When Making Lemonade Isn't Enough

                               "When life gives you lemons, make lemonade" 

We've all heard that from time to time. I'm having a week of lemon-filled thoughts. End-of-semester crunch time, fingers in many pots, wondering what's on people's minds (when I know I shouldn't), etc. I've been both excited and apprehensive about things (who isn't). 
I've also heard that "When life gives you lemons, throw them back". 

But wait, that's not so nice. I don't do that, but I've felt it. 

I've learned that I can make lemonade out of life's lemons very well. I'm pretty resourceful and tend to create my own opportunities, but I also feel like I have a decent grasp on the fact that days in life range from the downright awful to the unabashedly glorious. It's been a week filled with both, yesssirreee. Even my rainbow unicorn & stars socks and my fun coffee socks didn't help even the keel. Boo. Time often helps though. It allows problematic situations to settle into a drinkable, lemony slush.

GAAAH, will I stop with the analogies.......probably not. 

The aforementioned slush is probably only drinkable with sugar and water, a team effort.

What if it's not a situation? What if people throw you lemons? Dealing with disappointment from unfulfilled expectations can be hard. In varied degrees, I imagine that most of us experience stress, fear, and worry over disappointing others while at the same time, we try and protect ourselves from being disappointed by others.  Working together sometimes does the trick...there's that team effort again :-)

I try to live my life in a confident, passionate, and authentic way. I'm openly sensitive and currently am the most "present" I've ever been in my entire life (thank you discernment and deep thoughts by the water in City Park). Being so present is truly wonderful and exciting, but can leave you vulnerable too. 

So what to do.... 

Avoid stresses? How is that living? 

Avoid the lemon-throwers? Hardly. 

Maybe I should try apples? Hmmm....just kidding!

Oh dear... What is is about throwing fruits?

And these memes? Yes, I had some time on my hands today.

What if people are gently handing you lemons they're not even aware of? This week, I've witnessed people simply walking by and dropping their lemons in my general vicinity. So WHAT business, pray tell, is it of mine to pick up these lemons? Ummm.... I'm a caring teacher and colleague? Is it that I want the best for everyone even though I know I cannot solve their stuff? Is it that I cannot alleviate fear in colleagues that has been constructed over years or even passed down to them by well-meaning higher-ups? 

Le Sigh. I have no real answers. Welcome to my ponderings.

Last month, I took some lemons, made some pretty good lemonade, and then watched as it was enjoyed. Only later did I realize that there wasn't any left for me. Today, this new month, I decided to collect the lemons, make some into lemonade and hold onto some others for selling or making more lemonade later.

I also decided that I should use magic and turn lemons into other juices because

I am amazing :-)

Poetry Post "Leafen Wrought"

Here is another poetry post from my 9th & 10th grade journal. I like it, but am not sure it makes 100% sense. Nevertheless, the imagery is still ok. I'll blame it on the fact that this one was written under slightly unusual circumstances...
If any of you watched PBS back in the 80's, you may remember seeing the occasional poem scrolled from top to bottom on your screen with a scenic picture and soft music in the background. I was in South Carolina so I was watching SCETV. Sometimes the poems were pretty cheesy or sappy. Some may also recall the Saturday Night Live "Deep Thoughts" by Jack Handey. These had me laughing like crazy then and now. I think I had been watching both of these things close to the same time and, as a result, this poem was created. I was dreaming of a poem being scrolled on the TV....and very slowly.

Here's a YouTube example of the hilarity in "Deep Thoughts"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KSrXpFb7jFo

It took me a second, but in my dream, I remember telling myself that I had better write this down. I ended up waking up and trying to recall the poem I had just seen. This is that poem. So, it's kind of cool that I was able to compose in my sleep......sort of (I'm sure I finished it once awake, but at least 3/4 of it was done while in some level of sleep.) I've decided to leave the poem as it is here and make no changes.

Leafen Wrought

In the sun where Autumn stains,

The twisted leaflet still remains.

The Summer having taken toll

Of green wonders without disdain.

The Wind, the sway of Time, it comes

Ere a chance to stall and stay

Arrives upon that leaf, that day.

If we leave the leafen wrought,

Securing hidden trail

We just might find our refuge fought,

Cool freedom to inhale.

We will remember savage Time

Who steals away our youth

Envisioned as an aged Leaf

Within our lives refined

Upon its Tree, sublime.

Photo credit: Free HD Wallpaper