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Tuesday 1 January 2013

Inspiration In 2013


The old year has crept away with all it's good times and bad and left behind it's customary gift for allowing it to share 365 days with us.  That gift, of course, is experience.

I look back at the old year and am amazed at where I started and how it unfolded.  My year started in fear and sadness.  It seemed as if the universe was conspiring to pull the rug out from under my feet every way it could.

 The daughter you know as Farm Girl wasn't recovering from her last grand mal seizure.  Life revolved around caring for her, pulling strings to get her in to see the best neurologist in the country and caring for her children.  Tests results were not good.  She was having almost continuous small seizures and the body cannot withstand that for very long.

I was away from home a great deal, staying at the farm, and my beloved Sarah cat was ill.  For eleven years that, once feral, cat had been a constant source of comfort to me.  As terrified as she was of people, she never bit or scratched a soul.  She loved me so much the vet asked me to leave the room because they couldn't hear her heart for the purring she was directing my way.  She couldn't be saved and continued to purr for me until her last breath.

They say trouble comes in threes and my tenant stopped paying rent and was destroying my rental property. A long and costly legal battle began to evict her and an equally long and costly renovation began to make the place saleable.


I often looked at this old postcard on my desk and wondered if things would ever get any better.

So, I chose a word to focus on and made a little sign to hang on my bedroom wall. ~


It reminded me that I might not be able to change everything around me, but I could search for ways to be at peace with each day.  It took months to begin to sink in and become part of who I was.  Little by little, I learned to live in the moment and not dwell in the past.  I learned to accept the good in the day and not anticipate terrible things that may happen tomorrow.  I was not running the universe nor was I responsible for every bad thing that happened in it.  I began to feel a true sense of peace within myself.

I still miss Sarah but I know I had something very special with her.  I've had many wonderful four legged friends and I'm very, very lucky to have had one that was so in tune with me, and I with her, that her absence is still felt so acutely a year later.

The rental property is in better condition than it ever was and on the market waiting for a new family to love it as much as my parents did, when it was their home.

Best of all, is that Farm Girl responded well to new medications and is back to running her farm and caring for her large family with all her old passion and joy!

I wouldn't dream of starting into this new year without a word!

I have chosen Inspiration for 2013.  The Oxford dictionary describes it as:  The process of being mentally stimulated to do or feel something;  esp. to do something creative:  "flashes of inspiration".

Inspiration, in my belief, isn't something that comes in a lightning bolt from the sky.  You have to go looking for it.  It's all around me in the people I know and the natural world.  It's in books, art, music and film.  It's all over the Internet and the airwaves.  It's in our houses of faith and our institutions of learning.  Most certainly it  is there in the people who are working for positive change in our world!

I'm going to seek it out and pass as much of it on as I can to you in 2013!

Feel free to download any of these images if you are inspired to use them.

Here's a black and white version of the postcard as well. ~


You didn't know how much your friendship and kind words meant to me last year, did you?  You didn't have any idea that you were a large part of my finding peace.  I wonder how many people you have helped and inspired.  We never really know, do we?  Now you know of one who thanks you from the bottom of her heart and wishes you a wonderful and happy new year!

Have a day filled with inspiration!

I'm sharing this with Jennifer's Sometimes Creative LifeWord Of The Year (2013) Link PartyWord Of The Year Link Party





29 comments:

  1. Oh you gave it right back Maureen - in spades!
    So so happy to have met you through our journeys.
    Much love,
    Suzan
    P.S. I have to find a word :)

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  2. Maureen, you have been an inspiration to me this year. I am going to continue with my 2012 word which was 'organization'. I use the rule of 5 (and 10 it if is a good day) - I will do 5 things in one room (pick up, fold, put away, move to where item goes - whatever needs to be done) and carry on. Eventually the basics are done (dishwasher, laundry and groceries).

    I think looking at your painting of Peace was a very good thing. I am thinking of copying that idea too, I could do with living in the present moment and not worrying about/trying to fix things for others all the time.

    Happy New 2013 Year Maureen.

    Joy

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  3. Dear Maureen, you have certainly inspired me this last year! Thank you so much for this post. we have a saying in german, 'what doesn't kill you makes you stronger'. i always thought that it is supposed to make you kinder and more at peace.
    so happy that your daughter is better!
    a big hug to you dear Maureen, and a wonderful year full of inspiration
    xxx

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  4. Happy New Year Maureen, I hope you continue to find peace and any inspiration you desire. Thank you for inspiring me, from your comments and emails, jokes and handy hints, I thank you and am so glad I found you this year. Xo

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  5. Beautiful post! Wishing you a year full of inspiration, Maureen!
    Farmhouse hugs,
    Cindy

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  6. If you could be changed by knowing one thing...would you like to know how much you inspire me and so many others? I wish you peace my friend and lots of it!

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  7. Maureen I am so glad you have survived 2012 and come away with a wonderful attitude. I think we are all learning from you. Great word for 2013~ I too am picking a word once again. It has been a blessing to me each year have done this. Off to the new start my friend! hugs, Linda

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  8. Lovely post Maureen. Completely agree w/above comments .... your fans!

    Looking forward to all future inspirations!

    Healthy 13.

    Marcee .... ILLINOIS


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  9. Maureen, you have shown once again, the beauty of your soul. Life has taught me that a beautiful soul is one who truly appreciates the good things in life, because they have suffered, and survived, the bad. Blessings to you and your family in the upcoming year.

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  10. Happy New Year Maureen, may you always find Peace! Cathy

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  11. So glad your new year is starting with more peace. Especially glad your daughter is doing better and totally understand the pain that comes with the loss of a dear faithful furry friend.

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  12. I, too, am so glad that 2012 ultimately meant your daughter became healthier (and an author). Your rehabbing efforts have inspired so many. Wishing you peace -- and a happy, healthy New Year. Sue

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  13. Oh Maureen, I cannot imagine all that was on your plate last year. I love this post, as it is Inspiration for sure!

    Blessings and Hugs,

    Jan

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  14. So glad Farm Girl is well. I have that kind of bond with my cat Clovis who just turned 15 years old. I cherish every moment with him. Have a blessed year my friend.

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  15. This was a kind-hearted post, how wonderful of you to take the time out to write it.

    Happy New Year!

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  16. I am speechless. What a touching and well written post. I'm glad we are bloggy friends. You have such a sweet and kind spirit. Can't wait to see what great things this new year holds. And, you , my friend, are already an inspiration to others.

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  17. What a wonderful, touching post, Maureen. We never really understand the depths of what someone is going thru until we hear the story laid out in detail, do we? God bless you- I hope your year IS filled with PEACE. I still don't have a word...I know I need one but I keep going back and forth on the word I should pick- Crazy, huh? Well, there you go-maybe that IS my word- Crazy! Have a wonderful night- xo Diana

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  18. A perfect word for someone so inspiring! Love both your words AND perseverance! Here's to a fabulous 2013! Happy New Year, Maureen!
    Karen

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  19. Maureen, this is such a meaningful post! You are also an excellent writer! So happy to know your daughter is doing so well. Trust you have wonderful people who are a blessing to you move into your rental. And thank you for your very sweet comments you left for me.
    Mary Alice

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  20. Maureen, I'm so thankful you discovered the key: choosing to find the best in each day even in the midst of miserable circumstances. I'm also thankful that 2013 begins on a brighter note than 2012 -- and I pray that it's a wonderfully inspirational year for you!

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  21. I had no idea you were having such a tough year it does not get worse than having a sick child and losing a pet.....Then sprinkling a few legal problems for good measure. Yep, this secret little blogging life is so special and up lifting when real life isn't.....This my friend will be a better year!

    Carol

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  22. Maureen ... love this inspiring post. You have been a great inspiration to me since I started blogging about a year ago. I thank you for that.
    Your message makes me pause and be thankful for all the blessing of this year. I love the word you have chosen for the year ... I need to do that. My word is HOPE for right now, but that might change.
    Have a great new year and I look forward to your posts in 2013.
    Blessings,
    Audrey Z.
    Timeless Treasures

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  23. Hey Maureen, nice message, we all need to pick a word for the year and work on it. Like always looking forward to reading more of your posts. Happy New Year and all the best for 2013

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  24. This is a beautiful and thoughtful post Maureen. I am so glad things are better for you now. I know life is full of peaks and valleys and things have a way of working out but when I am in the valley it is so hard to see through it. Thank you for your inspiring visits. I have tried to visit you in the past but for some reason couldn't get to your blog. I am so glad I was finally able to visit you! I love your signs and word for this year. Happy New Year Maureen.

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  25. You know Maureen, I thought of you today when I turned on the radio to hear that Malala was released from hospital in the UK. She inspired so many people, and will continue to do so but at the same time I was thinking about the post that you had written about Malala. It truly takes people such as yourself to pick up the thread of hope that individuals such as Malala represent in life and pass it along to the rest of us. You don't ignore those opportunities, you dive right in, speak up and make sure that those voices are loud and powerful and not turned into faint whispers.
    That is inspirational to me.

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  26. This image is so wonderful! I am so thankful Farm Girl is on the mend. No matter how old our children get we are still moms.
    I am praying that another Sarah will enter your life. There is nothing like a warm, furry friend.

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  27. I love the image on that post card, but I love the words of your post even more! I am glad this year is already looking better for you! We just never know where the year will take us. This time last year....I didn't even know you and now....I look forward to your posts all the time. It is you who inspire me my friend. You know I love your new word! Thank you for all the inspiration you have given and I'm looking forward to more this year!

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  28. Maureen, thank you so much for sharing this post and your word at my link party. I had no idea what a difficult year you were having this passed year. I'm so happy this year has started off much better. I absolutely love that post card as really we don't really know what is in store for us but have the optimism that a new year will bring more good and more experiences and more fun! Inspiration is a wonderful word for 2013.

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