Sticking To It

 

I am in much better spirits than I was when I made my last post.  I heard from the rescue people, and Ridley is doing well.  They fully understand why I felt he needed to be the only pet and are actively looking for just the right home for him.  I have noticed that my stress level has decreased too.  I love my pets, they are my furry little babies and I take good care of them, but I cannot allow one of them to rule nearly every waking moment.  So it was the right choice, and I am content that all will be well.

I have never thought of myself as being very patient or being able to stick to anything for very long.  I have the type of brain that needs lots of stimulation, and so I can have a very short attention span sometimes.  That doesn't mean I won't remember things, because believe me I remember everything whether I want to or not.  I also like decisiveness and action when something requires it.  I am not the type to deliberate for a long time or vacillate on something.  When those rare occasions arise I usually do (or buy) both options and move on.

As I told you in my last post though, we cannot always see ourselves from the outside.  I think sometimes we fall into a line of thinking that we are a certain way only because we used to be that way and we are comfortable viewing ourselves as such. 

When I was a kid we moved a great deal.  Much MUCH more than most people ever move in a lifetime.  By the time I was 16, we had moved 167 times, I have moved at least 20 more times since then.  This teaches you to be fluid throughout your life, and to never be afraid of change.  It also shapes you into the sort of person who won't stick to things.  I had so many jobs early on...everything from Boeing Aerospace to singing telegrams.  I dated countless men...before I got to R.  Literally a couple hundred. (Dated does not mean slept with now! I was not that kind of girl!) 

The interesting thing is I realized this morning I do stick to things.  After all I have been making bears for over 30 years, even if it was while doing all those other crazy jobs, and I am coming up on 23 wonderful years of marriage.  If that isn't sticking to something I don't know what is!

I also have this ability to take people back into my life whether we have simply parted or we parted on less than favorable terms.  In fact I can only think of three people who have ever wronged me so badly they would not be allowed back.  Life is too short to hold a grudge and people are too important.

Just a couple weeks ago, a woman I was friends with about 26 years ago found me on Facebook and we more or less picked right up where left off.  The only reason we didn't stay friends at the time is because I moved away.  I am very happy she found me again.  I am not that good at finding people on there since I am still sort of Facebook impaired.  Plus, while I do take people back easily I rarely seek them out since I don't want to annoy anyone or make them feel uncomfortable.

Bears on the other hand are a different matter.  If you have been wondering about the bear shown above...he was made by the wonderful and talented Lori Ann Corelis who I have known from all the way back to the bear show years.  There is a rather funny story behind the bear.  I have a couple of Lori's bunnies, a mouse and a cat.  But I never had one of her bears...I don't know why.  About 3-4 years ago she made a lovely green bear for Christmas.  I missed the update and the bear was sold before I saw it.  I have this odd love for green bears, I am not sure why.  I kept mooning over the bear and finally about six months later I got up the courage and asked her if she would make me a green bear.  It does take courage for me to ask for a custom piece because I don't like making really specific customs, and I know many other artists don't either.  So when I do ask for a custom I try to keep it pretty open ended and just request one thing, like a color because that keeps the artistic freedom in play for the creator.

I didn't mention it again, and the bear never appeared.  I understand this too, because sometimes we get busy or sidetracked or inspired to make other pieces and things can fall by the wayside until we forget to do them.  Even with my memory I have occasionally forgotten things I was supposed to make for people and they have to prod me about it.  So I wasn't upset or anything, but I just kept patiently waiting.  Finally last November I mentioned it.  I really felt kind of bad about asking even then.  Being the lovely person she is, Lori apologized for forgetting about it, and made my bear!  Isn't he just grand!  He is nothing like the original bear I saw, but I truly love him...more so than the one I saw in the first place!  He arrived yesterday and was absolutely worth the wait and he came at just the right time when I needed something new to make me smile. 

But like I always tell you, things arrive in their own time whether it's self perceptions or bears or something else entirely.  Things are always delivered to us just exactly when they are supposed to be!  The universe is a clever place and knows what we need, when we need it, and teaches us that sometimes we can stick to things and that we are infinitely more patient than we think we are.