Ode to the Woman

ODE TO ALL WOMEN  

Ode to the woman is written to all moms, all caregivers it was inspired by being a woman and mom and the woes of life, but also the beauty in it all. 

Ode to the Woman, who has in anxiety or grief who has looked back, the one who is hard on herself and is always hard on herself but especially so with her children. You have done your best but feel like your best wasn't good enough, if only you had been more intentional, pushed more loved even more, talked more. Instead you were there in body but so tired in spirit. Maybe not tired, but also maybe you just didn't know what to say or how to love outwardly with body and word because no one ever taught you. You had not the words to fill the gaps, to fill the cracks and nurture outwardly, but you were there, you showed up and you tried. You loved, you gave, you tried. It has not all been for naught, but a seed planted, love given in your own way and God sees it, and he loves you. May you feel His Love and peace in return.

Ode to the Woman, The one who has grown outward, and more fluffy. You have had children, and loved, you have taken care of your children, you haven't let your self go, you have let yourself live. You don't calculate every minute of every day or every calorie. You have journeyed through your days concentrating on your family and not yourself, and that is okay. Kudos to you, keep living, and loving. You maybe married and though he stays in shape and maybe goes to the gym, there is not time or motivation for you.  The most steps you get are running after little ones and though you don't begrudge it, you often think, wouldn't one day to yourself, one day off, just one day be nice to have to work on yourself, but you just keep growing and gaining weight, but loving your family and being there for them all. Your love holds you captive, you don't want to miss one step, one minute from your family so you don't make time for self to go to the gym, to recharge or meditate. You justify it all in love. 

Ode to the Woman who has somehow done it all, managed to keep her figure, to keep all her appointments at the gym. The woman who has kept it together both physically, and mentally and has it all: the family, the career and her figure and looks. Hard work has paid off and kudos to you for being that champion time manager and master planner to get it all done. You know in your heart you might have missed that morning breakfast with the littles or that book to read at night, you might have missed some cuddles but you know that it's okay because you being strong and working on yourself matters. It matters that you are filled up and whole so that you can pour into your family. Ode to you woman with the full cup who has it all figured out. 

Ode to the woman who is trying, the one who does not have it all together but still shows up everyday and does her best. She may be fluffy she may be thin, but she hasn't the time for the gym. She is busy, and life is busy and she works, as does her husband, and though career is not her focus her work takes her away every day from her family, but somehow it all works out because of a team effort of family. Flickers of guilt come and go as she wishes she could have spent more time with her kiddos, she relishes in the little moments, the night time prayers or hugs in the morning but not enough time, not enough talks and time rushes on like a mighty river flows, and 10 years have passed in a flicker. Ode to this woman for trying, for striving.

Ode to the woman who might have focused on her career a wee bit long. 30's 40's then no children came. Ode to this woman too who chose career over family. She pushed those natural nudges to start a family to seek the perfect fairly tale life of home and family to focus on her job, and career. She may sit in regret later in life, or even now, but don't, don't begrudge your choices. Find family in friends, love on those around you. Ode to this woman who might have let time slip through her fingers, but don't we all in some form or fashion.

Ode to the woman who gave up a career or chose to stay home with her children, to maybe have less, but love more. It's okay, your okay and your career will or won't wait on you, but you are having a home career, home manager and your career is your family. Ode to you and yours. Don't pine over what could have been or what career ambition might have yielded but celebrate the now, live in the present and know that you are creating magic in your children who will forever be bonded to you. 

Ode to the woman who might have been left, left by her husband, or left by her children. You still have so much to give you are a woman and this world needs you. Ode to you, may you find your way, may you dance in the storm and find your path that leads to a fruitful life. May you pick of the pieces and may they all fit together or maybe you make a new masterpiece but get up and show up. 

Ode to the woman who is striving with or without family who has health problems, or addictions. Ode to you for going on, for fighting. You are doing your best. You may be fluffly or you may be thin, but remember the real stuff is on the inside, the beauty is what comes out of the heart, not the skeleton that holds the heart. Remember each day we get the chance to start again, afresh and anew.

Ode to the woman who is raising someone else's child or children either by choice of by 'doing the right thing' and taking family on. Ode to you for allowing your motherly instincts drive you, for loving and striving to give what others could not, or would not. It may not come easy or it may or may not come natural but you try and you show up and you plan and you are there like a steadfast pillar doing your best not to bring glory to you but to give hope to a child that all is not lost, and the universe wants them here. 

The New Leprosy

 I have to say that as a people we are really no different than we were thousands of years ago even BC. I know this as I read God's word and the stories that are there reminding me of the human condition. 

What is the human condition- well we are evil by nature and will remain evil until we accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior and even then when we strive and work hard to be good we are not. 

We are different, we work, we strive, but at the end of the day, we are selfish and we fail. We are human. 

IN the age I speak of when someone had leprosy they were cast aside and put out from society to be almost exiled.  They were not accepted into the city or with other people, but had to be isolated for public health reasons.

Now our new Leprosy is our mentally ill. Not due to health but due to our own comfort. I speak of the one's that have burned every bridge in their life to the point of being isolated and alone. They live on the street, or in a home.  Family love them but they do it at arms length and they set boundaries. Those boundaries often include separation of sorts and again the person is isolated. Isolated just as someone with leprosy, not because of contagion but because many reasons, they don't look like us or they get on our nerves or we are just plain tired of the journey of it. 

I am not judging, I write this as I have lived it. I write this from a place of conviction yet have no answers of how this can change or get better. I write this as I am just as bad as the Doctor that refuses to treat a drug addict with heart valve damage, though he covers his documentation with proper language to keep himself from being sued. The poor soul who decided to self medicate when life didn't feel right and it got out of hand. The Doc plays God and decides the drug addict homeless person does not get to live. 

Let's talk about the mentally ill. The one's who don't look like us, or act like us. The individual that speaks to the air, to his book bag, to all cars riding down the street. He/She looks unkempt,  burly, tanned and often dirty. Sometimes they don't say anything at all, just stare off - oh yeah those are the ones that take their meds and appear to be zombies, but 

I would say the mentally ill are the new leprosy ... 

They don't get looked at or even acknowledged at times. Society  keeps them isolated, and alone because no one wants to deal with it in their life. No one wants to be around psychosis and hallucinations or delusions because it aggravates us as we live in the present and well we don't want to live in the twighlight zone. I get it, I have lived it, but as a people group as humanity, there must be a better way. 

We talk about inclusion all the time, diversity, and acceptance....what about this people group? 

Why is it so hard to accept them, include them, and realize that they matter, that they are humans that should be treated with respect and dignity just as any human being. 

Mental health is a public health problem as our mental health drives our physical health. So I wonder in this first world country that I live in, why has no one found a suitable answer or solution to our country's mental health problem? 

I am gonna end with a beautiful quote or story by Ram Dass-

"When you go out into the woods and you look at trees, you see all these different trees. And some of them are bent, and some of them are straight, and some of them are evergreens, and some of them are whatever. And you look at the tree and allow it. You sort of understand that it didn't get enough light, and so it turned that way. And you don't get all emotional about it. You just allow it. You appreciate the tree. The minute you get near humans you loose all that. And you are constantly saying'you're too this, or I'm too this.' That Judging mind come in. And So I practice turning people into trees. Which means appreciating them the way they are."