“Mom, you sugar-coat things a lot!”
“Well yes, I’m a baker and that’s what we do!”
“No, I mean you really never get down and dirty about the honest ugly truth sometimes.”
“OH…”
As you can imagine I simmered that comment over and over like apples in a crockpot. Just when I had decided is was neither a bad or good thing, I heard our most recent houseguests say, “There’s a lot of pressure in Allison’s house to be nice!” Now this one had me stewing. What did this all mean? I walked around my home and found so many little signs, quotes, notes, chalkboards about being kind, appreciating the day, loving your life, respecting yourself, believing in yourself, make it a great day… yeah I see it now. So maybe it is a “thing” after all?
Alright, so I like positive words around my home....
Maybe it’s my kindergarten teacher background. As far back as I can remember positive thinking has always been my default attitude. So what if I prefer my glass half full. Yes I rocked a pair of rose colored glasses back in my younger days! And I’ve always thought being called Pollyanna was a compliment too. Well, the world may be shocked to hear this but NEWS FLASH PEOPLE: I am well aware of bad things. I have a young neighbor friend who is in Hospice with brain cancer. I’ve had a miscarriage. My dad has Parkinson’s and is about to move into an assisted living home. Another very dear family member has been struggling with illness for way too many months. My dog has inoperable bladder cancer. Most of my time is spent alone. Yeah, I know life can suck. I get it.
Getting snuggles in with my sweet boy...
But it doesn't help me if I wallow in my sorrow, pity and sadness. I prefer to paint my life in a positive hue. Negativity has never helped me get through my muck. I’m not oblivious, but yeah, I sugar-coat. I sprinkle my world with positivity and kindheartedness. I look to help others. I volunteer my time. I smile at people who pass me on the street. I feed the birds. I let people merge in front of me on the crowded highway. I bring Ring Pops for all the football family children on game days. I mail handwritten notes. I leave cold water bottles for the garbage and recycling people. I search high and low for a silver lining. I do all this so my heart fills with happiness and drowns out the sadness.
Brooke and I volunteered at MANNA of Philadelphia decorating birthday cakes for people who are homebound.
A professional psychiatrist might refer to it as a coping mechanism or denial. Regardless, I have adapted a technique that allows me the ability to deal with sad thoughts. This practice keeps the gray out of my day and allows me to reach out and embrace things like sunrises, freshly fallen acorns and rainbows. Call it the science of Allison. Call it whatever you like but I’m going to keep it up. It keeps me moving forward and getting out of bed. It places sadness on my back burner, leaving room for happiness to warm on the front ones.
Moral: Do what you must to make it through your day, it’s your day after all!
your sugar-coated friend,
A little thing about Rosh Hashanah: It’s the Jewish New Year holiday celebration. It is tradition to dip apples in honey to ensure a sweet New Year. With every apple slice dipped in honey I have either a request, prayer or conversation with God. This year I sliced my apples really thin because my list is really, really long. As I nibbled and dipped I both cried and smiled. After I was done I placed the apple core, a few orange rinds and one stick of cinnamon on the front burner to simmer. Just like that my home slowly filled with the smell of fall happiness. Wishing a Happy New Year to my friends who celebrate!
A sincere thank you for this gorgeous bottle of delicious home-crafted honey from my FIPP friends!