth of July – US holidays in general, actually). I admit it. Sometimes the entire day passes and I have forgotten to take even a brief moment to honor the veterans of all wars in all countries.

How ironic. Memorial Day was set aside to remember, yet I forget. I can’t blame this on ADD (I can’t blame anything on ADD for that matter).  I simply need an appointment, a ToDo, to remind me to remember.

So for the next 15 minutes, I will sit quietly, breathe, allow the spirits of those passed on to fill me with their wisdom, prick my sorrow at their absence and be grateful for their lives, however brief. I will broaden my focus to embrace others who have departed this earth – my dear friends and relatives whose lives played out in another era.

And I will humbly remember that life is a gift for which I can be grateful each and every day. My skin is still warm, my heart still pumps. But it won’t last forever. I will join the ranks of those we honor today. I only hope someone will notice I am gone and remember, with a smile.

Life is a pass-along gift. I need that reminder on Memorial Day. And every day thereafter.

Spring gardening is the perfect antidote for ADD women. Look at the possibilities:

1. There is always something new coming up  – sprouts, flowers, seed pods…

2. You can make a huge mess and nobody cares because you’re SUPPOSED to get dirty when you garden (cool, huh?)

3. Planting is really satisfying – plopping those seeds in the ground and waiting a week or so to see the new life pop through (even cooler!)

4. It’s an OUTDOOR event; research shows that people are happier when they are outdoors around green leafy things, like trees and plants.

5. It’s good exercise; ADHD improves with exercise. Read John Ratey’s book "Spark" and you’ll see what I mean.

6. Most important of all, gardening is good for the soul. It literally GROUNDS you. Sinking your fingers into the damp earth reconnects you to the earth and that, in turn, reconnects you to YOU.

Even if you’re not a gardener (yet) and  think you have a brown thumb, try planting a few petunias or radishes. You might be surprised at the results.

Then write and tell me all about it….I love hearing about your experiences!

Hugs,

Linda

Shhh… hear the sound of silence?

It’s my mindfulness class at Duke Integrative Medicine and we’re sitting in the circle "watching" our breath, letting go of the noise from the yoga class next door and being gentle with ourselves when our thoughts overtake us again and again.

This week we also walked mindfully. Heel-toe, heel-toe, inhale-exhale. It requires an enormous amount of concentration. Attention, a lot of attention.

Jeanne van Gemert, a mind body therapist and former sculptor is our instructor. I worked with Jeanne for a year or so to get past my financial abundance issues (still working on that). Her energy is calm and relaxing, generous and open.

It’s wonderful to be in her presence. The practice of mindfulness – a conscious effort to stay present in the moment within your own body – brings me back to a place that is calming for my ADD mind.

It reminds me of Who I Really Am. I am not the crazed running-around woman trying to do everything, to get things done while chasing perfection.

I am. I just am. So are you. You are enough, just breathing in and out. In and out. You are alive. Whoo baby! How great is THAT?

More updates as I move through these weeks of refocusing my energy where it does the most good…within me.