![]() By Neil Allen Recently my daughter received a post card in the mail stating she had a package at the UPS office in Keene. There was only one thing it could be — a $2 container of hand sanitizer. We could have decided it wasn’t worth the 90 minute round-trip but we reassessed our plans and opted to go get it as it was the only day available to us before they shipped the item back. We groused about the trip the whole way down to the UPS facility. And, once we got there, things did not go exactly how we’d planned, either. When we got inside, there was a man at the counter trying to mail a package. He only had cash and the UPS facility only accepted debit or credit cards (sensible given their remote location). The poor guy was really upset about it. Being a problem solver and a bit of a busybody, I stepped up and offered to have him give me the cash and I would use my debit card to pay for the shipping. It was the only reasonable solution for his predicament that didn’t require him to leave and find a way to get a card. The gentleman seemed to be shocked at my offer to help and he thanked me more than a few times. The woman behind the counter was very grateful, too, as there was nothing she could do to help. I was happy to have been of assistance and able to do a good deed. We were soon on our way. Then, on the way home, just after we passed through North Walpole, we saw a blue-green fireball over the Connecticut River. It lasted only a few seconds but it was fantastic to watch. The neon green streak behind the small meteor lit up the sky until the fireball extinguished itself with a small burst of bright orange then disappeared. This was the second one I’d seen on Rt. 12, the first time was two years ago on the way to Keene late one night, and the first time my daughter had seen anything like it. It was something to talk about. The trip, which seemed like such an inconvenience at the outset, turned out to be one I am now thankful for. We may not always be prepared to follow the changes the universe has set up for us but being able to be flexible is an important skill to learn for ourselves and to share with our children. Knowing how to not overreact and to reassess your plans as you move forward in a completely different direction. This is true for just about every aspect of our lives — including work, school, children, and relationships. Here are some tips to make it easier:
Hopefully these tips will help you find peace and acceptance for the chaos that can be life and make going with the flow a bit easier. Do you have any tips that help you when life changes unexpectedly?
0 Comments
By Melony Williams
So, I have been thinking a lot about our group conversation after viewing Resilience and how I was struck by the fact that so many caring and committed members of our community were in the room and wanting to make positive change. I have also been thinking of how to get started and how to maintain the energy and momentum we generated. Maggie and I were on the radio with Steve Smith of WCNL on Monday and some of my thoughts started to come together. The three of us had a great conversation about how parenting is a challenge and how it feels when we recognize and support each other’s efforts. I shared about how we at TLC view this as a parallel process, noting that how we support each other starts with Maggie supporting me, moves to me supporting our amazing staff members, to them supporting parents and ending with parents supporting their children. Really taking the time to notice each other and to take a moment to share our positive reflections can make such a difference. Do you remember the last time this happened to you? I just had this experience this morning and it made me feel recognized, like I want to keep going and maybe even do better. So, maybe that is how we get started. Maybe we keep our eyes open and notice when someone around us is doing something well, especially in regard to parenting but it could be other things as well. If a mom is remaining calm despite her child’s tantrum at the store or a father is laughing with his child as they play … what if we take a moment to tell that person what we noticed and how we felt? I think something as small as this can change a day, help a person keep going and start the process of building Resilience in our community. Thanks for reading. We are still trying to get a date to show Resilience at the Claremont Opera House in the evening and will keep you posted on that! Melony Williams is a Clinical Supervisor at TLC Family Resource Center. |
Archives
January 2019
Categories
All
|
|
![]() At TLC Family Resource Center we support and strengthen all families, children, and youth in Sullivan and Lower Grafton counties with a wide
range of free programs, support groups, education, and events. Media Contact: Maggie Monroe-Cassel ![]() 109 Pleasant Street
PO Box 1098 Claremont, NH 03743 603-542-1848 | Fax: 603-542-1846 |
Copyright © 2015-2018 by TLC Family Resource Center
All rights reserved. If you have any problems on the site, please email here.
All rights reserved. If you have any problems on the site, please email here.