“What day is it,?" asked Pooh.
"It's today," squeaked Piglet.
"My favorite day," said Pooh.”
"It's today," squeaked Piglet.
"My favorite day," said Pooh.”
I have a soft spot in my heart for Winnie the Pooh and all of his friends in the Hundred-Acre Wood. It reminds me of a more innocent time when my son was a child and he would sit in my lap or his father's lap and we would read Winnie the Pooh aloud to him. I'm going to date myself now, but we also had Winnie the Pooh tapes to pop in the VCR (no CD's then) and watching Pooh and especially Tigger together as a family is a wonderful memory.
I write about my old friend Winnie the Pooh because the above dialogue from A.A. Milne, the author of the Winnie the Pooh books, reminds me that simple is better. When I begin to think of all the things I need to solve or accomplish, putting myself on the proverbial human hamster wheel, Winnie reminds me to stop. Oh, bother! Oh, bother is right!
Problems need solutions and work needs to get done but Winnie reminds me that I don't need to think about ALL of it at the same time. When you are alone in raising a child, taking care of a house, and working full-time, it it easy to fall into the trap of trying to do everything at once because you can't hand things off to a spouse or a mate. I take a deep breath and calm my mind. Today I will do my best to finish the most important things and then I'll move on to the next round of responsibilities. That's all I can do.
Problems need solutions and work needs to get done but Winnie reminds me that I don't need to think about ALL of it at the same time. When you are alone in raising a child, taking care of a house, and working full-time, it it easy to fall into the trap of trying to do everything at once because you can't hand things off to a spouse or a mate. I take a deep breath and calm my mind. Today I will do my best to finish the most important things and then I'll move on to the next round of responsibilities. That's all I can do.
Whether Winnie ate too much honey, or couldn't sleep, he always knew he could count on his friends to get him through the difficulties that came his way. Don't laugh at Winnie's philosophy towards life. There is a sweet wisdom to his musings and Winnie reminds me that every day is special and not to be rushed. Every day is an opportunity to spend time with family and friends, to learn something new or move closer to solving a bothersome dilemma.
If you find yourself alone in the Hundred Acre Wood, don't despair. Reach out to others. Find people you trust and with whom you feel comfortable. Take the next small step. We don't always understand why something sad has happened to us but we must choose to be hopeful. Life can get better.
If you find yourself alone in the Hundred Acre Wood, don't despair. Reach out to others. Find people you trust and with whom you feel comfortable. Take the next small step. We don't always understand why something sad has happened to us but we must choose to be hopeful. Life can get better.
