Helen Plus Three

Is pressure relative? I have worked all my life except the 6 months or so, that allowed me to look after dad after his bypass and get out of one pressure cooker, only to get into another one 6 months later. If a break had been possible, in and out I might have been able to enjoy some small amount of time seeing my kids grow up. Regrets come too late. Life would have been drastically different if I had decided to do things very differently. If my life growing up had been different, where would I be today. Would I have had three kids? Would my path have taken a different turn.? Heaven only knows.

This poem reminds me of my father and how he lives  and I am and will be the ''  forlorn and shipwrecked brother,  Se eing, shall take heart again. " Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807-1882)              A PSALM OF LIFE        WHAT THE HEART OF THE YOUNG MAN                     SAID TO THE PSALMIST     T ELL  me not, in mournful numbers,         Life is but an empty dream ! —     For the soul is dead that slumbers,         And things are not what they seem.     Life is real !   Life is earnest!         And the grave is not its goal ;     Dust thou art, to dust returnest,         Was not spoken of the soul.     Not enjoyment, and not sorrow,         Is our destined end or way ;     But to act,...

I've been to most of the immediate Asian cities like Malaysia, Hon Kong, Shanghai, Thailand (Bangkok, Phuket), Bali and Lombok (Indonesia) and the most recent was Cambodia. A little further afield a long time ago, I visited the east cost of Australia, namely Brisbane and Melbourne, Tasmani and lovely lovely New Zealand. I hope and aim to see Rome and England next and beyond if possible one day soon. Life has passed me by long enough with just work and the kids in front of me, it's time to live a little more.

But sometimes you need to just take a look at it again to make sure it is still 'well'. Some things last but eventually, they just break down. Lately, the appliances in my home have been giving way one by one.  The toaster, then the washing machine and  then the microwave. Lights off and on... It's like nature telling me it's time. Some things can be repaired but some things just require renewal. And like life I too will begin rejuvenation.

Need inspiration for living, please visit Sandra at Healthier and Wealthier -.   a blog on all subjects that improve health and wealth and wisdom (and that includes chocolate).  You'll come away refreshed.  I found these few simple rules to follow everyday, displayed very succinctly on her blog. They point us towards a more peaceful life. Sandra has graciously allowed me to reproduce them here. I am practicing what I read in the -Triangle of Truth-.  So many books. methods expounded and so much written on the subject of better living, how much do we recall. If you're busy and harried all the time, try these 6 simple tenets(printed it out), not too difficult to remember and put into practice... Of course I'm speaking for me too.   Just Do It Everyday * Appreciate What Is Working In Your Life * Find The Gift In Every Situation * Focus On What You Want, Not What You Don't Want * Make Time To Be Quiet * Trust Your Faith * Walk Away From Negativity...

I don't always know what's best but I know what's right. I may not be the best mother in the world, but I do my best. Every child has a right to live, to feel safe, to be loved. It is my job to ensure they do. No child is perfect, they are all perfect to me. Mischief! It's all part of the plan If it doesn't feel right, it's not. If it doesn't feel natural, it cannot be. If my child is not happy, I'm not. If my child cannot express himself out loud, there is a reason. Is there enough laughter Are there enough cookies. Have I given my child memories of balloons, fries and ice cream. Is it enough......... I cannot follow my mother's parenting pattern, but I can follow how (much)love is given.

When you are in your 40s and 50s and you think back to your younger days, what 's really important, what is it that matters the most in those memories? Is it the time you spent studying or is it the time you spent life in other ways? With friends, doing things with your hands or the activities with family. If the current outcome of your life is success and happiness borne out of that time mugging away, perhaps that study may seem important but is it what that matters when you recall that life. Do you wish you had lived life a little differently and derived more enjoyment from it, exploring more than you had done before. So what really counts? There's no turning back the clock, but I can use my lessons for my kids. As I look at my kids now, and even as  I encourage them ( nag) to study etc etc, I also want them to have more to remember of this time in their life besides the school stuff. Sure grades are important. I want them to ensure they are doing their best  and yet ...