Get Real with Lisa

We are headed into the fall season and what is better in the fall than homemade soup? The other day I was wondering what to do with the various veggies in my fridge and remembered my mom's refrigerator soup. Every once in a while, Mom would say, "I need to clean out the fridge". This was great news since it meant we would be having refrigerator soup for dinner. The downside was she could never make the same soup twice. But that was part of its charm. It was one and done. As I made my soup today, standing in the same house where I cooked with my mom so many years ago, I was grateful for those memories. I thanked her for the skills she taught me in this very same place and for my delicious dinner that resulted from those skills. Take some time this fall to dig out an old recipe and make it. Better yet, make it with someone who will keep those past memories alive for future generations to come.

Today's episode is about being aware of others and including them when we can. So many times, we find ourselves teaching our kids to exclude others because either we are afraid of their influence on them or we just want them all to ourselves. This is doing our kids a disservice. We need to teach them not only to notice others and be aware when someone is struggling, but to invite them in and make them feel at home. Our exclusivity can sometimes stifle what might bring about the best friendship or a really great connection.

Today I wanted to talk to you about how great I think it is that people can do weddings, and other things, in their own way and on their own terms. When I got married, roughly 100 years ago, I did all that was expected of me. I got married in a church we didn't belong too, because you HAVE to get married in a church. I registered for tons of crystal, because that's what you HAVE to do. And in all the details, I am not sure I was focused on the importance of what was happening that day. I think it is so great that people now can do it however they want! It is important mostly to get to know each other and decide together what you really want for the joining of your two hearts for the rest of time. It is the most important decision of your life! You are each other's person and remembering that will help you let all the unimportant stuff fade away.

I was a teenager in the 80s and back then, we were all about how we looked. From the big hair to the piles of makeup, we were impressively done up every day. That "code", if you will, followed me into adulthood and, even though the 80s look went away, the concern about looking perfect all the time remained. I have finally come to the point in my life that I don't care what the scale says. That number doesn't define who I am or any important thing about me. It is just a number. It doesn't even indicate how healthy or unhealthy I am. Aging is a privilege not all of us are given. For the first time, I am doing healthy things for my health and not my looks... and it feels really great.

Today I am encouraging us all to go back to sending cards or notes to those we care about. I went to the store to buy some sympathy cards and was quickly reminded that the sentiments in them are really dumb. I am not sure who is making them, but I am a fan of buying blank cards and writing my own sentiment in them. The point of sending a card is it shows you care enough to make the effort. Because we have so many other ways of reaching out now, the written word is becoming a thing of the past. Let's get back to what our grandparents did and send the note or card letting our loved ones know we care enough to "send the very best".

Hey all. I am getting back on this horse and getting real with you today about life. We all have struggles and sometimes, those struggles aren't really THAT bad. But other times, they are the silent, drop to the floor and bawl your eyes out struggles. Those times can really define who we are and also define who is there for us. Let's face it, most of us have had relatively easy lives. But sometimes, life brings us to our knees. And maybe that's where we need to start in times of hardship and also in times of ease. I would submit to you that prayer needs not be a last resort. Instead, it is what we can do, always. We pray at the beginning, the middle and the end of the struggle. We pray through the never-ending struggles. Some people are facing things that are unimaginable, like the loss of a child. We can give everything we have to a fundraiser and bring endless casseroles. But no amount of money or food can REALLY make that struggle better. Those are the "hit your knees" struggles of life. Let's not say, "All we can do is pray." Let's pray at all times.

Everyone is always telling us to "be intentional" but what does that really mean? I tend to kinda hang out and expect fun things to happen. Then, when they don't, I am disappointed. But here's the thing. When nothing fun happens, I have not been intentional with my time, my schedule or my connection with others. If we have no intentionality about our time, pretty soon we realize it's all been wasted on nothing. I, for one, am not willing for that to keep happening! I am encouraging myself and you to make a list of to-dos for the rest of this year. These to-dos aren't obligations; they are a bucket list of sorts. Then let's take the list a step further and put them on the calendar. Cheers to us making this a more fun and intentional year!

Today I am encouraging you to join me in my goal of living a life filled with memories, people, experiences, and love... instead of tons of material things. As we get older, those "things" have less and less meaning and we gain perspective on what is important. The process of going through decades of collected stuff at my dad's home has set me on a new mission - to live a life less full of stuff and more full of love.

We're on a roll here talking about all the STUFF we have. A lot of us have storage units with stuff in them we don't even remember. More of us have stuff stuffed into nooks and crannies in our houses - closets, basements, attics. And what about that garage we can't park in? When it comes down to it, we just have too much stuff! If we start to think more critically about what we have and really examine the "why" of the stuff, we can begin to pare it down, little by little, until we have a more peaceful life with less.

As you know, I am on a mission to downsize all the stuff accumulated by me and also by my parents. There is something to be said for paying homage to the past. After all, it is what shaped us and brought us to where we are today! But keeping everything isn't possible and tossing everything without any emotion might make you a psycho. So maybe there is a place in between the two that will give us the peace of having less and the joy of looking back.